Reynolds Family Papers on line

Thanks to a recent grant Franklin & Marshall College has posted the Reynolds Family Papers on line. For Civil War students the ones of the most interest are those pertaining to Major General John F. Reynolds, killed on July 1 at Gettysburg. These are both facsimiles of the originals and transcriptions, and include both personal family correspondence and Reynolds’ official papers.

Reynold’s death, even more than fellow corps commander John Sedgwick, has generated considerable controversy about the exact circumstances. The file contains two letters from Reynolds’ sisters that seem to indicate that the fatal bullet took a downward trajectory, lending support to the theory of a sharpshooter in a tree.

For a more in-depth look at the various suspects, see J. D. Petruzzi’s article on the subject.