The Death of General Reynolds at Gettysburg by Alfred Rudolph Waud
by Don Struke
Title
The Death of General Reynolds at Gettysburg by Alfred Rudolph Waud
Artist
Don Struke
Medium
Photograph - Drawing
Description
Here in the United States, the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War battle of Gettysburg will be observed next July (2013). In researching that event, I discovered something about two officers of the Union (northern U.S.) army, General John F. Reynolds, one of the Civil War's highly regarded Union generals, and Major William Riddle, his aide-de-camp at Gettysburg. Here's what I've written to accompany the dramatic illustration by Alfred Rudolph Waud that you see above. Waud, by the way, was one of only two artists present at Gettysburg during the battle:
Shortly before the Civil War, Reynolds met and fell in love with Catherine Mary "Kate" Hewitt. She was 16 years younger and a recent convert to Catholicism, which apparently hindered her from marrying the Protestant Reynolds in view of his position with the army. They became secretly engaged and when the war began, promised to marry when it was over. If Reynolds did not survive the war, Kate pledged to join a convent.
On the morning of July 1, 1863, General Reynolds, commanding the left wing of the Army of the Potomac, arrived near Gettysburg from Emmitsburg, Maryland (about 12 miles south), where he had spent the previous day. In the midst of arranging troops he was shot and killed. One story attributes his death to a Confederate sharpshooter, another to friendly fire.
It is said that Major Riddle was the soldier who discovered the small Catholic medal around Reynolds' neck, and that he was wearing a gold ring with two clasped hands and the inscription "Dear Kate".
Keeping her pledge to her beloved, Kate joined the Sisters of Charity. The convent she entered was in Emmitsburg. I do not know if she knew her sweetheart's last night on Earth was there, or even that he had been there.
When Reynolds and his troops marched into Emmitsburg en route to Gettysburg, one of his officers wrote about the moment: "His weary soldiers found themselves near a Catholic Convent. The beauty and tranquility of this place, so strikingly in contrast with a military tumult which suddenly invested it, are vividly remembered."
NOTE: The Fine art watermark visible in preview windows is not on any print.
Uploaded
September 11th, 2012
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Comments (3)
Don Struke
Ester, I meant to add: I hope you had a chance to read the caption I wrote for this artwork, When I researched General Reynolds' background, I was so taken by the elements in it: a lost love, the nearly random nature of his death, and his "Dear Kate"keeping the pledge she made to him before the war. It's more than enough for a romantic movie, don't you think? .
Ester Rogers
This is an amazing piece of art, Don! F/V!
Don Struke replied:
Oh, Ester, I couldn't agree more. Alfred Waud as you probably know was one of the outstanding artists during the American Civil War and, in fact, was present at most of the major battles. He was one of just two combat artists at Gettysburg, the locale for this event.