Franz
Sigel was born in Baden, Germany, on
18th November, 1824. A graduate of the German Military Academy, he
resigned from the German Army in 1847 and became involved in radical
politics. Sigel took part in the 1848 German Revolution and was afterwards
forced to flee to Switzerland.
Sigel lived in England for a while until emigrating to the United
States. He taught in New York City schools
before becoming the director of education in St.
Louis.
An opponent of slavery, he immediately
joined the Union Army on the outbreak of the American
Civil War. He was commissioned Colonel of the 3rd Missouri but
within a few weeks had been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
Sigel commanded the 4th Brigade of Army of Southwest Missouri from
January to February of 1862. He took part in the battles at Wilson's
Creek. and Pea Ridge before being appointed Major General on 21st
March, 1862. Three months later he fought against Thomas
Stonewall Jackson in Shenandoah
Valley (4th to 26th June) and against Robert
E. Lee at the 2nd Battle of Bull Run.
In the winter of 1863 bad health forced Sigel to rest from active
duty. He returned in March, 1864, but was badly defeated at New Market.
In July he fought Major General Jubal Early
at Harpers Ferry but soon afterwards was relieved of his command for
"lack of aggression".
After the war Sigel went to live in Baltimore
where he worked as a journalist. He later moved to New
York City where he became involved in publishing and lecturing.
Franz Sigel died in New York on 21st August, 1902.
(1)
Carl Schurz, Autobiography of Carl
Schurz (1906)
Abraham
Lincoln appointed General Franz Sigel as the commander of the First
Army Corps of the Army of Virginia. The German-American troops welcomed
Sigel with great enthusiasm, which the rank and file of the native
American regiments at least seemed to share. He brought a splendid
military reputation with him. He had bravely fought for liberty in
Germany, and conducted there the last operations of the revolutionary
army in 1849. He had been one of the foremost to organize and lead
that force of armed men, mostly Germans, that seemed suddenly to spring
out of the pavements of St. Louis, and whose prompt action saved that
city and the State of Missouri to the Union. On various fields, especially
at Pea Ridge, he had distinguished himself by personal gallantry as
well as by skillful leadership.
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