Reynolds, Thomas M., 1840-1864

Thomas M. Reynolds, whose family hailed from Camden, Delaware, served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was killed in 1864, during the "Battle of the Wilderness."

On June 28, 1862, Civil War soldier Captain Thomas M. Reynolds was enrolled in the 4th Regiment of the Delaware Infantry Volunteers in Wilmington, Delaware. On September 5, 1862 during the organization of Company H, Reynolds was mustered in as the company commander with the rank of captain. Reynolds was responsible for recruiting men into his company; he began pursuing volunteers as early as June of 1861.

Reynolds's letters to his sweetheart Louisa (Lou) J. Seward, who eventually became his fiance, provide few details of his life prior to the Civil War. The letters suggest that he had attended school in Greensboro, Caroline County, Maryland, in 1860, where Louisa also resided. His letters frequently refer to Caroline County and his desire to return there. From January to March of 1861, he was a school teacher in Chambersville, Delaware (near Smyrna, a town that he mentions in his early letters).

In his letters, Reynolds described himself as a "phrenologist" and someone who enjoyed writing, particularly poetry. He mentions his two sisters, Mollie and Frances (who was affectionately referred to as "Frank"), and the family home near Camden, Delaware. The muster sheet listed his occupation as "gentleman" and his place of origin as Delaware.

Captain Reynolds served in the Union Army until June 20, 1864, when he died of wounds received during the Battle of the Wilderness, near Richmond, on June 18. Reynolds was buried at Barrett's Chapel Churchyard in Delaware, where his tombstone records his age as 23 years and 3 months.

Microfilm 366: Captain Thomas M. Reynolds Papers, 1862-1864. Dover, DE: Delaware State Archives, 1955. Additional information in the biographical note is derived from material in the collection.

From the guide to the Thomas M. Reynolds letters to Louisa J. Seward, 1861-1864, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)