Novemer 2024 Meeting Summary
The speaker at our dinner meeting on November 20th was Dr. Mitchell G. Klingenberg, an historian and assistant professor in the Department of Military History at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth KS. Previously, he served as a member of the faculty at the United States Military Academy at West Point and at the United States Army War College.
Dr. Klingenberg gave an excellent program titled: “Reynolds of Gettysburg: History, Legend, and Myth.” Attendance at the dinner meeting was 65.
Remembered for his last command at Gettysburg, Major General John Fulton Reynolds has endured in Civil War lore as a monumental figure. His death at the head of the Union First Corps on July 1, 1863, produced a legend that transcended an admirable career of U.S. Army service. An able tactician and a competent commander at corps, Reynolds was the proverbial cream of the old Army and US Army of the Potomac crop when Union forces checked Robert E. Lee’s Pennsylvania invasion in 1863. But the premature death of Reynolds, while a fixture of Gettysburg battle and campaign analysis, probably did little to alter the course of the battle, and even less to shape the strategic character and conduct of the war in the East.
Dr. Klingenberg said he became interested in General Reynolds from reading the book The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. In that book, Reynolds appears as a
mythical figure. Dr. Klingenberg said Reynolds was an able corps commander, courageous, etc. However, the memory of Reynolds is exaggerated. Excessive praise
was given to Reynolds after he died.
Reynolds was a competent brigade, division, and corps commander. He understood the nuances of campaigning. However, Reynolds never achieved ultimate success due to his untimely death. Reynolds was twice considered for command of the Army of the Potomac. Dr. Klingenberg said Reynolds probably would have remained a corps commander had he not been killed at Gettysburg and would not have replaced General George Meade. Meade was a better commander.
Dr. Klingenberg discussed Carl Von Clausewitz’s book On War that was published in 1832. Clausewitz was a Prussian army officer whose book addresses command, military genius, and the nature of war. Dr. Klingenberg covered the traits of a military genius. He said Reynolds displayed significant courage during the War with Mexico and during the Civil War at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg. However, Reynolds took unnecessary risks and got involved in lower-level issues. He could have shaped the Battle of Gettysburg better from behind rather than leading his troops. It was also said of Reynolds that he would do better carrying out plans rather than devising plans.
In Dr. Klingenberg’s opinion, only two Union generals achieved military genius during the Civil War: General U.S. Grant and General W.T. Sherman. It is possible that Reynolds could have produced a better outcome from the Overland Campaign of 1864-1865. However, even with the Union’s successful campaign, they were not able to end the war.
Honoring Our Members Who Are Veterans
During the November dinner meeting, the Civil War Round Table of Kansas City honored our members who are military veterans. President Gary Nevius and First Vice-President Deb Buckner handed out a certificate of appreciation and a lapel pin, indicating their branch of service, to each of our veterans who were present. Following the presentation, the veterans led our membersduring the Pledge of Allegiance. The following is a list of our veterans who were honored at the dinner meeting:
- Don Bates - Army
- William C. Buckner - Army
- Daniel B. Cudnik MD - Air Force
- Ken Ford - Army
- Dennis Garstang - Navy
- Paul Gault - Army
- Rev. David Holloway - Navy
- George D. Leff - Army
- Bob Macoubrie - Army
- Ford Maurer - Army
- Bruce L. Schall - Army
- Arnold Schofield - Army
- Gerald Smith - Marines
- Lane Smith - Army
- Daniel Turner - Army
The following veterans were not able to attend the dinner meeting:
- John Dillingham - Army
- Charles Heller - Army
- Jill Jaworski - Army Reserves
- Thomas Jones - Air Force
Thank you all for your service to our country and for your sacrifices in helping to protect our freedoms!
