SIGEL
SIGEL
U.S. v., Nov. 29, 1862, and accepted March 29,
1863; commanded the 3d army coi'ps, Army of
the Potomac, under Gen. Joseph Hooker, in the
Chancellorsville campaign and was cut off with
Iiis corps from communication with Gen. Hooker,
but ordered a bayonet charge and got back into
position on the right flank. He commanded the
3d army corps. Army of the Potomac, under Gen.
George G. Meade in the battle of Gettysburg, Pa.,
July 1-3, 1863, where on July 2 his force of
10.009 men was overcome by a force of 15,000 un-
der General Longstreet, his command was shat-
tered, and lie was wounded in the right leg, ne-
cessitating amputation. He was sent on a special
mission to South America in 1865; was appointed
colonel of 42d U.S. infantry, July 28, 1866; was
brevetted brigadier-general, March 2, 1867, for
Sirvices at the battle of Fredericksburg, Va., and
major-general the same date for services at Get-
tysburg, Pa., and also received the congressional
medal of honor for " most distinguished gallantry
in action at Gettysburg, Pa., July 2, 1863, dis-
played on the field, both before and after the loss
of his leg, while serving as major-general of
volunteers, commanding the 3d army corps."
He commanded the military district of the Caro-
linas, 1865-67; refused the mission to Nether-
lands and was honorably mustered out of volun-
teer service, Jan. 1. 1869, and was retired from
the regular army with the rank of major-general,
April 14, 1869, for loss of limb. He was U.S.
minister to Spain, 1869-73, chairman of the New
York civil service commission, 1888-89; shei'iff of
New York in 1890; a Democratic representative
from New York in the 53d and 54th congresses,
1893-97, and on Nov. 8. 1903, he was elected com-
mander of the Medal of Honor Legion.
SIQEL, Franz, soldier, was born at Sinsheim, Baden, Germany, Nov. 24, 1834. He attended the classical school of Burchsal, and was graduated from the military academy of Carlsruhein 1843. He participated in the revolutionary strug- gle in Baden in 1848, winning military dis- tinction, and in 1849 he was exiled from Germany. He immi- grated to America in 1853, settled in New York city, and for five years was en- gaged in engineering, surveying and school teaching. He removed to St. Louis in 1857, becoming an instructor in the German- American institute in that city, and IX. — 24
in 1860 was a director of the board of education.
In April, 1861, he organized the 3d Missouri vol-
unteer infantry and a battalion of artillery, and
entered the St. Louis ai'senal to aid in its defence.
He participated in the affair at Camp Jackson,
and then, commanding the 2d brigade of IMissoun
volunteers, marched to intercept Jackson, and
engaged him at Carthage, July 5, 1861. He was
outnumbered four to one. and after a sharp en-
gagement made a skillful retreat. His next
engagement was at Deep Springs, Mo., where he
fought under General Lyon. At Wilson's Creek,
on Aug. 10, 1861, he marched a portion of his
brigade to the rear of the enemy's camp, and
made a successful attack, driving the enemy into
the woods, but when General Lyon's troops had
been repulsed, the enemy brouglit up an over-
whelming force and drove him back. He made
a good retreat, until, deserted by his cavalry, he
was surprised by some Texan rangers, and most
of his troops were killed or captured. With a
mere handful of men he marched to Springfield,
where he was joined by Sturgis. He was com-
missioned brigadier-general of volunteers, to date
from May 17, 1861, and was given command of a
division in Fremont's army. General Hunter
made him commander of Springfield, and when
Halleck assumed command Sigel was sent to
Rolla. to prepare two divisions for active service
in the field. In General Curtiss's advance Sigel
commanded these two divisions, and at the battle
of Pea Ridge, March 7, 1862, was second in com-
mand. While the battle was in progress he
marched with two divisions around to Van Dorn's
right flank and rear, thus compelling him to
withdraw. He was commissioned major-general
of volunteers, March 21, 1862, was tnmsferred to
the east, and on June 1 took command of the
troops at Harper's Ferry and at Maryland Heights.
He followed Jackson on his retreat to Winches-
ter, and on June 25, 1863, was given command of
the 1st corps, Army of Virginia, under General
John Pope. He was engaged at Cedar Mountain,
Va., Aug. 9, 1862, and then with his own corps.
General Banks's, and a division of the ninth
corps, he fought on the Rappahannock, and at
daylight on August 29 attacked Jackson near
Groveton. Sigel was reinforced by Hooker's and
Kearney's divisions and waged a fierce battle, but
Jackson, finding shelter behind a railroad em-
bankment, stood his ground, and when Pope
arrived in the afternoon he assumed general com-
mand, and Sigel remained with his corps through
the rest of the battle. His corps was transferred
to the Army of the Potomac, as the eleventh
corps, and when Burnside divided his armj' into
grand divisions, Sigel commanded the fourth, or
reserve grand division, made up of the 11th and
12th corps, but was obliged by ill-health to
