Hallo Sam, I'm Dead

[Andy Cardinal]

The Latin Library
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Major General Jesse L. Reno was a promising commander who was killed late during the fighting at Fox's Gap on September 14, 1862. He was possibly hit by friendly fire.

Reno was born in Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) on April 20, 1823. His family moved to Franklin, Pennsylvania, in 1830, and he entered West Point in 1842. Reno became close friends with Thomas Jackson while at West Point. Another friend was George McClellan.

He served with distinction during the Mexican War and was severely wounded at Chapultepec. Following the war, he became an original member of the Aztec Club.

During the Civil War, he led a brigade during Burnside's expedition to North Carolina in the spring of 1862 and a division at Second Bull Run. During the Maryland Campaign he led the 9th Corps after Burnside took command of McClellan's right wing.

Reno was struck by a bullet to the chest. He slumped in his saddle and then was helped from his horse. A nearby officer recalled that the general "seemed pale but perfectly composed. No one of us spoke. We bore our beloved commander silently, slowly, tenderly ... although conscious that he was mortally wounded, I did not hear him utter a word or a groan as we were carrying him off the field."

As Reno was being carried to the rear, he called out to division commander and another West Point friend Samuel Sturgis, "Hallo Sam, Im dead." Sturgis replied, "No, no. Not as bad as that I hope." Reno responded, "Yes, yes. It is all up with me. I am dead. Goodbye." He died a few minutes later.

In his report of the battle, D. H. Hill expressed satisfaction that the "renegade Virginian" had been killed.

The 9th Corps went into battle at Antietam yelling, "Remember Reno!"

 

[Coonewah Creek]

Major General Jesse L. Reno was a promising commander who was killed late during the fighting at Fox's Gap on September 14, 1862. He was possibly hit by friendly fire.

IIRC, and I don't have my notes in front of me, but wasn't it the 35th MA Infantry that perhaps fired the fatal shot? I've also heard it could have come from a unit of Hood's Division that was conducting a counterattack down the Wood Road at the time. My great-grandfather's unit, the 2nd Mississippi was in Law's Brigade (mostly deployed on the left side of the Wood Road) on the right side of Law's line joining with Wofford's Texas Brigade on the right side of the Wood Road. Hood had ordered his division to conduct a bayonet charge to drive back Reno's men.

 

[Andy Cardinal]

IIRC, and I don't have my notes in front of me, but wasn't it the 35th MA Infantry that perhaps fired the fatal shot? I've also heard it could have come from a unit of Hood's Division that was conducting a counterattack down the Wood Road at the time. My great-grandfather's unit, the 2nd Mississippi was in Law's Brigade (mostly deployed on the left side of the Wood Road) on the right side of Law's line joining with Wofford's Texas Brigade on the right side of the Wood Road. Hood had ordered his division to conduct a bayonet charge to drive back Reno's men.

Yes I believe you are correct. The fighting for Fox's Gap was more or less winding down when Reno was killed. Here is a Civil War Trust map -- Reno was killed after the action shown:

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Here is a description of Reno (quoted in Hoptak's The Battle of South Mountain):

"In person, General Reno was of middle stature, stout, well-knit, and compact in frame. His forehead was high and broad, his face wore a genial expression, his eye beamed upon his friends with rare and quick intelligence, or, kindled in the excitement of conflict, flashed out in brave defiance of the foe. He had a magnetic kind of enthusiasm, and, when leading on his men, he seemed to inspire his followers, and make them irresistible in action."

 

[luinrina]

Reno's monument at Fox's Gap:

 

[Andy Cardinal]

IIRC, and I don't have my notes in front of me, but wasn't it the 35th MA Infantry that perhaps fired the fatal shot? I've also heard it could have come from a unit of Hood's Division that was conducting a counterattack down the Wood Road at the time. My great-grandfather's unit, the 2nd Mississippi was in Law's Brigade (mostly deployed on the left side of the Wood Road) on the right side of Law's line joining with Wofford's Texas Brigade on the right side of the Wood Road. Hood had ordered his division to conduct a bayonet charge to drive back Reno's men.

I just went back and checked out Carman -- he believes either the 35th Massachusetts or 9th New Hampshire fired the shot that killed Reno.

 

[dhh712]

In his report of the battle, D. H. Hill expressed satisfaction that the "renegade Virginian" had been killed.

Yeah, I remember reading about that. I didn't think that was very nice of D.H. to say that! If I could, I'd go back there with my hands on my hips, and looking at him sternly say, "You know better than to talk like that, Daniel Harvey Hill." He needed a good old thumping to remember his manners!


I thought I remember there being a bio about Jesse Reno and was wanting to pick it up one of these days. I'll have to go and search for it again. He seemed like another one of those interesting, lesser-known people I love to read about.

 

[Pollaco]

Was Reno's name originally Renault?

 

[Andy Cardinal]

Was Reno's name originally Renault?

I think his ancestors were Renault, but not Reno himself.

 

[Cavalier]

Does anyone know the exact quote by Hill or a source for it? I have been trying to find it but have had no luck.

 

[Carronade]

Reno's last words remind me of Mercutio's in Romeo and Juliet, after being run through in a sword fight:

Romeo: "Courage, man, the hurt cannot be much."

Mercutio: "No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve."

 

[Andy Cardinal]

Does anyone know the exact quote by Hill or a source for it? I have been trying to find it but have had no luck.

I believe in his report if i remember correctly

 

[FarawayFriend]

Does anyone know the exact quote by Hill or a source for it? I have been trying to find it but have had no luck.

I believe in his report if i remember correctly

Here it is:

Antietam: BGen D. H. Hill's Official Report

antietam.aotw.org

 

[Pollaco]

Hill called Reno a Renegade Virginian that was killed by a "Happy shot from the 23rd North Carolina".

 

[Cavalier]

@Andy Cardinal @ FarawayFriend @Polloco I have not yet learned how to pull up and navigate around the Official Records on my kindle. Thank you all very much!

 

[Andy Cardinal]

An interesting what if, what if Reno had not been killed? How would Antietam have been different. By all accounts I have seen, Reno was Burnside's right-hand man. One staff officer called Reno Burnside's "directing genius." Part of Burnside's difficulties at Antietam may have due to the fact that Reno was not there.

Writing in 1876, Delos Sackett of McClellan's staff called Reno's death a "serious misfortune." "Had not that chivalric soldier fallen at South Mountain, Antietam certainly would have been in its results a very different affair. It would have been one of the most, if not the most, complete and important battles of the war." [McClellan's Own Story, 610] Another staff officer said, "Oh, for one hour of Reno" instead of a whole day of Burnside.

 

[rpkennedy]

An interesting what if, what if Reno had not been killed? How would Antietam have been different. By all accounts I have seen, Reno was Burnside's right-hand man. One staff officer called Reno Burnside's directing genius." Part of Burnside's difficulties at Antietam may have due to the fact that Reno was not there.

Writing in 1876, Delos Sackett of McClellan's staff called Reno's death a "serious misfortune." "Had not that chivalric soldier fallen at South Mountain, Antietam certainly would have been in its results a very different affair. It would have been one of the most, if not the most, complete and important battles of the war." [McClellan's Own Story, 610] Another staff officer said, "Oh, for one hour of Reno" instead of a whole day of Burnside.

Jesse Reno certainly would not have tiptoed around the bridge, that's for sure.

Ryan