Reynolds is a Union Major General, known as an immaculate, elegant solider. He is even offered command of the entire Union Army but declines, with the honor passing to Meade instead. When Buford sends him repeated requests for relief, he gallops into Gettysburg with two corps of soldiers, just in time to help Buford maintain the Union’s hold on Cemetery Hill. However, he is wounded in the head and immediately killed while he and Buford are placing troops in the field.
John Reynolds Quotes in The Killer Angels
The The Killer Angels quotes below are all either spoken by John Reynolds or refer to John Reynolds. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Monday, June 29, 1863: Chapter 3
Quotes
It wasn’t the dying. He had seen men die all his life, and death was the luck of the chance, the price you eventually paid. What was worse was the stupidity. The appalling sick stupidity that was so bad you thought sometimes you would go suddenly, violently, completely insane just having to watch it. It was a deadly thing to be thinking on. Job to be done here. And all of it turns on faith.
Related Characters:
John Buford, John Reynolds
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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John Reynolds Character Timeline in The Killer Angels
The timeline below shows where the character John Reynolds appears in The Killer Angels. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Monday, June 29, 1863: Chapter 3: Buford
...He knows that Lee’s army will converge at Gettysburg by morning, and that Major General Reynolds will not arrive in time to back up Buford’s own brigades.
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...north of Gettysburg and report to him before sundown. He also sends a message to Reynolds stating that he expects the rebels to arrive in force by morning. But Buford knows...
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...dismisses him and rides off, wondering if his men could make a stand here when Reynolds is inevitably late. He has taught his men to fight dismounted, the way he had...
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...is concentrating in the direction of Gettysburg. Buford sits down to send a message to Reynolds but is momentarily frozen by the memory of holding good ground and waiting for help...
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Buford sends the message to Reynolds and dozes against a gravestone, until Reynolds sends back orders to hold the ground, with...
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Wednesday, July 1, 1863: Chapter 2: Buford
...Then he hears the guns of attacking Rebel infantry begin. He sends a message to Reynolds requesting relief. A while later, he hears the Rebel yell, which is swallowed by the...
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...the entire Rebel army will likely have arrived by afternoon. Buford sends another message to Reynolds and strengthens his line. He knows that these brigades cannot hold off the Confederates for...
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Just as Buford is beginning to consider withdrawal, he looks to the south and sees Reynolds coming at a gallop, two corps of fresh infantry coming behind him. Reynolds joins Buford...
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Buford and Reynolds ride out to place the troops. Against the Confederates’ 15,000, they can put almost 20,000...
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Wednesday, July 1, 1863: Chapter 4: Chamberlain
...soon ordered forward, hearing news that two corps have been engaged at Gettysburg and that Reynolds has been killed.
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Wednesday, July 1, 1863: Chapter 7: Buford
...Instead, he looks at the sea of Rebel campfires to the west and sadly remembers Reynolds: “Well, John, we held the ground.”
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