CDV Gen John Fulton Reynolds Gettysburg KIA Union Civil War Silsbee Case Boston

  

John Fulton Reynolds (September 21, 1820 - July 1, 1863) was a career United States Army officer and a general in the American Civil War. One of the Union Army's most respected senior commanders, he played a key role in committing the Army of the Potomac to the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed at the start of the battle. This CDV is an early 1860s'civilian' photo of JF Reynolds by Silsbee, Case & Co.

See photo gallery for reverse of carte. It says'CARTE DE VISITE BY SILSBEE, CASE & CO. PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTS 299 1/2 Washington Street BOSTON'.

There is also red ink stamped photographers note-'FROM Dec. 3, 1862, CASE & GETCHELL'. Carte is in excellent condition and measures approx.

Bottom corners and top right corner were clipped to fit in album. Left side has also been trimmed slightly to fit in album. Image is clear and has good tonality. It has a double yellow border. The carte has been well preserved in an album with many other Civil War generals and officers.

To see this and other images of General Reynolds, including as a young man in curls, please go to my website dedicated to Genl's Meade and Reynolds and other Pennsylvanians. We see in this photo of John F. This is a fabulous photo of the gallant General JF Reynolds.

Historian Shelby Foote wrote that many considered him "not only the highest ranking but also the best general in the army". Video in gallery shows comparison of this image with a Gen. JF Reynolds image in uniform.

The viewer must allow for the fact that I have flipped horizontally my own image of Gen. Reynolds due to the fact that the uniformed image is the only image I could find of him in 3/4 profile, however he was facing the opposite way!

To remedy this and to be able to compare the face we have allow that his usual hair parting not line up because of the horizontal flip. All facial features are the same, even though no one's face is entirely symmetrical!

I would like to add more information about the source album for this CDV of Major General John Fulton Reynolds. The photo comes from an album purported to be from the family of Major General George G.

There were two images of Gen. Meade next to him in the album, one in uniform, one not in uniform. This isn't surprising as Gen Reynolds and Gen Meade were friends. This excerpt from the Ceremonies at the Dedication of the Monuments by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1889 at Gettysburg shows us their bond. It is found in a tribute to Generals Meade, Reynolds, and Hancock by Brevet Captain Joseph G Rosengarten regarding the First Day of the battle of Gettysburg. First then let us pay tribute to the memory of General.

The commander on whom rested the responsibility, made the weightier by the unexpected order which put him at the head of the Army of the Potomac, only three days before the great battle which practically was the crisis of the. His generalship was of the highest order, and his strategic and practical operations the best, yet one other element of his suc- cess has been too little regarded. His great moral and per- sonal excellence was universally felt and recognized through- out the army, and when he was put at its head, that great body was at once lifted on a higher plane and became thoroughly in- spired with a lofty purpose, and an earnest will to do all that should be asked. All joined in a silent thanksgiving that General. Was their commander, for by that mental revela- tion which permeates great masses of disciplined men, his fit- ness as a leader was universally recognized, and Gettysburg yet needs a final memorial of General.

To mark his great victory. Next in our retrospect let us pay tribute to General Reynolds. The advance, the left wing of the army, was given to General.

Unlike as were the two in mental and moral qualities, in physical appearance and military bent, each perfectly supplemented the other. When he fell his place was given to General Hancock, again totally unlike either. A soldier of the highest excellence, who on this as in so many other trying positions, did his part in winning the victory. One other name must always be honored in speaking of the First Day at Gettysburg. John Buford, gallant soldier, typical cavalry leader, fearless fighter, for with him rests the special distinction of first clearly foreseeing that Gettysburg was to be the scene of a great battle; prepared for the Confederate onset, he shortly resisted an overwhelming force, called confidently on. His immediate commander, for the support that promptly came to his help, notified. Death, advised him of the need of some one to command, and in every way helped to save the field and win the victory, even at the price of the First Day's Battle. I believe this CDV to be an important image of General JF Reynolds, striking in expression and showing him in his prime. There are very few images of him and even fewer good ones. I have collected most of the known images of Gen Reynolds from boyhood and this one is my favorite!