John Fulton Reynolds
September 20, 1820 – July 1, 1863 (aged 42)
Major General John F. Reynolds
Place of birth	Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Place of death	Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States of America
Years of service	1841–63
Rank	Major General
Commands	I Corps, Army of the Potomac
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War American Civil War Seven Days Battles Second Bull Run Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Chancellorsville Battle of Gettysburg

John Fulton Reynolds (September 20, 1820 – July 1, 1863) was a career U.S. Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, despite having a relatively limited amount of combat experience in the war, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed at the very start of the battle. is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 460 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (632 × 823 pixel, file size: 68 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) http://library. ... Nickname: Location of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania Location of Lancaster in Lancaster County Country United States State Pennsylvania County Lancaster Founded 1730 Incorporated March 10, 1818 Government  - Mayor Rick Gray (D) Area  - City  7. ... Gettysburg is a borough 38 miles (68 km) south by southwest of Harrisburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the county seatGR6. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... I Corps (First Corps) was the designation of four different corps_sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia José Mariá Flores Strength 78,790 soldiers 25,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 AWOL: 9,200+ 25,000... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders George B. McClellan Robert E. Lee Strength Army of the Potomac; 105,445 Army of Northern Virginia; 90,500 Casualties 1,734 killed 8,062 wounded 6,053 missing/captured 3,286 killed 15,009 wounded 946 missing/captured Peninsula... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John Pope Robert E. Lee James Longstreet Stonewall Jackson Strength 63,000 54,000 Casualties 1,747 killed 8,452 wounded 4,263 captured/missing 1,553 killed 7,812 wounded 109 captured/missing For other uses, see Bull Run... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ambrose E. Burnside Robert E. Lee Strength Army of the Potomac ~114,000 engaged Army of Northern Virginia ~72,500 engaged Casualties 12,653 (1,284 killed, 9,600 wounded, 1,769 captured/missing) 5,377 (608 killed, 4,116... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Joseph Hooker Robert E. Lee Stonewall Jackson† Strength 133,868 60,892 Casualties 17,197 (1,606 killed, 9,672 wounded, 5,919 missing)[1] 12,764 (1,665 killed, 9,081 wounded, 2,018 missing)[1] The Battle of... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America Commanders George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 93,921[1] 71,699[2] Casualties 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured/missing)[1] 23,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured/missing... is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1820 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America Commanders George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 93,921[1] 71,699[2] Casualties 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured/missing)[1] 23,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured/missing...

Early life and career

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.^[1] He was nominated to the United States Military Academy by Senator James Buchanan, a family friend, in 1837, 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.^[2] During the war, he became friends with fellow officers Winfield Scott Hancock and Lewis Armistead. Nickname: Location of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania Location of Lancaster in Lancaster County Country United States State Pennsylvania County Lancaster Founded 1730 Incorporated March 10, 1818 Government  - Mayor Rick Gray (D) Area  - City  7. ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... William Reynolds (1815—November 5, 1879) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy and served during the American Civil War. ... USMA redirects here. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... James Buchanan (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th president of the United States (1857–1861). ... In the US military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... Fort McHenry Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland, is a star shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay. ... Nickname: Location in St. ... Fort Moultrie is the name of a series of forts on Sullivans Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. ... This article is about the twelfth President of the United States. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: , Country State Counties Nueces, San Patricio Government  - Mayor Henry Garrett Area  - City 460. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia José Mariá Flores Strength 78,790 soldiers 25,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 AWOL: 9,200+ 25,000... Captain is a rank or title with various meanings. ... The Battle of Monterrey (September 21–September 23, 1846) was an engagement in the Mexican-American War in which General Pedro de Ampudia and the Mexican Army of the North managed to fight US troops to a standstill at the important fortress town of Monterrey. ... Insignia of a Major in the United States Military Major is a rank used in the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, and is the equivalent of a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard. ... The Battle of Buena Vista was a land battle of the Mexican-American War fought on 23 February 1847 in Buena Vista, Coahuila, seven miles (12 km) south of Saltillo, in northern Mexico. ... Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. ... Lewis Armisted was a general in the Confederate Army who died at Gettysburg during Picketts Charge. ...

Returning from Mexico, Reynolds was assigned to Fort Preble, Maine, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Fort Lafayette, New York. He marched west and was stationed at 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 journey from the West, Reynolds met and became engaged to Katherine "Kate" May Hewitt. Because they came from different religions—Reynolds was a Protestant, Hewitt a Catholic—the engagement was kept a secret and Hewitt's parents did not hear about it until after Reynolds's death.^[3] Fort Preble. ... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... NOLA redirects here. ... Fort Lafayette was an island coastal fortification in New York Harbor, built next to Fort Hamilton at the southern tip of what is now Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... The Rogue River Wars was an armed conflict between the US Army, local militias and volunteers, and the Native American tribes commonly grouped under the designation of Rogue River Indians, in the Rogue River Valley area of what today is southern Oregon in 1855–56. ... Combatants United States Mormon settlers Commanders Albert Sidney Johnston Brigham Young John D. Lee Lot Smith Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Utah War was a dispute between Mormon settlers in Utah Territory and the United States federal government. ... This article is about the history and use of the word Mormon. For information about the religious beliefs and culture of Mormons, see Mormonism. ... USMA redirects here. ...

Civil War

Early assignments and the Seven Days

Soon after the start of the Civil War, Reynolds was offered the position as aide-de-camp to Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, but declined. He was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 14th U.S. Infantry, but before he could engage with that unit, he was promoted to brigadier general on August 20, 1861, and ordered to report to Washington, D.C. While in transit, his orders were changed to report to Cape Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina. Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan intervened with the Secretary of War to get Reynolds's orders changed once again, assigning him to the newly formed Army of the Potomac. His first assignment was with a board that examined the qualifications of volunteer officers, but he soon was given command of a brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves.^[4] US Lieutenant General insignia In three branches of the United States Army, United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force, a Lieutenant General is also called a three-star general, named for the three stars worn on the uniform. ... For other uses of Winfield Scott, see Winfield Scott (disambiguation). ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... The 14th Infantry Regiment is a U.S. Army light infantry regiment, known as the Golden Dragons. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... An aerial view of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse prior to its 1999 relocation. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... For the 1960s commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, see George McClellan (police commissioner). ... The Secretary of War was a member of the United States Presidents Cabinet, beginning with George Washingtons administration. ... In military science a brigade is a military unit that is part of a division and includes regiments (where that level exists), or (in modern armies) is composed of several battalions (typically two to four) and directly attached supporting units. ... The Pennsylvania Reserves was an infantry division during the American Civil War, noted for its famous commanders and high casualities. ...

As McClellan's army moved up the Virginia Peninsula in the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, Reynolds occupied and became military governor of Fredericksburg, Virginia. His brigade was then ordered to join the V Corps at Mechanicsville, just before the start of the Seven Days Battles. The brigade was hit hard by the Confederate attack of June 26 at the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, but their defensive line held and Reynolds later received a letter of commendation from his division commander, Brig. Gen. George A. McCall.^[5] The Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. ... McClellan and Johnston of the Peninsula Campaign The Peninsula Campaign (also known as the Peninsular Campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City* Founded 1728 Incorporated 1781 Government  - Mayor Thomas Tomzak Area  - City  10. ... The V Corps (Fifth Corps) was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. ... Mechanicsville is the name of four places in the State of Virginia in the United States of America: Mechanicsville, Hanover County, Virginia Mechanicsville, Loudoun County, Virginia Mechanicsville, Rockbridge County, Virginia Mechanicsville, Rockingham County, Virginia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders George B. McClellan Robert E. Lee Strength Army of the Potomac; 105,445 Army of Northern Virginia; 90,500 Casualties 1,734 killed 8,062 wounded 6,053 missing/captured 3,286 killed 15,009 wounded 946 missing/captured Peninsula... A group of Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA) was organized in February 1861 to defend the newly formed Confederate States of America from military action by the United States government during the American Civil War. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Battle of Beaver Dam Creek Conflict American Civil War Date June 26, 1862 Place Hanover County, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Beaver Dam Creek, also known as the Battle of Mechanicsville or Ellerson’s Mill, took place on June 26, 1862 in Hanover County, Virginia as part... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... George Archibald McCall (March 16, 1802 – February 25, 1868) was a U.S. Army officer who became a brigadier general and prisoner of war during the American Civil War. ...

The Confederate attack continued on June 27 and Reynolds, exhausted from the Battle of Gaines' Mill and two days without sleep, was captured in Boatswain's Swamp, Virginia. Thinking he was in a place of relative safety, he fell asleep and was not aware that his retreating troops left him behind. He was extremely embarrassed when brought before the Confederate general of the capturing troops; D.H. Hill was an Army friend and colleague from before the war. Hill allegedly told him, "Reynolds, do not feel so bad about your capture, it is the fate of wars."^[6] Reynolds was transported to Richmond and held at Libby Prison, but was quickly exchanged on August 15 (for Lloyd Tilghman).^[7] is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Battle of Gaines Mill Conflict American Civil War Date June 27, 1862 Place Hanover County, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of Gaines Mill, also known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as... General Daniel Harvey Hill Daniel Harvey Hill (July 12th, 1821 - September 24th, 1889) was a Confederate general and Southern scholar. ... Nickname: Motto: Sic dic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (I) Area  - City 62. ... Libby Prison, located in Richmond, Virginia, was a former tobacco warehouse located on Tobacco Row, converted into prison used by the Confederacy to house captured Union officers during the American Civil War. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lloyd Tilghman Lloyd Tilghman (1816–May 16, 1863) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War after graduating from West Point. ...

Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville

Upon his return, Reynolds was given command of the Pennsylvania Reserves Division, whose commander, McCall, had been captured just two days after Reynolds. The V Corps joined the Army of Virginia, under Maj. Gen. John Pope, at Manassas. On the second day of the Second Battle of Bull Run, while most of the Union Army was retreating, Reynolds led his men in a last-ditch stand on Henry House Hill, site of the great Union debacle at First Bull Run the previous year. Waving the flag of the 2nd Reserves regiment, he yelled, "Now boys, give them the steel, charge bayonets, double quick!" His counterattack halted the Confederate advance long enough to give the Union Army time to retreat in a more orderly fashion, arguably the most important factor in preventing its complete destruction.^[8] The Army of Virginia was organized as a major unit of the Union Army and operated briefly and unsuccessfully in 1862 in the American Civil War. ... Major General John Pope John Pope (March 18, 1822 – September 23, 1892) was a career Army officer and general in the American Civil War. ... Manassas redirects here. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John Pope Robert E. Lee James Longstreet Stonewall Jackson Strength 63,000 54,000 Casualties 1,747 killed 8,452 wounded 4,263 captured/missing 1,553 killed 7,812 wounded 109 captured/missing For other uses, see Bull Run... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Irvin McDowell Joseph E. Johnston P.G.T. Beauregard Strength 35,000 32,500 Casualties 2,896 (460 killed, 1,124 wounded, 1,312 captured/missing)[1] 1,982 (387 killed, 1,582 wounded, 13 missing)[1] For other uses...

At the request of Pennsylvania Governor Andrew G. Curtin, Reynolds was given command of the Pennsylvania Militia during General Robert E. Lee's invasion of Maryland. Generals McClellan and Joseph Hooker complained that "a scared governor ought not to be permitted to destroy the usefulness of an entire division," but the governor prevailed and Reynolds spent two weeks in Pennsylvania drilling old men and boys, missing the Battle of Antietam. However, he returned to the Army of the Potomac in late 1862 and assumed command of the I Corps. One of his divisions, commanded by Brig. Gen. George G. Meade, made the only breakthrough at the Battle of Fredericksburg, but Reynolds did not reinforce Meade with his other two divisions and the attack failed; Reynolds did not receive a clear understanding from Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin about his role in the attack.^[8] This is a list of Governors of Pennsylvania. ... Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1817 – October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician who served as Governor of Pennsylvania during the American Civil War. ... // For other uses, see Robert E. Lee (disambiguation). ... Confederate dead at Antietam The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign, of September 1862 is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. ... Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879), known as Fighting Joe, was a career U.S. Army officer and a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders George B. McClellan Robert E. Lee Strength 87,000 45,000 Casualties 12,401 (2,108 killed, 9,540 wounded, 753 captured/missing) 10,316 (1,546 killed, 7,752 wounded, 1,018 captured/missing) The Battle of Antietam (also... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... I Corps (First Corps) was the designation of four different corps_sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ambrose E. Burnside Robert E. Lee Strength Army of the Potomac ~114,000 engaged Army of Northern Virginia ~72,500 engaged Casualties 12,653 (1,284 killed, 9,600 wounded, 1,769 captured/missing) 5,377 (608 killed, 4,116... Major General William B. Franklin William Buel Franklin (February 27, 1823 – March 8, 1903) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. ...

At the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, Reynolds clashed with Maj. Gen. Hooker, his predecessor at I Corps, but by this time the commander of the Army of the Potomac. Hooker originally placed Reynolds's Corps on the extreme left of the Union line, southeast of Fredericksburg, hoping to threaten and distract the Confederate right. On May 2, Hooker changed his mind and ordered the I Corps to conduct a 20-mile daylight countermarch to swing around and become the extreme right flank of the Army, to the northwest of the XI Corps. The march was delayed by faulty communications and by the need to move stealthily and avoid Confederate contact. Thus, the I Corps was not yet in position when the XI Corps was surprised and overrun by Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's flank attack, a setback that destroyed Hooker's nerve for offensive action. Hooker called a council of war on May 4 in which Reynolds voted to proceed with the battle, but although the vote was three to two for offensive action, Hooker decided to retreat. Reynolds, who had gone to sleep after giving his proxy vote to Meade, woke up and muttered loud enough for Hooker to hear, "What was the use of calling us together at this time of night when he intended to retreat anyhow?" The 17,000-man I Corps was not engaged at Chancellorsville and suffered only 300 casualties during the entire campaign.^[9] Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Joseph Hooker Robert E. Lee Stonewall Jackson† Strength 133,868 60,892 Casualties 17,197 (1,606 killed, 9,672 wounded, 5,919 missing)[1] 12,764 (1,665 killed, 9,081 wounded, 2,018 missing)[1] The Battle of... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... The XI Corps (Eleventh Corps) was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, best remembered for its humiliating defeats at the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg in 1863. ... For other uses of Stonewall Jackson, see Stonewall Jackson (disambiguation). ... A council of war is a term in military science that describes a meeting held to decide on a course of action, usually in the midst of a battle. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Reynolds joined several of his fellow officers in urging that Hooker be replaced, in the same way he had spoken out against Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside after Fredericksburg. On the previous occasion, Reynolds wrote in a private letter, "If we do not get some one soon who can command an army without consulting 'Stanton and Halleck' at Washington, I do not know what will become of this Army." President Abraham Lincoln met with Reynolds in a private interview on June 2 and is believed to have asked him whether he would consider being the next commander of the Army of the Potomac. Reynolds supposedly replied that he would be willing to accept only if he were given a free hand and could be isolated from the political influences that had affected the Army commanders throughout the war. Unable to consider Reynolds's request, Lincoln promoted the more junior George G. Meade to replace Hooker on June 28.^[10] Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator. ... The Running Machine An 1864 cartoon featuring Stanton, William Fessenden, Abraham Lincoln, William Seward and Gideon Welles takes a swing at the Lincoln administration. ... Henry Wager Halleck (1815 - 1872) was an American soldier and politician. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Gettysburg

On the morning of July 1, 1863, Reynolds was commanding the "left wing" of the Army of the Potomac, with operational control over the I, III, and XI Corps, and Brig. Gen. John Buford's cavalry division. Buford occupied the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and set up light defensive lines north and west of the town. He resisted the approach of two Confederate infantry brigades on the Chambersburg Pike until the nearest Union infantry, Reynolds's I Corps, began to arrive. Reynolds rode out ahead of the 1st Division, met with Buford, and then accompanied some of his soldiers, probably from Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler's brigade, into the fighting at Herbst's Woods. Troops began arriving from Brig. Gen. Solomon Meredith's Iron Brigade, and as Reynolds was supervising the placement of the 2nd Wisconsin, he fell from his horse with a wound in the back of the neck,^[11] and died almost instantly. Command passed to his senior division commander, Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Daniel Sickles and staff after the Battle of Gettysburg There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps (or Third Corps) during the American Civil War. ... John Buford, Jr. ... Not to be confused with Golgotha, which was called Calvary. ... Gettysburg is a borough 38 miles (68 km) south by southwest of Harrisburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the county seatGR6. ... General Lysander Cutler Lysander Cutler (February 16, 1807 – July 30, 1866) A Union Army general during the American Civil War. ... Solomon Meredith (May 29, 1810 – October 2, 1875) was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. ... The Iron Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army during the American Civil War, consisting primarily of Western regiments, that was noted for its ability to withstand almost any fire, and its regiments combined took the highest casualty percentage of the war. ... Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893), was a career U.S. Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. ...

The loss of General Reynolds was keenly felt by the army. He was loved by his men and respected by his peers. There are no recorded instances of negative comments made by his contemporaries.^[13] Historian Shelby Foote wrote that many considered him "not only the highest ranking [sic] but also the best general in the army."^[14] His death had a more immediate effect that day, however. Reynolds essentially selected the location for the Battle of Gettysburg for Meade, turning a chance meeting engagement into a massive pitched battle, committing the Army of the Potomac to fight on that ground with forces that were initially numerically inferior to the Confederates that were concentrating there. In the command confusion that followed Reynolds's death, the two Union corps that reached the field were overwhelmed and forced to retreat through the streets of Gettysburg to the high ground south of town, where they were rallied by his old friend, Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock.^[15] Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. ...

Reynolds was immediately transported from Gettysburg to Taneytown, Maryland, and then to his birthplace, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he was buried on July 4, 1863.^[16] Befitting his importance to the Union and his native state, he is memorialized by three statues in Gettysburg National Military Park (an equestrian statue on McPherson Ridge, one in the National Cemetery, and one on the Pennsylvania Memorial)^[17] and one in front of the Philadelphia City Hall. Taneytown (TAW-nee-town) is a city in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Gettysburg Map The Gettysburg Battlefield was the site of the Battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1 to July 3, 1863, in and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the county seat of Adams County, which had approximately 2,400 residents at the time. ... Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

Equestrian statue on McPherson Ridge, Chambersburg Pike, Gettysburg National Military Park	Closeup	Statue in the National Cemetery, Gettysburg National Military Park	Closeup
In front of Philadelphia City Hall Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixel Image in higher resolution (1800 × 1197 pixel, file size: 571 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo of John F. Reynolds monument at Gettysburg, taken by Don Wiles, donated to public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixel Image in higher resolution (1800 × 1197 pixel, file size: 359 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo of John F. Reynolds monument at Gettysburg, taken by Don Wiles, donated to public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1200 × 1800 pixel, file size: 990 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo of John F. Reynolds monument at Gettysburg, taken by Don Wiles, donated to public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (1200 × 1805 pixel, file size: 555 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo of John F. Reynolds monument at Gettysburg, taken by Don Wiles, donated to public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2448 × 3264 pixel, file size: 2. ... Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

Kate Hewitt had agreed with Reynolds that if he were killed in the war and they could not marry, she would join a convent. After he was buried, she traveled to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and joined the St. Joseph Central House of the Order of the Daughters of Charity (now part of Mount Saint Mary's University).^[18] A Beguine convent in Amsterdam. ... Emmitsburg was founded in 1785 and is located in Frederick County, Maryland, just south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. ... For other uses: see Mount St Marys (disambiguation). ...

Death controversies

Possible location of General Reynolds's death

Sketch of Reynolds's death at Gettysburg

Historians disagree on the details of Reynolds's death, including the specific time (either 10:15 a.m. or 10:40–10:50 a.m.), the exact location (on East McPherson Ridge, near the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry, or West McPherson Ridge, near the 19th Indiana), and the source of the bullet (a Confederate infantryman, a Confederate sharpshooter, or friendly fire). One primary source was Sergeant Charles S. Veil, Reynolds's orderly, who described the events in a letter in 1864 and then contradicted some of the details in another letter 45 years later. A letter from Reynolds's sister, Jennie, stated that the wound had a downward trajectory from the neck, implying that he was shot from above, presumably a sharpshooter in a tree or barn. Historians Bruce Catton and Glenn Tucker make firm assertions that a sharpshooter was responsible; Stephen Sears credits volley fire from the 7th Tennessee against the 2nd Wisconsin; Edwin Coddington cites the sister's letter and finds the sharpshooter theory to be partly credible, but leans towards Sears's conclusion; Harry W. Pfanz agrees that the location was behind the 2nd Wisconsin, but make no judgment about the source of the fire. Steve Sanders, writing in Gettysburg magazine, suggested the possibility of friendly fire based on some accounts, and concludes that it is as equally likely as enemy fire.^[19] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 372 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (534 × 860 pixel, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) http://hdl. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 372 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (534 × 860 pixel, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) http://hdl. ... Image File history File links Death_of_reynolds_gettysburg. ... Image File history File links Death_of_reynolds_gettysburg. ... For other uses, see Friendly Fire (disambiguation). ... Bruce Catton (October 9, 1899 — August 28, 1978) was a journalist and a notable historian of the American Civil War. ...

In popular media

Reynolds plays a significant role in Michael Shaara's 1974 Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Killer Angels, as well as the 1993 film based on that novel, Gettysburg (in which he was played by John Rothman). The film portrays Reynolds as being deliberately killed by a Confederate sharpshooter, a scene based on the Don Troiani painting of the event. Reynolds is also significant in the prequel to The Killer Angels, Jeffrey Shaara's novel Gods and Generals, although his role was effectively deleted from the 2003 film based on the novel. Michael Shaara Michael Shaara (June 23, 1928 - May 5, 1988) was a writer of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... The Killer Angels front cover The Killer Angels (1974) is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. ... Gettysburg is a 1993 movie that dramatizes the decisive Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. ... John Rothman (June 3, 1949 –) is an American film and television actor born in Baltimore, Maryland. ... A prequel is a work that portrays events which include the structure, conventions, and/or characters of a previously completed narrative, but occur at an earlier time. ... Jeffrey M. Shaara (born 1952) is an American novelist, the son of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara. ... For other uses, see Gods and Generals (disambiguation). ...

A significant portion of the song The Devil to Pay by Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth in the Gettysburg trilogy is dedicated to John Reynolds, with the song When Johnny Comes Marching Home played and stylized using both electric guitar and an orchestra. Jon Ryan Schaffer (born March 15, 1968 in Franklin, Indiana) is a heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. ... Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band that combine influences from thrash metal, power metal, progressive metal, opera, speed metal and NWOBHM. In 1999 their leader and songwriter Jon Schaffer teamed up with Blind Guardian vocalist Hansi Kürsch to form a side project called Demons & Wizards. ... When Johnny Comes Marching Home (sometimes When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again) is a popular song of the American Civil War that expressed peoples longing for the return of their friends and relatives who were fighting in the war. ...

References

• Bearss, Edwin C., Fields of Honor: Pivotal Battles of the Civil War, National Geographic Society, 2006, ISBN 0-7922-7568-3.
• Carney, Stephen A., "John Fulton Reynolds", Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History, Heidler, David S., and Heidler, Jeanne T., eds., W. W. Norton & Company, 2000, ISBN 0-393-04758-X.
• Coddington, Edwin B., The Gettysburg Campaign; a study in command, Scribner's, 1968, ISBN 0-684-84569-5.
• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Foote, Shelby, The Civil War, A Narrative: Fredericksburg to Meridian, Random House, 1958, ISBN 0-394-49517-9.
• Hawthorne, Frederick W., Gettysburg: Stories of Men and Monuments, Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides, 1988, ISBN 0-9657444-0-X.
• Pfanz, Harry W., Gettysburg – The First Day, University of North Carolina Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8078-2624-3.
• Sander, Steve, "Enduring Tales of Gettysburg: The Death of Reynolds", Gettysburg magazine, issue 14, January 1996.
• Sears, Stephen W., Gettysburg, Houghton Mifflin, 2003, ISBN 0-395-86761-4.
• Sears, Stephen W., To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign, Ticknor and Fields, 1992, ISBN 0-89919-790-6.
• Tagg, Larry, The Generals of Gettysburg, Savas Publishing, 1998, ISBN 1-882810-30-9.
• Trudeau, Noah Andre, Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage, HarperCollins, 2002, ISBN 0-06-019363-8.
• Tucker, Glenn, High Tide at Gettysburg, Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1958, OCLC 422684; reprinted by Morningside House, 1983; reprinted by Konecky & Konecky Military Books, December 1994, ISBN 978-0-914427-82-7.
• Reynolds family genealogy

Ed Bearss leading a tour in 2005 Edwin Cole Bearss (born June 26, 1923), U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, is a military historian and author notable for his work on the American Civil War and World War II eras and is a popular tour guide of... Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. ... The Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) was founded in 1967 and originally named the Ohio College Library Center. ...

Notes

is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about 1862 . ... Portrait of General Henry W. Slocum by Mathew Brady, ca. ... Major General John Sedgwick John Sedgwick (September 13, 1813 – May 9, 1864) was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. ...

External links

• John F. Reynolds Memorial at Find A Grave
• Reynolds family papers
• Corpus Christi library biography of Reynolds
• Grand Army of the Republic in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania