Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

Franz Sigel papers

Call Number

MS 565

Date

1806-1930 (bulk 1848-1880), inclusive

Creator

Sigel, Franz, 1824-1902
United States. President (1861-1865 : Lincoln)

Extent

3.2 Linear feet in 8 boxes and 1 oversize tube

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

Franz Sigel was a German American general during the American Civil War who was enormously popular with German immigrants. His papers include correspondence, including correspondence from President Abraham Lincoln; military materials, which includes battle orders and maps; and other personal writings and ephemera. Many of the materials in this collection are in German. Portions of this collection relating to the Civil War have been digitized and are available to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.

Biographical Note

Missing Title

November 18, 1824 Sigel born in Sinsheim in the Grand Duchy of Baden (modern day Germany)
1843 Sigel graduated from the Military Academy at Karsruche and joined the army of the Grand Duke of Baden
1848 Sigel joined the Germany revolution and resigned his military commission
May 1852 Sigel moved to New York after being in exile in Switzerland and England
1855 Sigel established the German-American Institute in New York City with his father-in-law, Rudolf Dulon where Sigel taught mathematics, history, and languages
1857 Sigel was hired as a professor at the German-American Institute in St. Louis
1860 Sigel was elected director of St. Louis public schools
May 4, 1861 Sigel was commissioned as a colonel of the 3rd Missouri Infantry
August 7, 1861 Sigel was promoted to brigadier general (effective May 17)
Winter 1861 Sigel resigned from the Union Army in protest when his command was given to Samuel R. Curtis. This is the first of his two resignations.
March 7-8, 1862 Sigel led a division at the Battle of Pea Ridge. This was one of Sigel's few notable military victories during the Civil War.
March 21, 1862 Sigel was promoted to major general of volunteers
Winter 1862-February 1863 Sigel was given command of the XI Corps in the Army of the Potomac, which was mainly made up of German immigrants who wanted to "fight mit Sigel." Sigel was relieved by Major General Oliver O. Howard in February 1863
February 1864 Sigel was given command of the Department of West Virginia
May 15, 1864 Sigel suffered an embarrassing defeat at the Battle of New Market
July 8, 1864 Sigel was removed from active command
May 4, 1865 Sigel resigned from the Union Army for the second and final time
1869 Sigel ran for New York Secretary of State only to be defeated by the Boss Tweed's candidate
1886 Sigel was appointed U.S. Pension Agent for New York, a position he held through to 1889
August 21, 1902 Sigel died in New York City

Franz Sigel was born on November 18, 1824 in Sinsheim in the Grand Duchy of Baden, what is now modern day Germany. His military career began upon his graduation in 1843 from the Military Academy at Karsruche when he joined the Grand Duke of Baden's army. His time in the army was short though, because Sigel resigned his commission in order to partake in the the Revolutions of 1848 in Germany. Sigel was rather notable among the revolutionaries because he had actual military experience. After the Prussians put down the revolution, Forty-Eighters (those who had supported the revolution) fled Germany in droves. Sigel was one of those Forty-Eighters and lived in exile in Switzerland, France, and England.

At some point after the revolution, Sigel married Elsie Dulton with whom he eventually had five children, which included three sons and a daughter: Rudolph, Paul, Franz Jr., and Lulu. No information is available about the fifth child. Sigel's granddaughter, Paul's daughter, Elsie, was a missionary among Chinese immigrants in New York City. She gained notoriety 1909 when there was extensive newspaper coverage of her sensational murder allegedly committed by one of the immigrants she had been helping.

In May 1852, Sigel, like many Forty-Eighters before him, came to the United States and settled in New York City. Sigel began building his ties with the German immigrant community when he established the German-American Institute in New York City with his father-in-law, Rudolf Duton. Sigel taught mathematics, history, and languages at the Institute. Sigel also taught at the German Turner Society, which was an institution that believed in mixing learning and exercise. During this period Sigel was also active in the 5th New York Militia. Sigel then moved to St. Louis in 1857 to become a professor at the German-American Institute there. In 1860 Sigel was elected director of St. Louis' public schools.

Like many other Forty-Eighters, Sigel was considered a progressive who opposed slavery. When the American Civil War began on April 12, 1861, Sigel was ready to join the fray. He was commissioned as a colonel of the 3rd Missouri Infantry in the Union Army on May 4, 1861. Soon Sigel became a household name--at least in German households. In what was considered a political maneuver, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Sigel to the rank of brigadier general. The reason for this promotion most likely had something to do with the rallying cry from German immigrants—"I goes to fight mit Sigel." (There was also a popular civil war song with that slogan for a title.) Sigel was a significant help when it came to recruiting German immigrants for the Union Army. Interestingly, there were several Civil War generals who were German Forty-Eighters including Carl Schurz, Louis Blenker, and Alexander Schimmelfennig.

Unfortunately Sigel's recruiting successes did not carry over to the battlefield. There were some notable victories during the early years of the war, such as the Battle of Pea Ridge which took place on March 7-8, 1862. However, Sigel's American military career was punctuated by a resignation in 1861, which he did in protest over being replaced, and numerous losses on the battlefield. Although he was removed from active command, Sigel managed to stay in Lincoln's good graces due to his popularity with the German immigrants. On May 15, 1864, Sigel suffered an embarrassing loss at the Battle of New Market where the Confederate force had a number of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute whose average age was eighteen. Sigel continued in the Union Army without active command until his second and final resignation on May 4, 1865.

As a civilian, Sigel kept active in politics. He attempted to run for New York Secretary of State in 1869, but he was defeated by Boss Tweed's candidate. Boss Tweed was a political machine boss. He is associated with Tammany Hall, a notorious New York political machine which was founded in 1876, devoted to Democrats, and fueled by Irish immigrants. In 1886, Sigel was appointed U.S. Pension Agent for New York and he held the position until 1889. On August 21, 1902 Sigel died in New York City.

Sources:

Stephen D. Engle, Yankee Dutchman: The Life of Franz Sigel Louisiana State University Press, 1999.

"Franz Sigel," Civil War Trust, available at http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/franz-sigel.html.

"Franz Sigel," Encyclopedia Virginia, available at http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Sigel_Franz_1824-1902

"Gen. Franz Sigel Dead," N.Y. Times, Aug. 22, 1902.

Arrangement Note

This collection is arranged into seven series which are arranged chronologically.

Franz Sigel Papers

  1. Series I: Correspondence
  2. Series II: Legal Documents
  3. Series III: Professional and Political Documents
  4. Series IV: Military Documents
  5. Series V: Writings
  6. Series VI: Clippings, Ephemera, Tributes
  7. Series VII: Family Papers

Scope and Content

The Franz Sigel Papers consist mainly of correspondence and military materials. The correspondence, which includes Sigel's as well as some of his family members, spans over important periods in history, such as the German revolution of 1848, waves of German immigration into the United States, and the American Civil War. The military papers include correspondence, reports, orders of battle, and maps. There are also a number of Sigel's writings and translations as well as materials that others have written in his honor. Although many of the military documents are in English, most of Sigel's personal documents are in German.

In part because Sigel was a high-ranking military officer during the Civil War whose rise was suspected to be due to political maneuvering than military prowess, there are a number of letters written to President Abraham Lincoln, both from and concerning Sigel. There are also copies of letters and dispatches with Lincoln's signature. Please note that manuscript items written by U.S. Presidents and other notable figures will only be delivered to researchers in a photocopy format. Researchers can also access most presidential papers through their published form. See staff for more details.

Portions of this collection relating to the Civil War have been digitized and are available to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.

Lincoln Correspondence

  1. Box 1/Folder 10: Copy of Lincoln's order to form the Army of the Potomac
  2. Box 1/Folder 12: Copy of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  3. Box 1/Folder 12: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  4. Box 1/Folder 12: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  5. Box 1/Folder 13: Copy of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  6. Box 1/Folder 14: Copy of dispatch from President's Office
  7. Box 1/Folder 14: Copy of letter to Lincoln from Offciers of the Eleventh Corps
  8. Box 1/Folder 12: Drafts of letter to Lincoln from Officers of the Eleventh Corps
  9. Box1/Folder 14: Copy of letter to Lincoln from Officers of the 3rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry
  10. Box 1/Folder 15: Copy of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  11. Box 1/Folder 15: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  12. Box 1/Folder 15: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  13. Box 2/Folder 2: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  14. Box 2/ Folder 2: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln
  15. Box 2/ Folder 2: Draft of letter from Sigel to Lincoln

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation Note

This collection should be cited as the Franz Sigel Papers, MS 565, The New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Franz Sigel Papers were given to New-York Historical Society by Mrs. Robert P.J. Barry in 1946. The oversized maps in Series III, Subseries E were gifted from Franz Sigel III in 1985.

Related Archival Materials Note

The New-York Historical Society also holds a number of civil war maps that Sigel collected, available from the Map Collection.

Collection processed by

Corrinne Collett. Finding aid by Christine George.

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:47:16 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: English

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024