Franz Sigel was a Union General during the Civil War. In 1871, Sigel and Douglass were appointed as personal secretaries to a special commission that completed an eight week mission to Santo Domingo in what is now the Dominican Republic. The purpose of the trip was to determine the viability of the U.S. annexing a part of the island of Hispaniola. Douglass was sent along in a subordinate role to the other commissioners but was still eager to bring America’s newly found freedom and hopeful prosperity to other black populations. In the end, the annexation never took place.
Franz Sigel died on August 21, 1902 at the age of 77. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York.
Exact Grave GPS coordinates: 40.891306, -73.874294
The Graves of Frederick Douglass 