Daniel Sickles
Sickles, not impressed with his new commander or his orders. He rode to Meade's headquarters about 11:00 a.m. and waited to see Meade. But the commander was busy at the time. Feeling ignored Sickles returned to his troops. He decided he did not like his orders. A mile to his front was Emmitsburg Road, which was higher ground than he was assigned to occupy. He also did not like the fact there were rocks and trees among his line. Sickles, without orders or without informing the other corps commanders moved his corps forward about one mile. This left Hancock's left flank completely open and a large break in the line where his corps was supposed to be. The new position he chose was wider than the one he abandoned and he did not have enough men to cover it completely. The middle of his line formed a salient (a right angle in the line that could be attacked from two directions). Brigadier general Henry Hunt, the artillery chief, inspected the new position with Sickles and pointed out the problems. He said he had to check back with Meade to see if the orders he gave Sickles could be changed. Sickles made the move anyway. Within an hour, his entire III Corps was nearly wiped out by Confederate general James Longstreet's corps. Sickles himself was nicked by a cannonball which shattered his leg. He was carried off the field and his right leg was amputated a few hours later. His injury may have saved him from a court-martial for disobeying orders, but his days as a field commander were at an end.