John,

Thanks for the assistance.

It is hard to believe that professional military regimental commanders would write such a letter, however, this was a citizens army and standard protocol was not always observed.

I could not imagine such a letter would be written in our modern army, I'm rather well sure it wouldn't have happened in my navy or my fathers.

George

Here is an excerpt from their letter which has to be the bottom line, and which proved Reynold's downfall in Egypt.

"The frequent , and as we consider, too free use of ardent spirits on the part of Col. Reynolds renders him inefficient and very objectionable to us. And as we consider, equally as much so, to the soldiers under our commands."

At Vicksburg, Reynolds, West Point 1838, served as a Brigade Commander with the rank of Colonel in Maj. Gen. Carter Littlepage Stevenson's, USMA 38', Division, under the command of Lt. Gen. Pemberton, USMA 37'!

And, to my amazement, we find in an endorsement to the letters from the Colonels of the 43rd Tenn. Reg. regarding change of commander, MGen. C. L. Stevenson writes from his headquarters at Sweet Water, Tn:

“If there be any other cause of dissatisfaction than that produced by constant effort on my part to preserve proper disciplan in that Brigade, both for their credit & for the interest of our cause, it was but just that it should (?) have been stated.

" Whatever, ??? nevertheless (?), may be the cause of dissatisfaction, it is evident that I cannot expect a faithful cooperation from the signers, Regt. Comdrs. of this application, and I therfore consent to the transfer of the Brigade from my Division.”

Also, of interest, Reynolds' son, Frank A., graduated from West Point with the class of 1861 next to the bottom of the class, just before the bucket man, George Armstrong Custer.