Alexander W. Reynolds

Alexander Welch Reynolds
Alexander Welch Reynolds
Nickname(s)	Gauley
Born	April 1816 or August 1817 Frederick County, Virginia
Died	May 26, 1876 (aged 59–60) Alexandria, Egypt
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America  Egypt
Service/branch	United States Army  Confederate States Army Egyptian Army
Years of service	1838–55, 1858–61 (USA) 1861–65 (CSA) 1870–76 (Egypt)
Rank	Captain (USA) Brigadier General (CSA) Colonel (Egypt)
Unit	1st U.S. Infantry
Commands held	50th Virginia Infantry Reynold's Brigade
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War American Civil War Vicksburg Campaign Chattanooga Campaign Atlanta Campaign

Mexican–American War
American Civil War

Alexander Welch Reynolds (April 1816 or August 1817 – May 26, 1876) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican-American War and a Confederate Army brigadier general during the American Civil War, primarily fighting in the Western Theater. After the conflict he served as a staff officer in the Egyptian Army.

Alexander W. Reynolds was born in either 1816 or 1817 in Frederick County, Virginia. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1833, and graduated five years later, standing 35th out of 45 cadets. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Infantry on July 1, 1838. Reynolds was promoted to first lieutenant on June 11, 1839, and was the 1st's Regimental Adjutant from October 19 to March 1, 1840.

During the Mexican–American War, Reynolds was a captain in the U.S. Army, serving as the Army's assistant Quartermaster beginning August 4, 1847. He was at this rank on March 15, 1848, when he vacated his line commission. Reynolds was dismissed from the U.S. Army on October 8, 1855, following the disappearance of $126,307 USD from Reynolds' office in Santa Fe, where he was stationed. At the time of his dismissal he held multiple quartermaster positions, through which he was engaging in double billing, over billing and theft of government funds. Reynolds also owned full or partial interest in two sawmills, two gold mines, four ranches, two homes, three hotels and multiple town lots. However, three years later, with help from his political connections, he had himself restored to the service at his previous rank of captain as of March 29, 1858.