Title: Sickles, D. E.

Source text: The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion. (1861-65.), Part 3, Volume 2 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1883), 242.

Keywords:wounds and injuries of the lower extremitiesinjuries of the shaft of the femuramputations in the shaft of the femurprimary amputations in the shaft of the femur for shot injuryprimary amputations in the lower third of the femurrecoveries after primary amputations in the lower third of the femurlimb amputated low down in thightwelve-pound solid shot shattered leg

Civil War Washington ID: med.d2e11190

TEI/XML: med.d2e11190.xml


CASE 446.—Major-General D. E. Sickles, U. S. V., while in command of the Third Corps, at Gettysburg, was wounded, on the evening of July 2, 1863, by a twelve-pounder solid shot, which shattered his right leg. He dismounted unassisted, and aid arriving promptly, he was removed to a sheltered ravine a short distance to the rear, where the limb was amputated low down in the thigh by Surgeon T. Sim, U. S. V., Medical Director of the Corps. The patient was then sent farther to the rear, and, on the following day, he was transferred to Washington. The stump healed with great rapidity. Two weeks after the injury the patient was able to ride about in a carriage, and early in September he was well enough to again mount a horse, the stump being completely cicatrized. The bones of the amputated leg (Spec. 1335) were contributed to the Museum by the patient, and the history of the case was obtained from the operator. General Sickles subsequently for several years held command in South Carolina and the Department of the South, but has been retired from active service since April 14, 1869.¹


¹ Circular No. 6, War Department, Surgeon General's Office, Washington, 1865, p. 38.