Only God and Colonel Franz Sigel know....

SWMODave

Sergeant Major
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Southwest Missouri
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Franz Sigel and Otto Lademann
Battle of Carthage aftermath

After running about a mile, and occasionally returning the fire of the enemy, I met, a solitary horseman, our Lieut. Colonel Hassendenbel, who was greatly astonished when I told him we were Co. "E" of his battalion, remaining behind by special order of Colonel Sigel, and apparently forgotten by him. Here we halted long enough to rally the Company, and a mile further on we joined the rest of Colonel Sigel's command. It was about 9 p.m. when the brigade was formed in line of battle, on the edge of the timber, where the Sarcoxie road leaves the prairie. By word of command of Colonel Sigel, viz., "Ready! Aim! Fire! Load!" three volleys of musketry and three salutes of artillery were fired in this position. Only God and Colonel Franz Sigel know the military reason of this beautiful pyrotechnic display in the dark and silent prairie; no enemy being in sight. …….

as written by Capt Lademann who was apparently in a 'snarky' mood
 
Based on his performance at Carthage and especially Pea Ridge, arguably his best showing of the war, I think Sigel could have made an outstanding battery commander.

Feb 18, 1862 - The Struggle for Missouri

My position as Gen. Lyon's principal staff officer gave me very favorable opportunities for judging of Gen. Sigel's merits as an officer, and hence I appreciate his good as well as his bad qualities more accurately than most of those who presume to judge him. Gen. Sigel, in point of theoretical education, is far above the average of commanders in this country. He has studied with great care the science of strategy, and seems thoroughly conversant with the campaigns of all the great captains, so far as covers their main strategic features, and also seems familiar with the duties of the staff; but in tactics, great and small logistics, and discipline he is greatly deficient. These defects are so apparent as to make it absolutely impossible for him to gain the confidence of American officers and men, and entirely unfit him for a high command in our army. While I do not condemn Gen. Sigel in the unmeasured terms so common among many, but on the contrary see in him many fine qualities, I would do less than my duty did I not enter my protest against the appointment to a high command in the army of a man who, whatever may be his merits, I know cannot have the confidence of the troops he is to command.

I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. M. SCHOFIELD,
Brigadier-General. U. S. Volunteers.


Sigel is referred to as a political general, not because of any political position he held prior to the war, or due to any special political connections he had, but he was promoted because of Lincoln's goal of getting German immigrants to join and fight for the Union. In this, his promotion was successful. But corps commanders are paid to win battles and in that area, Sigel had a negative record.
 
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There was a guy that used to post here from Missouri, a long time back. He gave me a book to read, The Battle of Carthage; Border War in Southwest Missouri, by David Hinze and Karen Farnham. I still have it.

I haven't looked at it in a while, but IIRC, Franz Siegel was forced into retreat but did a good job, as far as that goes. His rear guard action was competent and he covered his flanks, with Confederates all over him. I'll have to fish out the book for the details.
 
Yet another example that book smarts only go so far.

I'm afraid not even this is an excuse for Sigel. He did see combat in Europe, although mostly on the "wrong" side (as seen from the Prussian government).
I'd say that too much was expected from him in the US by his fellow Germans. Not everyone who dared to fight a somewhat ossified political system in the old homelands is automatically a great soldier. But that was what the German immigrants thought him to be, a true war hero!

"Franz Sigel is one of the best known foreign-born Union generals of the Civil War. Born in 1824 in Sinsheim, a village in modern-day southwestern Germany, he received a formal military education at the Karlsruhe Academy, graduating in 1843. Sigel began what appeared to be a promising military career with the Prussian army until a revolutionary movement erupted in 1848. Casting his lot with the revolutionaries, Sigel became a high-ranking military officer, leading campaigns against the Prussian army. The failure of the revolution led to Sigel’s exile from Germany and his immigration to the United States in 1852.
[...]
Though his record on the battlefield in Europe had been questionable, German-Americans embraced him as a war hero. His public stance against anti-immigrant sentiments within the U.S. further endeared him to the community."

http://www.civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/sigel-franz
 
I'm afraid not even this is an excuse for Sigel. He did see combat in Europe, although mostly on the "wrong" side (as seen from the Prussian government).
I'd say that too much was expected from him in the US by his fellow Germans. Not everyone who dared to fight a somewhat ossified political system in the old homelands is automatically a great soldier. But that was what the German immigrants thought him to be, a true war hero!

"Franz Sigel is one of the best known foreign-born Union generals of the Civil War. Born in 1824 in Sinsheim, a village in modern-day southwestern Germany, he received a formal military education at the Karlsruhe Academy, graduating in 1843. Sigel began what appeared to be a promising military career with the Prussian army until a revolutionary movement erupted in 1848. Casting his lot with the revolutionaries, Sigel became a high-ranking military officer, leading campaigns against the Prussian army. The failure of the revolution led to Sigel’s exile from Germany and his immigration to the United States in 1852.
[...]
Though his record on the battlefield in Europe had been questionable, German-Americans embraced him as a war hero. His public stance against anti-immigrant sentiments within the U.S. further endeared him to the community."

http://www.civilwaronthewesternborder.org/encyclopedia/sigel-franz
Agreed...I didn't want to try making an excuse for Sigel, because as you pointed out, there is none. What a dud! :D
 
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