George Nicholas Sanders
Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox person George Nicholas Sanders (February 1812 – August 13, 1873) was a former official of the United States and supporter of the Confederate States of America. Sanders was believed by some to have a level of involvement in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Early life and careerEdit
Sanders was born in Lexington, Kentucky in February 1812.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His father was Lewis Sanders, and his mother was Ann Nicholas.
During his early career he was involved in breeding cattle and race horses. Sanders later moved to New York,Template:Citation needed and married Anna Reid in 1836.<ref name=":0" /> His father-in-law was Samuel Chester Reid.Template:Citation needed He was involved in the Young America Movement and was editor of the "Democratic Review."<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Revolutionary ideas and causesEdit
Sanders was appointed as Consul in London in 1853. Although he moved to London, he was never confirmed by the United States Senate, and recalled the following year.<ref name=":0" /> He publicly advocated for the assassination of heads of state, including French Emperor Napoleon III, and had previously been involved in schemes supporting revolutionaries on the European continent.<ref name=":1" />
Sanders interacted with European revolutionaries such as Lajos Kossuth and Giuseppe Mazzini.<ref name=":1" />
Civil WarEdit
During the Civil War, he was involved in activities in Europe and Montreal to support the Confederacy.<ref name=":1" /> Sanders was involved in organization of the 1864 Niagara Falls peace conference, and negotiated with the United Kingdom to build ships for the Confederate States Navy.<ref name=":1" />
Following Abraham Lincoln's 1865 assassination by John Wilkes Booth, the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army, Joseph Holt, became convinced that the plot was organized by leadership of the Confederate States of America. Sanders was among these leaders who Holt accused of involvement, and a reward of $25,000 was created for his arrest.<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> It was dropped in November, after Sanders had not yet been apprehended.<ref name=":2" />
Later lifeEdit
After the assassination of Lincoln, attempts were made to take Sanders into custody, but he fled to Canada and Europe. In 1870, he was in Paris, where he attempted to aid the city's defenders during the Prussian siege:
Mr. George Sanders, whilom United States Consul in London, and one of the leaders of the ex-Confederacy, is here; he is preparing plans for a system of rifle pits and zigzags outside the fortifications, at the request of General Trochu. Mr. Sanders, who took an active part in the defence of Richmond, declares that Paris is impregnable, if it be only well defended. He complains, however, that the French will not use the spade.<ref name=Labouchère >Labouchère, Henry, Diary of the Besieged Resident in Paris, Ch.II.</ref>
He later returned to the United States and died on August 13, 1873, in New York.<ref name=":0" /> He is buried in an unmarked grave in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.
In popular cultureEdit
Sanders was portrayed by Anthony Marble in the 2024 Apple TV+ miniseries series Manhunt.