John Fulton Reynolds (1820 - 1863)

Ancestors

Biography

Reynolds was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, one of nine surviving children of John Reynolds (1787–1853) and Lydia Moore Reynolds (1794–1843). Two of his brothers were James LeFevre Reynolds, Quartermaster General of Pennsylvania, and Rear Admiral Will Reynolds. Prior to his military training, Reynolds studied in nearby Lititz, about 6 miles (9.7 km) from his home in Lancaster. Next he attended a school in Long Green, Maryland, and finally the Lancaster County Academy.

Reynolds was nominated to the United States Military Academy in 1837 by Senator James Buchanan, a family friend, and graduated 26th of 50 cadets in the class of 1841. He was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery, assigned to Fort McHenry. From 1842 to 1845 he was assigned to St. Augustine, Florida, and Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, before joining Zachary Taylor's army at Corpus Christi, Texas, for the Mexican-American War.

He was awarded two brevet promotions in Mexico—to captain for gallantry at Monterrey and to major for Buena Vista, where his section of guns prevented the Mexican cavalry from outflanking the American left. During the war, he became friends with fellow officers Winfield Scott Hancock and Lewis A. Armistead.

On his return from Mexico, Reynolds was assigned to Fort Preble, Maine, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Fort Lafayette, New York. He was next sent west to Fort Orford, Oregon, in 1855, and participated in the Rogue River Wars of 1856 and the Utah War with the Mormons in 1857-58. He was the Commandant of Cadets at West Point from September 1860 to June 1861, while also serving as an instructor of artillery, cavalry, and infantry tactics. During his return from the West, Reynolds became engaged to Katherine May Hewitt. Since they were from different religious denominations—Reynolds was a Protestant, Hewitt a Catholic—the engagement was kept a secret and Hewitt's parents did not learn about it until after Reynolds' death.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Reynolds

On August 20, 1861, he (Reynolds) was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in the Union Army and put in command of one of the brigades of the Pennsylvania Reserves.

During the Seven Days Campaign, he commanded his brigade at the Battles of Beaver Dam Creek and Gaines’ Mill. After the latter, an exhausted Reynolds was captured while attempting to get some sleep. An embarrassed Reynolds was comforted by his pre-war colleague, Confederate General D.H. Hill, who told him “do not feel so bad about your capture, it’s the fate of wars.”

Reynolds did not remain a prisoner for long; just weeks later he was exchanged and put in command of the entire division of Pennsylvania Reserves. At the Battle of Second Manassas, Reynolds led a rear guard counterattack that bought time for the Union Army to escape potential annihilation. He was unable to participate in the Battle of Antietam because a panicky Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin demanded that he command local militia forces during Lee’s invasion.

Reynolds once again commanded his division at Fredericksburg. After Fredericksburg, when General Joseph Hooker was given command of the Army of the Potomac, Reynolds was given command of Hooker’s old First Corps. After the Battle of Chancellorsville, Reynolds was one of several Union Generals who urged Hooker’s removal from command. However, when President Lincoln met with Reynolds and offered him command of the Army of the Potomac, Reynolds replied that he would only accept the command if he could be sure there would be no interference from his superiors in Washington. Unwilling to sacrifice civilian control of the military, Lincoln instead put Reynolds's friend General George Meade in command.

On the morning of July 1, 1863, as he was leading his forces towards Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Reynolds received a message that Confederate forces were almost there as well. Reynolds led his First Corps to McPherson Ridge, when he received a bullet through the neck. Reynolds died instantly. He was the highest ranking soldier on either side killed at Gettysburg.

Source: Civil War Trust - https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/john-f-reynolds

Sources

• http://www.civilwarhome.com/reynoldsbio.html

• https://www.thoughtco.com/major-general-john-f-reynolds-2360431

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6JL-Y7L : 12 April 2016), John F Reynolds in household of Elisa B Anderson, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Maine, United States; citing family 292, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXPZ-CLN : 30 September 2017), John Reynolds in entry for Anthony Carner, 1860.

• Find A Grave: Memorial #2754

• "Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VKD3-QNT : 9 December 2014), John F. Reynolds, 01 Jul 1863; citing p 178, Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; FHL microfilm 1,003,691.

• http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/monuments-to-individuals/john-reynolds/

• Kristopher D. White and Chris Mackowski, Stay and Fight it Out: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, Culp's Hill and the North End of the Battlefield (El Dorado Hills, CA: Savas Beatie, 2023), xix.