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Major General John Fulton Reynolds

Major General John Fulton Reynolds[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Male 1820 - 1863  (42 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name John Fulton Reynolds 
    • Never Married was secretly engaged to Katherine "Kate" Hewitt
    Title Major General 
    Born 20 Sep 1820  Lancaster, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 1Jul 1863  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Kate Hewitt's existence was discovered by John's family when they found her Catholic medal and a gold ring in the form of clasped hands around his neck. Inside the ring were inscribed the words Dear Kate. They also noticed that his West Point ring was missing. ?
    Buried Lancaster Cemetery, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Reynolds' body and personal effects were sent to the home of his sister Catherine on Spruce Street in Philadelphia, there to lie in state until the public funeral services scheduled for July 4 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the family's hometown
    Person ID I7117  My Reynolds Line
    Last Modified 3 Jul 2022 

    Father John "Lancaster" Reynolds,   b. 30 Mar 1787, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 May 1853, Baltimore City, Maryland Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 66 years) 
    Mother Lydia Moore,   b. 24 Jan 1794, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 Aug 1843, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 49 years) 
    Married 17 Jun 1813  Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F4317  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    Portrait of General John Fulton Reynolds
    Portrait of General John Fulton Reynolds
    7123General John Fulton Reynolds.jpg
    Kate appeared at his wake at his sister's house in Philadelphia making her existence known to his family who embraced
her as a sister. Shortly after his untimely death, Kate made good on that pledge by entering the religious community of the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg, MD, now more commonly known as the Seton Shrine. Five years later, she left the order in Albany, NY without taking final vows. She remained in Albany working as a teacher for several years and in fact,
 living for some time with another sister who left the order. She lived out her life in her old hometown of Stillwater, NY and died of 'bloody lungs.' She never married. She is buried in the Stillwater Union Cemetery, not far from the Saratoga Battlefield. Her stone is an octagon and symbolic of rebirth and resurrection. The word 'Mizpah' is carved on the stone and is a Hebrew benediction meaning, 'May God watch over you until we are together again.' Kate Hewitt is emblematic of the generations lost forever because of Americans fighting Americans.
    Kate appeared at his wake at his sister's house in Philadelphia making her existence known to his family who embraced her as a sister. Shortly after his untimely death, Kate made good on that pledge by entering the religious community of the Daughters of Charity in Emmitsburg, MD, now more commonly known as the Seton Shrine. Five years later, she left the order in Albany, NY without taking final vows. She remained in Albany working as a teacher for several years and in fact, living for some time with another sister who left the order. She lived out her life in her old hometown of Stillwater, NY and died of "bloody lungs." She never married. She is buried in the Stillwater Union Cemetery, not far from the Saratoga Battlefield. Her stone is an octagon and symbolic of rebirth and resurrection. The word "Mizpah" is carved on the stone and is a Hebrew benediction meaning, "May God watch over you until we are together again." Kate Hewitt is emblematic of the generations lost forever because of Americans fighting Americans.
    kate hewitt.jpg
    Photo John Fulton Reynolds
    Photo John Fulton Reynolds
    I7117-JohnFultonReynolds.jpg

    Documents
    John Fulton Reynolds Newspaper Report
    John Fulton Reynolds Newspaper Report
    7123.jpg
    Confederate Soldiers Died From Wounds in Battle
    Confederate Soldiers Died From Wounds in Battle
    7117ReynoldsJohnF2RichmondDispatchOct22,1863.jpg
    Battle of Gettysburg; An account by General Meade Reports the Death of John Fulton Reynolds
    Battle of Gettysburg; An account by General Meade Reports the Death of John Fulton Reynolds
    7117BattleGettysburg-PittsburghDailyPostNov17,1863.jpg
    Hero of Gettysburg, General John Fulton Reynolds
    Hero of Gettysburg, General John Fulton Reynolds
    7117HeroOfGettysburgTheWaynesburgRepublicanAug11,1863.jpg
    Obituary for James LeFevre Reynolds
    Obituary for James LeFevre Reynolds
    7121&3-7117ReynoldsJamesLeFevre-ObitTheTimesApr6,1880.jpg
    Obituary for James LeFevre Reynolds
    Obituary for James LeFevre Reynolds
    7121&3-7117ReynoldsJamesLeFevreTheEbensburgAlleghenianNov26,1863.jpg
    John Fulton Reynolds Obituary
    John Fulton Reynolds Obituary
    7117ReynoldsJohnFultonClevelandDailyLeaderJul7,1863.jpg
    Reynolds Portrait John Fulton Reynolds Hero of Gettysburg
    Reynolds Portrait John Fulton Reynolds Hero of Gettysburg
    7117-7123ReynoldsPortraitTheTimesMar9,1880.jpg
    Reynolds Family Data - John Reynolds of Lancaster
    Reynolds Family Data - John Reynolds of Lancaster
    10802ReynoldsFamily Data HarrisburgTelegraphApr29,1899.jpg
    Mennonite Vital Record-Birth
    Mennonite Vital Record-Birth
    jhnreynolds.jpg
    I was at the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and came across this in a book. page 1
    I was at the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and came across this in a book. page 1
    civil war museum-john fulton1.JPG
    Civil War Museum-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania page 2
    Civil War Museum-Harrisburg, Pennsylvania page 2
    civil war john f2.JPG
    the book where I got John Fulton's information
    the book where I got John Fulton's information
    johnfulton3.JPG
    Lineage John Reynolds Lancaster- Ferrer
    Lineage John Reynolds Lancaster- Ferrer
    7117JohnReynoldsLancasterFerrer.jpg
    Finding Kate Hewitt
    Finding Kate Hewitt
    7117Finding-Kate.jpg

    Histories
    Major General John Fulton Reynolds-Army Depot Renamed
    Major General John Fulton Reynolds-Army Depot Renamed
    The Evening Sun
    Sep 21, 1943
    Civil War Times 
History of John Fulton Reynolds
    Civil War Times History of John Fulton Reynolds
    fh7117 Civil War Times.pdf

  • Notes 
    • Was going to marry Catherine Hewitt
    • NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS SAID BY MARY S. PITKIN AS INFORMATION ABOUT ANOTHER KATHERINE HEWITT; NOT THE SAME WOMAN WHO WAS INVOLVED WITH JOHN FULTON REYNOLDS.

      Civil War love story uncovered in the Archives
      Kate Hewitt
      Recently I received a request from a gentleman in Dublin, Ireland, for information about two young women who had attended Eden Hall for one year, 1860-1861. Their names were Katherine (Kate) Hewitt and her adopted sister, Catherine Dunn. His interest was primarily in Kate, who he informed me 'had a tragic love affair with Major General John F. Reynolds, who was killed at Gettysburg.'

      I am always amazed at the wealth of information that is housed in our archives and how much the province owes to Mary C. Wheeler, our first archivist (1973-1976). I easily found the names of the two in the Eden Hall student register of 1845-1895 and in the student accounts book from 1842-1855. Then, to my great delight, I found their names in the baptismal register, 1848-1965. Both Kate and Catherine were converted to Catholicism and baptized in the Eden Hall chapel. The Dublin researcher was 'absolutely thrilled' with the information I was able to send him.

      In a previous article, I wrote of how such research requests pique my curiosity. In this case, I wanted to know more about Kate's 'tragic love affair,' so I began to search for more information. I soon discovered that I wasn't the only person interested in love stories from the Civil War. There were several posts on the Internet such as, 'Star-Crossed Loves of Gettysburg' and 'Nine Love Stories from the Civil War.' The most interesting and informative was posted by Maggie MacLean in December 2008.

      Kate Hewitt was born in Stillwater, New York, in 1836. At the age of twenty she went to San Francisco as a governess for the children of relatives. It was there that she met and fell in love with John Reynolds, who was then stationed there. The engagement was kept secret because of his position in the army and also because he was a Protestant and she was leaning strongly toward Catholicism. In planning for their future and, knowing John might not return from battle, they agreed that, if he should be killed, Kate would become a nun.

      Kate and John were engaged to be married when she went to Eden Hall in 1860. I like to think that, while waiting for the war to end, Kate entered the school as a companion to her adopted sister, who was then only eleven years old. Perhaps, though, it was because of her desire to be baptized.

      Major General John Reynolds was one of the Union's most important generals in the American Civil War. A graduate of West Point, he had a distinguished career in the army. He fought in the Mexican-American War and in the battles of Fredericksburg, Manassas, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He was killed at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863.

      John's body and his personal effects were removed from the battlefield and taken by his military aides to his sister's home in nearby Philadelphia to await his burial. It was then that Kate's existence became known. His military aides had discovered a small Catholic medal around his neck and a gold Claddagh ring inscribed, 'Dear Kate.'

      John's family warmly welcomed Kate but, eight days after his funeral and true to her promise, she entered the convent of the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, a congregation she had come to know while in San Francisco. For reasons that are not known, she left the convent in 1868, never having made vows. She returned to her family home and, it seems, gave up her Catholic faith. She never married and died of pneumonia in 1895 at the age of fifty-nine.

      Ironically, in 1993, Marie Louise Padberg was in contact with a researcher interested in another Civil War love story. His letter began, 'I am gathering information for a magazine article about a woman who I believe was a member of your religious order. Her maiden name was Clara Bishop. In 1862 she married Patrick O'Rorke, who died a heroic death at Gettysburg.'
      Another story for another time.

  • Sources 
    1. [S100] Internet Source, http://lodge43.org/lodge-no-43-history/.
      Masons - A John Reynolds of Lancaster
      ***********
      * * * 1772, Lancaster Co, PA * * *

      John and Elizabeth (Harris) Fulton came to America from [Northern] Ireland around 1772. They settled somewhere (?) near Lancaster Towne, Lancaster Co, PA. Elizabeth (Harris) Fulton ran a "select school" for young ladies. The Fultons brought five children to America:
      1. Samuel Fulton
      2. Sarah Fulton
      3. Elizabeth Fulton
      4. Margaret Fulton
      5. Jane Fulton
      Jane Fulton, the youngest daughter, was born Aug 1768 at Rathmelton, Co. Donegal, Ireland, and she grew up in Lancaster Towne. Jane Fulton married 1 Sep 1791 at St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Capt. Samuel Moore, and their daughter, Lydia Moore, b 24 Jan 1794 at Lancaster, married 17 June 1813, John Reynolds of Lancaster.

      John Reynolds was the proprietor and editor of the "Lancaster Journal" (1820-1834) and, later took over as manager of the Cornwall Furnace.

      John and Lydia (Moore) Reynolds were parents to 13 children -- here are the distinctive names of four sons:

      Samuel Moore Reynolds, 1814-1888
      William Reynolds, 1815-1879
      John Fulton Reynolds, 1820-1863 (d Gettysburg)
      James LeFevre Reynolds, b 8 Mar 1822, d 5 Apr 1880

    2. [S27] Carter Powell, http://www.ferreereunion.com/johnfultonreynolds.htm.

    3. [S99] Quaker Records, https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/60592/44308_347526-04280?pid=41925&backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/14892211/person/269042751/gallery&usePUB=true&_phsrc=XFO4947&usePUBJs=true.

    4. [S100] Internet Source, https://emergingcivilwar.com/2012/07/01/reynolds-reconsidered/.
      Reynolds Reconsidered
      Posted on July 1, 2012 by Kristopher D. White
      Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds
      The question that has always lingered in my mind, Was John Reynolds a great corps commander?
      Major General John Fulton Reynolds reputation as corps commander has always baffled me as an historian. He was only really tested once as a corps commander, that being Fredericksburg. Prior to Fredericksburg Reynolds Civil War fighting record was solid, but nothing one would call stellar.
      Reynolds, who came from a fairly well connected family, was a West Point graduate of the class of 1841. He served in the artillery and was brevetted twice for bravery in the Mexican-American War. In the pre-war army he was well connected with many of the names we know so well from the Civil War, so when the war broke out he knew many of the right people.
      He began his Civil War career with the 14th United States Infantry, then moved over to brigade command in the Pennsylvania Reserve Division. In the spring of 1862 he was appointed the military governor of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Other than a few skirmishes in the area he had little to do, he did though garner a great deal of good will amongst the civilian population of the small southern city.
      On the Peninsula, in 1862, Reynolds fought his brigade at Beaver Dam Station, but was captured at Gaines? Mill while asleep. Confederate Major General Daniel Harvey Hill, whose men captured the general told Reynolds, ??he ought not to fret at the fortunes of war, which were notoriously fickle.? Although Reynolds attempted to write the embarrassment off in letters home, I often wonder how a general with at least a handful of staff officers gets left behind on the field?asleep.
      Following his exchange Reynolds took command of the Pennsylvania Reserves Division. He showed great personal bravery at Second Manassas and his Division absorbed much of the Confederate onslaught on August 30th. As the southern steamroller took aim at Henry House Hill, Col. Henry Benning?s brigade exposed their flank to one of Reynolds brigades. Leading by example, Reynolds on foot, seized the flag of the 2nd Pennsylvania Reserves and led the balance of Brig. Gen. George G. Meade?s brigade into the Georgians flank. This was great act of bravery, but he took himself from a division commander to essentially a regimental commander by his actions.
      Brig. Gen. John Gibbon. Courtesy of the Library of Congress

      Brig. Gen. John Gibbon. Courtesy of the Library of Congress
      Post-Second Manassas Reynolds went to Pennsylvania to command the state troops during the Antietam Campaign. When he did return to the Army of the Potomac he assumed command of I Corps.
      At Fredericksburg, on December 13th, Reynolds Corps broke through at Prospect Hill. This was the only Federal breakthrough at Fredericksburg. In reality, Reynolds had little to do with the breakthrough itself, he actually had more to do with the hindering the short lived gains. Reynolds did not act as a corps commander at Fredericksburg. When both Meade (now a major general) and Brigadier General John Gibbon?s division?s broke the Southern lines at Fredericksburg, they could not receive timely reinforcements. Their corps commander could not be found. Meade sent a number of messengers to Reynolds begging for reinforcements, none could locate him.
      Their corps commander was on the Federal artillery line. He was personally ordering batteries where to fire, how to elevate, and according to some accounts, at times was off his horse sighting guns himself. This was not the job of a major general, it was the job of Colonel Charles Wainwright, the 1st Corps Chief of Artillery. In reality Reynolds demoted himself from a corps commander to a battalion commander, and did so at the times his subordinates needed him the most. Fredericksburg historian Francis A. O?Reilly states ?A close search of the records reveals that Reynolds spent most of his time worrying the artillery about ephemeral details rather than monitoring the overall situation.? O?Reilly goes on to say, ?At one time or another, every battery in the First Corps encountered, received advice from, or took orders from Reynolds?.[which] made him completely ineffective when Meade sought critical reinforcements.?
      Major General George G. Meade
      Major General George G. Meade
      During the Chancellorsville Campaign, the I Corps did very little fighting. In fact, of the 16,908 men that Reynolds fielded during the campaign, only 300 were listed among the casualty lists at the end of battle. During the riverine crossing at Second Fredericksburg, Brig. Gen. Wadsworth led part of the famed Iron Brigade across the river and forced a landing, which was a much heavier task than it should have been, since Reynolds did little to coordinate his efforts with another crossing force up the Rappahannock River. Following the crossing, I Corps was called from Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville, but were held in the rear echelon of the army for much of the battle. During a council of war among the Federal high command, which was to decide if the army was to stay and fight it out or retreat, Reynolds fell asleep?again.
      Then of course there was Gettysburg, while acting as a wing commander, where he oversaw fully one-third of Meade?s cavalry, and nearly one-half of the infantry in the Army of the Potomac, Reynolds was killed. At the time of his death was actually acting at best like a brigade commander, at worst a regimental commander as he moved forward with the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry.
      Waud's sketch of Reynolds death.

      The great issue that I have with Reynolds as a commander is that he rarely acted the rank that he held. At Fredericksburg he was not where he was needed-in the rear in an easy to find place for his subordinates and assisting with gaining reinforcements and driving Stonewall Jackson from the field.
      At Gettysburg he was a wing commander and he should have been nowhere near the main battle line. The closest spot to action he should have been would be the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Even the vapid Oliver Otis Howard knew that he needed to be in an easily recognizable place, nowhere near the front lines, easily found by the men when he assumed Reynolds role. (That is not to say that Howard did not make many mistakes of his own). On top of all of this to me Reynolds did not choose the ground to fight on at Gettysburg, John Buford did. Yet today Reynolds role greatly overshadows those of Buford, William Gamble, Abner Doubleday, and a slew of others.
      After his death Reynolds was treated as a hero. Much of this was not because of Reynolds actions, but the actions of his staff and others. Alfred Waud produced a famous sketch of his death. Reynolds death itself came at the height of a major Union crisis, where he was felled on home soil. Some of the accounts written by his staff were not so much written to glorify Reynolds, but written to garner favor from Reynolds family and friends, since one of his staff officers was brought up on rape charges. Then of course there are the slew of monuments that were erected by the survivors of the corps and others.
      As a leader of men there is no doubt that Reynolds was brave to a fault. The problem with his bravery was that it took Reynolds from a Division, Corps, and Wing commander down to a regimental commander, at the greatest moment of crisis.
      One has to ask themselves? Was Major General John F. Reynolds a great corps commander, or was he just killed at the right place at the right time?

    5. [S32] Find-A-Grave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2754/john-fulton-reynolds.
      John Fulton Reynolds
      Birth 20 Sep 1820
      Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
      Death 1 Jul 1863 (aged 42)
      Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania
      Burial: Lancaster Cemetery
      Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

    6. [S48] Ancestry Link, https://rscj.org/civil-war-love-story-uncomvered-archives.
      Katherine (Kate Hewitt)

    7. [S32] Find-A-Grave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11784763.
      Civil War Union Major General. Considered one of the best military men in the Union Army during the Civil War, he was the highest-ranking officer to be killed in action during the Battle of Gettysburg. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he was the fifth of twelve children. After studying in local schools, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York by then-Pennsylvania Senator and future President of the United States James Buchanan, who was a friend of the Reynolds family and fellow Lancaster native. He matriculated in 1837, and graduated in 1841, placing twenty-six in a class of fifty-two (the class contained thirteen future Civil War Union generals and six future Confederate generals). Assigned to the 3rd United States Artillery regiment, he performed garrison duty in the years leading up to the Mexican War. When that conflict began in 1846, his unit was assigned to the northern United States Army commanded by Major General Zachary Taylor. He fought in a number of battles, including the Battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista, and was brevetted to Major, US Army for his gallantry, After the war he spent more time in garrison duty before being assigned to the West Coast, where he took part in conflicts with Native-Americans in Oregon and with Mormons in Utah. In 1860 he was assigned to his alma mater of West Point as an artillery and infantry instructor, and was named as Commandant of Cadets in September of that year. He helped guide the cadets through the tumults of the secession crisis, which saw many in their ranks leave to fight for the Confederacy, including superintendent Pierre G.T. Beauregard. In June 1861 he accepted a commission of Lieutenant Colonel in the newly raised 14th United States Regular Infantry, and in August he was commissioned as a Brigadier General of Volunteers. Assigned to the command of a brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves in the newly forming Union Army of the Potomac, he oversaw their training into a superior fighting force. In the May 1862 Peninsular Campaign under Major General George B. McClellan, he performed the duties of military governor of Fredericksburg, Virginia for a time. His men were heavily engaged in the June-July 1862 Seven Days Battles, and in the June 26, 1862 Battle of Mechanicsville they took great casualties but withstood Confederate assaults. In the following June 27, 1862 Battle of Gaines? Mill, his men again took large numbers of casualties, and in the Union retreat General Reynolds was captured by the Confederates after passing out from lack of sleep and exhaustion under a tree. Imprisoned at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, he was held there until August 15, 1862, when he was exchanged for Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman, who had been captured in February 1862 at Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. Upon his return he was assigned to command the Pennsylvania Reserve Division, who he led at the August 1862 Battle of 2nd Bull Run. There, his men were some of the last Union troops on the field, directing them in a counter-attack on Henry Hill the helped delay the Confederates long enough for the Union Army to retreat. In the September 1862 Antietam Campaign, he was assigned to train and drill the thousands of Pennsylvania militia man who were called up to meet the crisis of the Confederate invasion (thus missing the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam). When he returned to the Army of the Potomac, he was given command of the I Army Corps. He directed it at the December 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg, and troops from his command made the only Union breakthrough during the engagement. After the battle he was promoted to Major General of Volunteers, which was dated back to November 29, 1862. At the May 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville he came into conflict with Army of the Potomac commander Major General Joseph Hooker, who orders and counterorders to the I Corps took them out of the battle and away from where they could have participated in the fight. At a subsequent council of war, General Reynolds voted to remain and fight, but was overruled by General Hooker, who eventually retreated. In early June 1863 he was offered the command of the Army of the Potomac by President Abraham Lincoln, but declined, allegedly because he felt he would not be given a free hand to direct army operations. When the Army of the Potomac began its pursuit of General Robert E. Lee?s Army of Northern Virginia through Maryland and Pennsylvania, Major General Reynolds was given the overall command of the Left Wing of the army, consisting of his I Corps, the XI Corps under Major General Oliver O. Howard, the XII Corps under Major General Henry W. Slocum, and a cavalry division under Brigadier General John Buford. On July 1, 1863 the cavalry clashed with Confederate infantry under Major General Henry Heth, opening the Battle of Gettysburg. After two hours of intense fighting General Reynolds and his infantry arrived on the field, and he set about placing artillery and infantry positions. He was directing the positioning of men from the I Corps famed ?Iron Brigade? near the Herbst Woods northwest of Gettysburg when he was struck in the head and instantly killed (lore has grown up over the years that he was felled by a Confederate sharpshooter, but conflicting historical evidence has been found to support this). His body was immediately brought off the field as to not demoralize his men, and was sent home to his sister's resident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where funeral services were held, then to Lancaster, where it was interred in the family plot on July 4, 1863. Today, he is memorialized in four places in the Gettysburg National Military Park (a monument stands where he was killed, an equestrian statue stands for him on McPherson Ridge, and two standing statues were erected ? one in the National Cemetery and one on the Pennsylvania Memorial). An equestrian statue was also erected for him outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?s City Hall. His older brother, William Reynolds, became a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.

      Bio by: R
      Katherine Kate Hewitt almost Reynolds......was to marry John Fulton, he was killed in the war instead.
      *************
      Civil War Union Major General. Considered one of the best military men in the Union Army during the Civil War, he was the highest-ranking officer to be killed in action during the Battle of Gettysburg. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he was the fifth of twelve children. After studying in local schools, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, by then-Pennsylvania Senator and future President of the United States James Buchanan, who was a friend of the Reynolds family and a fellow Lancaster native. He matriculated in 1837, and graduated in 1841, placing twenty-sixth in a class of fifty-two (the class contained thirteen future Civil War Union generals and six future Confederate generals). Assigned to the 3rd United States Artillery regiment, he performed garrison duty in the years leading up to the Mexican War. When that conflict began in 1846, his unit was assigned to the northern United States Army commanded by Major General Zachary Taylor. He fought in a number of battles, including the Battles of Monterrey and Buena Vista, and was brevetted to Major, U.S. Army for his gallantry, After the war, he spent more time in garrison duty before being assigned to the West Coast, where he took part in conflicts with Native-Americans in Oregon and with Mormons in Utah. In 1860, he was assigned to his alma mater of West Point as an artillery and infantry instructor, and was named as Commandant of Cadets in September of that year. He helped guide the Cadets through the tumults of the secession crisis, which saw many in their ranks leave to fight for the Confederacy, including superintendent Pierre G.T. Beauregard. In June 1861, he accepted a commission of Lieutenant Colonel in the newly raised 14th United States Regular Infantry, and, in August, was commissioned as a Brigadier General of Volunteers. Assigned to the command of a brigade of Pennsylvania Reserves in the newly-forming Union Army of the Potomac, he oversaw their training into a superior fighting force. In the May 1862 Peninsular Campaign under Major General George B. McClellan, he performed the duties of military governor of Fredericksburg, Virginia, for a time. His men were heavily engaged in the June-July 1862 Seven Days Battles, and in the June 26, 1862 Battle of Mechanicsville. They took great casualties, but withstood Confederate assaults. In the following June 27, 1862, Battle of Gaines' Mill, his men again took large numbers of casualties, and in the Union retreat General Reynolds was captured by the Confederates after passing out from lack of sleep and exhaustion under a tree. Imprisoned at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, he was held there until August 15, 1862, when he was exchanged for Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman, who had been captured in February 1862 at Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. Upon his return, he was assigned to command the Pennsylvania Reserve Division, who he led at the August 1862 Battle of 2nd Bull Run. There, his men were some of the last Union troops on the field. Directing them in a counter-attack on Henry Hill the helped delay the Confederates long enough for the Union Army to retreat. In the September 1862 Antietam Campaign, he was assigned to train and drill the thousands of Pennsylvania militia man who were called up to meet the crisis of the Confederate invasion (thus missing the September 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam). When he returned to the Army of the Potomac, he was given command of the I Army Corps. He directed it at the December 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg, and troops from his command made the only Union breakthrough during the engagement. After the battle, he was promoted to Major General of Volunteers, which was dated back to November 29, 1862. At the May 1863 Battle of Chancellorsville, he came into conflict with Army of the Potomac commander Major General Joseph Hooker, whose orders and counterorders to the I Corps took them out of the battle and away from where they could have participated in the fight. At a subsequent Council of War, General Reynolds voted to remain and fight, but was overruled by General Hooker, who eventually retreated. In early June 1863, he was offered the command of the Army of the Potomac by President Abraham Lincoln, but declined, allegedly because he felt he would not be given a free hand to direct Army operations. When the Army of the Potomac began its pursuit of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia through Maryland and Pennsylvania, Major General Reynolds was given the overall command of the Left Wing of the army, consisting of his I Corps, the XI Corps under Major General Oliver O. Howard, the III Corps under Major General Daniel Sickles and a cavalry division under Brigadier General John Buford. On July 1, 1863, the cavalry clashed with Confederate infantry under Major General Henry Heth, opening the Battle of Gettysburg. After two hours of intense fighting, General Reynolds and his infantry arrived on the field; he set about placing artillery and infantry positions. He was directing the positioning of men from the I Corps' famed "Iron Brigade" near the Herbst Woods northwest of Gettysburg when he was struck in the head and instantly killed. (Lore has grown up over the years that he was felled by a Confederate sharpshooter, but conflicting historical evidence has been found to support this.) His body was immediately brought off the field as to not demoralize his men, and was sent home to his sister's resident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where funeral services were held, then to Lancaster, where it was interred in the family plot on July 4, 1863. Today, he is memorialized in four places in the Gettysburg National Military Park: A monument stands where he was killed, an equestrian statue stands for him on McPherson Ridge, and two standing statues were erected ? one in the National Cemetery and one on the Pennsylvania Memorial. An equestrian statue was also erected for him outside Philadelphia's City Hall. His older brother, William Reynolds, became a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy.

      Bio by: RPD2


    8. [S48] Ancestry Link, https://civilwartalk.com/threads/kate-hewitt-almost-reynolds-sr-hildegardis-mizpah.115495/.
      Kate's gold medal and ring

    9. [S100] Internet Source, https://digital.fandm.edu/collections/eleanor-reynolds-scrapbook.
      Eleanor Reynolds Scrapbook


      This collection contains the contents of a scrapbook of letters home from John Fulton Reynolds dated 1849 to 1863, compiled by his younger sister Eleanor Reynolds. Eleanor Reynolds transcribed some letters and included these typed transcriptions in the scrapbook. Other transcriptions created as part of a 2002 NETShare grant award are included with the original letter.

      The Eleanor Reynolds Scrapbook is part of the Reynolds Family Papers Collection.


    10. [S160] Correspondence.
      Mary S Pitkin mpitkin@live.com via p3plcpnl0908.prod.phx3.secureserver.net
      1 Aug 2020
      to me
      Comments (Major General John Fulton Reynolds b. 20 Sep 1820 Lancaster, PA d. 1 Jul 1863 Gettysburg, PA): Jeff Harding and I have had an article published in the current (Aug 2020) issue of Civil War Times proving that the Catherine Hewitt who lived in Stillwater, Saratoga, NY was NOT the fiance of John Reynolds. I have scans of the article I can share via Google Drive. If you would like the link email me. We are writing a longer book on the "real" Catherine Hewitt as we've found out a lot about her life. In the meantime we are just trying to correct some of the incorrect info out there.
      Thanks,
      Mary Stanford Pitkin
      Mary S Pitkin
      mpitkin@live.com
      Mary Pitkin
      to me
      Mary Frances,
      We were in a similar situation.. sorting through correct and incorrect info. What made it harder was that some early stories/articles/books had no sources! When we started out we quickly realized that at least one of the people considered an expert on Catherine Hewitt.. 'reasoned away' some fairly obvious discrepancies. I think grabbing on to Catherine Hewitt in Stillwater seemed like easy find..with same name.
      Anyway.. the scans of the article are here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DoYAruH8RmGi4tePUoBpcDtjsaqTmCr2?usp=sharing

      Catherine was born 1 April 1836 in Owego, Tioga, NY. Eden Hall records list her parents as Richard, a soldier, and Jemima Maloney (or Green). They both seem to have been deceased by at least 1850. Other details about her life after she left the Daughters of Charity are in the article.

      As I mentioned, we found out a lot more about Catherine and are most of the way through with a book that we will probably self publish. I'll let you know when we do, at that point I'll be able to share a few more details.
      Let me know if you have any questions!
      Mary Stanford Pitkin
      http://www.mygenealogyresearch.net
      http://irishinnewhaven.com