Overview
Daniel Harris Reynolds (1832–1902) was a lawyer from Ohio who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Reynolds was a lawyer in Iowa and Tennessee and settled in Lake Village, Arkansas, by 1858. At the start of the war, he organized the “Chicot Rangers,” later serving in the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles. Reynolds fought in key battles, including the Battle of Wilson’s Creek and the Battle of Bentonville, where he was severely wounded. Promoted to Brigadier General in 1864, he commanded Arkansas troops during the Atlanta Campaign. After the war, he resumed his legal practice and served in the Arkansas State Senate.
Personal Facts
- Full Name: Daniel Harris Reynolds
- Born: December 14, 1832, Centerburg, Ohio
- Parents: Amos and Sophia (Houck) Reynolds
- Education: Ohio Wesleyan University
- Occupation: Lawyer, Military officer
- Positions: Brigadier General (CSA)
- Spouse: Martha Wallace (1868)
- Died: March 14, 1902, Lake Village, Arkansas
- Buried: Lake Village Cemetery, Lake Village, Arkansas
Biography
Early Life
Daniel Harris Reynolds was born on December 14, 1832, in Centerburg, Ohio. He was the son of Amos and Sophia (Houck) Reynolds.
Reynolds attended Ohio Wesleyan University, where he met Otho Strahl, another future Confederate general from Ohio. Both men left school before graduating and moved to Somerville, Tennessee, to study law under the tutelage of Chancellor John W. Harris. In 1858, they were each admitted to the bar. Strahl moved to Dyersburg in western Tennessee, where he opened a law office. Reynolds moved to Lake Village, Arkansas, and established a successful legal practice.
Confederate Officer
When the Civil War began, Reynolds raised a cavalry company called the “Chicot Rangers.” The men elected him as their captain on May 25, 1861. Confederate officials commissioned Reynolds as a captain of Company A of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles on June 14, 1861. Reynolds spent the early part of the war west of the Mississippi River, fighting in Arkansas and Missouri. His regiment took part in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek (August 10, 1861) and the Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862).
Army of the Mississippi
In the spring of 1862, Confederate officials ordered Reynolds’s regiment east of the Mississippi River to reinforce General Braxton Bragg‘s Army of the Mississippi. Reynolds received a promotion to major on April 14, 1862. A little over two weeks later, on May 1, 1862, officials promoted him to lieutenant colonel. During the summer of 1862, the Army of the Mississippi took part in the Confederate Heartland Campaign in Tennessee and Kentucky, culminating with the Rebel loss at the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky (October 8, 1862).
Army of Tennessee
On November 20, 1862, Confederate officials reorganized the Army of the Mississippi and renamed it the Army of Tennessee. Reynolds served with the Army of Tennessee during the Tullahoma Campaign (June 24-July 3, 1863) and the Chickamauga Campaign (August 21-September 20, 1863). After the Confederate victory at the Battle of Chickamauga (September 19-20, 1863), officials promoted Reynolds to colonel of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles on November 17, 1863 (effective September 20).
Following the federal breakout from Chattanooga, Tennessee in November 1863, Reynolds continued to serve with the Army of Tennessee throughout the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. The Confederate War Department promoted Reynolds to brigadier general on March 12, 1864 (effective March 5). He commanded “Reynolds’s Arkansas Brigade,” comprising the 1st and 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles (dismounted); the 4th, 9th, 25th, and 31st Arkansas Infantry Regiments, and the 4th Arkansas Infantry Battalion. In one of the few Confederate triumphs during the Atlanta Campaign, Reynolds led his brigade to victory at the Battle of Lovejoy’s Station (August 20, 1864).
Severely Wounded at the Battle of Bentonville
After the fall of Atlanta, Confederate leaders ordered the Army of Tennessee, now commanded by General Joseph Johnston, to North Carolina. During the Battle of Bentonville (March 19, 1865), Reynolds received a severe wound to his left leg forcing surgeons to amputate it.
Post-War Life
When the Civil War ended, Reynolds resumed his law practice in Lake Village, Arkansas. From 1866 to 1867, he served as a state senator for Ashley, Chicot, and Drew counties.
On November 24, 1868, Reynolds married Martha Wallace. The couple subsequently had five children.
Daniel Reynolds died at Lake Village, Arkansas, on March 14, 1902. He is buried in Lake Village Cemetery.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1832 — Daniel Harris Reynolds was born in Centerburg, Ohio.
- 1847 — He started his studies at Ohio Wesleyan University.
- 1850s — Reynolds studied law privately in Louisa County, Iowa, and Somerville, Tennessee.
- 1858 — He was admitted to the Arkansas Bar and established a legal practice in Lake Village, Arkansas.
- 1861, May 25 — At the start of the Civil War, Reynolds raised a cavalry company, the “Chicot Rangers,” and was elected its captain.
- 1861, June 14 — He was commissioned as captain of Company A of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles in the Confederate Army.
- 1861, August 10 — Reynolds participated in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.
- 1862, March 7–8 — He fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge.
- 1862, Spring — The 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles was transferred to the Army of Tennessee.
- 1862, April 14 — Reynolds was promoted to major.
- 1862, May 1 — He was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
- 1863, November 17 — Reynolds was promoted to colonel of the 1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles (effective September 20).
- 1864, March 12 — He was promoted to brigadier general (effective March 5).
- 1864, After March 12 — Reynolds assumed command of “Reynolds’ Arkansas Brigade,” consisting of the 1st and 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles (dismounted) and several Arkansas infantry regiments and battalions.
- 1864, August 20 — He defeated Union forces led by General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick at the Battle of Lovejoy Station during the Atlanta Campaign.
- 1865, March 19 — Reynolds was severely wounded during the Battle of Bentonville, resulting in the amputation of his left leg.
- 1865, Post-war — He resumed his legal practice in Lake Village, Arkansas.
- 1866–1867 — Reynolds served as a state senator representing Ashley, Chicot, and Drew counties.
- 1868, November 24 — He married Martha Wallace, with whom he raised five children.
- 1902, March 14 — Reynolds died in Lake Village, Arkansas.
