Focus: John Reynolds
Posted to the Project on 14 May 07
General John Reynolds equestrian staute is one of my favorite on the battlefield. I love the motion of the horse. Reynolds has several monuments at Gettysburg.
Born on September 21, 1820, John Fulton Reynolds grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, no more than 50 or so miles from where he would eventually meet his death in the battle of Gettysburg.
John was the fifth child of John and Lydia Moore Reynolds, and grew up in a large household with thirteen brothers and sisters. Nine of his siblings survived into adulthood. Reynolds decided upon an army career, and in 1837 he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated four years later with the class of 1841, and was assigned to the Artillery.
During the Mexican War, Reynolds served in the 3rd Artillery Regiment under General Zachary Taylor. He was brevetted twice for gallantry and meritious conduct. After the Mexican War, Reynolds served in a variety of forts and garrisons and took a brief part in the “Mormon War.”
On September 8, 1860, Reynolds was appointed to replace Lt. Col. William J. Hardee (future Confederate general) as the commandant of the Corps of Cadets at West Point.
In July of 1861, Reynolds left West Point to begin training the 14th United States Infantry at Fort Trumball in Connecticut as a newly commmisoned Lieutenant Colonel. Before he could get settled into his new position, he was promoted to brigadier general and given command of a brigade of Pennsylvania troops known as the “Pennsylvania Reserves” (extra troops from Pennsylvania over the state’s original quota).
On June 28, 1862, during the Peninsula Campaign, Reynolds was captured. He spent a brief stint in Libby Prison before being exchanged for Confederate General Tilghman (later killed less than a month before Reynolds at the battle of Champion’s Hill during the Vicksburg Campaign) on August 8, 1862.
On September 29, 1862, Reynolds was promoted to command of the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac. By November of 1862, he was a major general of volunteers. He saw service at Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville as a corps commander. He wished to attack the Confederates at Chancellorsville, telling his friend General Meade to vote for him before going to sleep.
On June 2, 1863, Reynolds met with President Abraham Lincoln in Washington to discuss General Hooker’s conduct in command at the battle of Chancellorsville. It is said that Lincoln offered Reynolds the command of the Army of the Potomac. Reynolds was both distinguished and aggressive, a quality usually lacking amongst the Union high command in the East. It is said Reynolds replied he would only accept the command if he were not interfered with by the authorities in Washington. Lincoln could not promise this and Reynolds therefore refused to accept the prestigious command. When Lincoln asked who he should put in command, Reynolds named his old friend, George Gordon Meade. When Meade received the command, Reynolds graciciously greeted his friend and congratulated him.
On June 25, Reynolds was assigned to command of the Left Wing of the Army of the Potomac, commanding three corps (the First, Third, and Eleventh). Reynolds planned to announce his engagement to his secret love Kate Hewitt on July 8, 1863. It was not to be.
On the morning of July 1, 1863, Reynolds galloped into the fields west of Gettysburg at the head of the First Corps. Leading the “Iron Brigade” into action, Reynolds called “Forward men! Drive those fellows out of that woods. For God’s sake forward!” and turned in the saddle to look for more troops. At that moment he was shot behind the right ear and instantly killed. He was buried next to his parents in Lancaster.
May 14th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Your post made me realize just how little I know about Civil War history. I’ll make a point of getting to know it a bit more (once nursing school is over!)