Lot 1205

UNION GENERAL DAN SICKLES’ CRUTCH

Previous image preload Next image preload

UNION GENERAL DAN SICKLES’ CRUTCH

Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500

Current Bid: $500

(1 Bid)

by Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
July 31, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
106 East Main Street, Suite 103
Elkton, MD, US 21921

UNION GENERAL DAN SICKLES' CRUTCH
DANIEL E. SICKLES (1825-1914) Union major general who commanded a brigade at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, where his rash advance in the Peach Orchard nearly caused a Union rout, and cost Sickles his leg when it was smashed by a Confederate cannonball. A most unusual relic, a 54 in. tall underarm crutch consisting of a single pole of wood split vertically and with a wood grip inserted at the midpoint, and with a carved wood underarm rest at top. The base is fitted with a gutta-percha foot, secured with several iron pins or nails and showing some losses. The crutch is attributed to Sickles' ownership and use following the loss of his leg at Gettysburg, and is accompanied by a handwritten note from Sickles' grandson, a Peter McKinney of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, dated Nov. 17, 2003, in full: ‘I being of sound mind and body, do declare that these crutches were the Personal belongings of America civil war, General Daniel E. Sickles. My Great, Grandfather [all sic]', signed at the conclusion. Although fitted for a prosthetic leg, Sickles preferred to use crutches throughout his postwar career, as a visual reminder of his sacrifice to the Union. Most extant photographs of Sickles from this period depict him using two crutches of the style presented here. The whereabouts of the second crutch alluded to in the enclosed note is unknown. Sickles' amputated leg bone was donated to the Army Medical Museum, where he visited it on display on several occasions, once allegedly berating the museum for not preserving his foot as well. It is still on display at the National Museum of Health and Medicine.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipping, handling and insurance charges will be added to all invoices. Shipments are sent via FEDEX, USPS Express, USPS International Priority, and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Shipments will only be sent to the registered bidder address, re-routing shipments is not permitted. All shipments require a direct signature, no exceptions. Shipping to certain countries is extremely expensive and will be invoiced according to dimensional weight as required! By law the full value is required by customs for international shipments. Please inquire before bidding! International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000