David Richard Reynolds First Lieutenant Company D, 9th Texas Infantry Maxey's Brigade

 

David Richard Reynolds, the seventh child and fourth son of Henry and Mary (Brown) Reynolds was born on October 17, 1838 in what is now known as Flat Creek, Bedford County, Tennessee. Shortly after David's birth he removed with his family to Sand Mountain in Jackson County, Alabama, where he grew to manhood. 

We know that David Richard was educated in public school and by September 10, 1860 He was living with a C.N. Garrett and his wife M.A. Garrett in Titus County, Texas where he listed his age as 22 and his occupation as a teacher. 

On October 5th 1861, shortly after the war of Northern Aggression broke out, D.R. Reynolds joined the Confederate Army at Daingerfield, then Titus County, Texas. He enlisted as a Private in Company "D", 9th Texas Infantry, Maxey's Regiment. According to letters and his journal we know that they marched from Daingerfield to Camp Rusk, in Lamar County, Texas where they were organized and trained. 

Shortly after the organization, measles and pneumonia broke out in the regiment. Due to the sickness and the poor quality of the water at Camp Rusk, Lamar County, Colonel Maxey had to move the 9th Texas to Camp Benjamin, in Fannin County, about 26 miles distant. On January 1, 1862, the regiment took up the line of march to Memphis. 

D. R.'s first battle of the war took place on Apr 6th and 7th, 1862, when the 9th Infantry was engaged in the Battle of Shiloh, TN. It was on the 10th of July 1862 that the 9th Texas Infantry found themselves without a 2nd Lieutenant, and David Richard was promoted from Private to 2nd Lieutenant by the "vote" of the men in his unit. During the three years of the war, David Richard found himself moving all over the south, You can see the complete timeline of the 9th Texas Infantry here! He along with other members of the 9th Texas Infantry fought in many small scrimmages as well as the Battles of Perryville, KY, Murfreesboro, TN, Jackson, MS, Chickamauga, GA, Atlanta, GA, Allatoona, GA, Nashville, TN, and Spanish Fort, AL. 

David Richard Reynolds along with what remained of the 9th Texas Infantry, surrendered with the rest of Ector's Brigade at Meridian, Mississippi on May 4, and was paroled on May 11, 1865, under the command of Major James McReynolds. There were just 8 officers and 79 men-a small fraction of the 1,018 men who had served with the 9th at one time or another. I'm not sure of the date of promotion but his parole papers have him listed as a First Lieutenant. 

After the war David Richard returned to Cookville, Titus County, Texas, where he set upon starting a farm and family. David's first marriage was to Judith Elizabeth "Babe" Holder the daughter of John Holder. They were married on June 8, 1865 in Titus County, Texas. There were four children born to this marriage. Mary Ellen, born in October 1866 in Cookville, Titus County, Texas, who went on to marry her cousin James David Dukes; Henry Presley Reynolds born on September 20, 1869; John Arthur Reynolds who was born in either 1868 or 1869 and is buried in Oklahoma. I believe that John went on to become a Doctor; and Nancy Lundy Bell who was born in 1874. Judith Elizabeth "Babe" Holder was born on April 10, 1845 and died on February 4, 1879. She is buried in the Concord Cemetery in Morris County, Texas, next to David Richard. 

David Richard next married Frances Melvina "Callie" Coffman on May 13, 1879 in Cookville, Titus County, Texas. Callie was born in January of either 1861 or 1862, she died after January 27, 1917 in Pomona, California. 

D.R. and Callie had a total of seven children: Josephine Anna, born May 20, 1880; Dosia E., born August 1882 and married P.E. Johnson on October 5, 1902 in Morris County, Texas; William Lafayett born April 24, 1884; Ada Jerusia born on March 28, 1886 and married a Barrier; Albert Obee born on July 19, 1889; Rosa Ethel born in July 1891 and married Francis Eugene Gallagher on May 7, 1911 in El Paso and their last child Roy Richard who was born on June 12, 1899. All of these children were born in Cookville, Titus County, Texas. 

After the war was over, David Richard Reynolds served the town of Cookville, Texas as a teacher, a banker, a store owner, the Editor and Proprietor of the Cookville Banner Newspaper, and the Post Master of the Cookville, Post Office. I know that many of the land deeds and transfers in Titus County were witnessed by D.R., who was a Notary Public. There are also a number of land transactions that deals with "Reynolds Mortgage Company", so perhaps David Richard had his own bank for a time in Titus County. 

D.R. Reynolds died on October 17, 1901 on his Sixty Third Birthday. He is buried next to his first wife Babe, in the Concord Cemetery in Morris County, Texas.