The National tribune., 1903-07-09
DEATH OF GEN. REYNOLDS.
He Was Not Killed by North Carolina
Sharpshooter rs Claimed

the press that Benz. rhorp, now a
| planter living outside of the town of Sat.
terwhite, n. c., then boy in the 26th n
c.. and fine marksman, fired the shot
which killed Gen. Reynolds. at the battle
of Gettysburg. Mr.. Thorp's story is in
part as follows:
| Ben Thorpe had been one of the 100
shapshoOters selected from the 26th \. G..
despite the fact that he was but IL years
old. and the position assigned to him was
in the top of a cherry tree which cGm-
| mandcd the low ground or Swale over
which the Union Troops must make their
way to reach McPherson's woods. What
followed is best told in his own words:
| - had been in the treetop perhaps half
an hour when the Wisconsin regiment
came charging across the low ground to-
| ward the woods, and had made Il couple
of shots. wien the party of officers rode
up on the little knoll and halted. s-
- was trying to make up my mind
| which one l should try for when my
Lieutenant appeared under the tree and
began observing the party through his field
glasses. A moment later he glanced up
and said:
Ben. do you see the tall, straight
man in the center OF that group? He is
evidently an officer of some high rank and
is directing operations which threaten our
line. Sight your gun at 100 yards and
see if you can reach him.
bullet struck far short of the mark.
So" "That was Il little short, Ben" said
my Lieutenant, and after another long
and careful glance through his field glasses
he said:
and hold steady, for we must have him."
Carefully | sighted my long-barrcled
rifle at the range given. and, steadyins it
on big limb, took good aim and fired.
l knew before the report died away, be-
fore | saw Gen. Reynolds fall, that the
shot had been good one and would reach
its mark.
- saw the horse plunge forward, saw
the rider sway and fall from his saddle
and then heard the voice of my Lieuten-
ant saying:
"."Bcn, it did its work You may come
down now; it's time for us to be moving"
"'NOt until long afterward did l learn
who it was my bullet had brought down.
and when l did learn, when | heard and
read of what great and good man and
splendid soldier l had brought to death,
| was genuinely sorry. l have been sorry
ever since and when the war was over
took occasion to write to his relatives in
forming them of the facts and expressing
my sorrow and regret.
"I have letters from them, splendid let
tiers, in which they tell me not to worry
over it; that it was the fortune of war,
and that they could hold no animOSity or
hatred against soldier boy who had
fought as he believed and simply obeyed
his superior officers orders. Those letters
are among my most treasured possessions,
and no money could buy them"
Maj. Chas. Veil, now living at Lancas-
ter, Pa, was Gen. Rcynolds's orderly, and
the only man with him at the time he re-
ceived his death wound, and is quite sure
that Mr.. ThOrp is mistaken. Maj. Veil
says that at the time the General was
l.. Id = 1.- nd Of
possible for sharpshooters to reach him;
that he could not have been killed from
shot from the cherry tree because rise
in the ground prevented his being seen
from that point, and that there We're no
other officers near him, all having been
sent off with orders to the troops. Maj.
Veil says that after leading the Iron Bri-
gade into action, Gen. Reynolds rode into
the strip of woods again.
1.-THE enemy in the meantime continued
advancing, having met our charge with
such withering fire as to check our men,
who did not retreat or fall back, but
obliqued in quick time to the right, con-
Meeting on the left our troops already
posted, and who occupied the MCPHERSON
buildings. AS the General entered the
woods he turned in his saddle, looking to
the rear, when he was struck by the fatal
ball.
'To understand his position more fully,
General turned in his saddle SO as to be
looking to the rear, the ball striking him
directly in the back of the neck and just
over his coat collar, so that when he fell
from his horse and l rapidly glanced over
his person l could discover no wound, the
coat collar having covered it, leaving me
under the impression that he had been
struck by a spent ball and probably only
stunned. co.,.
'vThe averment that the woods were
occupied by Confederate sharpshoOters,
up the trees is all imaginary. The foliage
was too dense to enable men to get dis
tant view; and, then, they didn't have
time to get up the trees anyway, for our
cavalry skirmishers were occupying the
ground in front or beyond the house and
woods when the General arrived on the
ground.
'In reference to the particular point
where the General fell there is no ques-
following March, when, upon orders, l re-
ported to Secretary of War Stanton after
1 had been made an officer. The question
came up. and Mr.. Stanton inquired if |
thought l could locate the spot, as some
question had been raised as to the point.
After telling him felt satisfied / could,
and describing it as well as l was able,
he advised me to communicate with the
Generals family, and gave me leave to
accompany them to the ground, which l
did. They were fully satisfied, and the
spot was marked, where the Generals
monument now stands"
Maj. Veil was detailed to accompany
the remains to Lancaster, where the fu-
neral took place on the Fourth of July.
The sisters Of Gen. Reynolds presented him
with gold watch which he still carries,
and, without his knowledge, went to the
President and Secretary of War and
asked for commission for him. Secre-
tary Stanton sent for him and asked him
where he would like to serve. Veil
seemed embarrassed by the presence of so
great man as the Secretary of War, and
said, "Well, l always did like horses"
whereupOn Stanton gave him a commits
sion as Second Lieutenant of the 1st y.
S. Cav, and he Joined his regiment at Cul-
peper Courthouse. Maj. Wells military
record in the War Department is as fol
lows:
"a private Of Co. G, 9th Pa. Reserves,
from July 20, 1861, to Dec. 81, 1868; pri-
vate of the General Mounted Service from
Jan. ] to April o. 1864: Second Lieuten-
ant, 1st Cav, April Z, 1864; First Lieu
tenant, 1st Cav, July /, 1864; honorably
mustered out Jan. /, 1871; brevetted First
Lieutenant May 6, 1864, for gallant and
meritorious services at the battle of Todd's
Tavern, Va, and Captain and Major,
United States Army, April 1, 1865, for
gallant and meritorious services at the
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