After the Civil War he held a number of different positions. He was military governor of North and South Carolina but was removed by President Andrew Johnson in 1867. He retired from the army in 1869. From his retirement to 1872 he was appointed a U.S. minister to Spain by President Ulysses S. Grant. While there Sickles managed to engage in "undiplomatic relations" with the Spanish queen. He served one more term in Congress from 1893–1895 but was defeated for reelection in 1986. In 1897, after 34 years of lobbying, Sickles was able to get himself awarded the Medal of Honor.