Reynolds

Soldier Profile: Michael P. Reynolds

Co. B, 11th Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Michael served in a regiment known for its versatility, fighting in both the Eastern and Western Theaters. The 11th Ohio was a unit of iron discipline, often found at the center of the storm, from the bridge at Antietam to the fiery gates of Atlanta.

From Cloone to Cincinnati

• Born: Circa 1840 in Cloone, Mohill, County Leitrim.

• Parents: Michael Reynolds and Bridget Fanning.

• Family: Michael was part of a close-knit family including his brother Frank and sisters Margaret and Ellen. Like many Leitrim families, they sought a new start in the burgeoning city of Cincinnati, Ohio.

• Enlistment: On June 20, 1861, at just twenty years of age, Michael answered the call to defend the Union, mustering into Company B of the 11th Ohio Infantry.

A War of Two Fronts

The 11th Ohio followed a path of extraordinary hardship, and while Michael’s individual presence in every skirmish isn’t recorded, his unit’s history is a roll call of honor:

• Antietam: The regiment stood on the banks of the Antietam Creek during the bloodiest single day in American history. Today, a monument stands on that field to honor the men of the 11th Ohio who charged through the leaden hail.

• The Western Campaigns: The regiment was later transferred west, joining General Sherman’s relentless drive toward the sea. They fought through the Atlanta Campaign, witnessing the fall of the Southern rail hub and the eventual capture of Savannah.

• The Cost of Victory: By the war's end, the 11th Ohio had lost 54 men to battle and nearly 100 to the ravages of disease—the silent killer of the camps.

A Father’s Grief and a Life Cut Short

After the war, Michael returned to Cincinnati to build a life in the shadow of the war's memories. However, the peace he found was marked by a deep personal tragedy.

• A Poignant Loss: Michael and his wife suffered the loss of their son, Francis, in 1872. The child’s headstone remains a heartbreaking record of a short life: "Died 16 Dec 1872, aged one year, eight months, and 15 days."

• The Final Muster: Michael himself did not live to old age. Likely weakened by the rigors of his wartime service, he passed away on March 27, 1877, at the age of only thirty-six.Final Resting Place

Michael is buried in Saint Joseph New Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio. He rests in the company of many fellow Irish veterans who, like him, left the quiet parishes of Ireland to become the backbone of the American Republic.

Legacy

Michael Reynolds survives in fragments: a birth place in Cloone, an enlistment date in June 1861, a regiment that fought at Antietam and marched to the sea, a son who lived less than two years, a death at thirty-six. His parents outlived him—Bridget until 1897, Michael Sr. until 1886. His siblings carried on: Margaret until 1920, Ellen until 1886, Frank until 1908.

The 11th Ohio's monument stands at Antietam, marking the place where the regiment helped turn back Lee's first invasion of the North. Michael Reynolds may have stood there on that terrible September day, an Irish boy from Leitrim. Later marching with Sherman through Georgia, watching Atlanta burn, entering Savannah as liberators.

We cannot know if he was there for all these events. What we do know is that he served, that he survived the war, and that he died too young leaving behind a wife whose name we don't know, parents who buried their son, and a tiny grave marked with heartbreaking precision: one year, eight months, and fifteen days.

Service & Family Timeline

Date Event Detail

c. 1840 Birth Cloone, Mohill, Co. Leitrim

June 20, 1861 Enlistment 11th Ohio Infantry

Sept 17, 1862 Battle of Antietam Regimental Combat

1864 Atlanta Campaign Sherman's March to the Sea

Dec 16, 1872 Family Tragedy Death of son, Francis

Mar 27, 1877 Deceased Cincinnati, Ohio