Alfred Reynolds – Rear Admiral, United States Navy

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Alfred Reynolds was born 7 September 1853 in Hampton, Virginia, the son of Major General Joseph Jones Reynolds, United States Army, and Mary E. (Bainbridge) Reynolds. He married Louise S. Norton, 28 April 1880. He married again to Sarah Josephine LeCand, 4 October 1921. He made his home in Gulfsport, Mississippi. He died in the United States Naval Hospital, Washington, D.C., 9 September 1937.

Reynolds received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy from Indiana, 22 September 1869, and graduated in the class of 1873. He was promoted to Lieutenant, 9 November 1886; Lieutenant Commander, 3 March 1899; Commander, 2 December 1902; Captain, 1 July 1907; Rear Admiral, 13 July 1911; and was placed on the retired list, 7 September 1915.

He served at sea throughout much of his career. He was a Member, and then as President, Naval Examining and Retiring Board, December 1912-September 1915; commander, Naval Reservation and Training Station, Gulfsport, Mississippi, July 1917-December 1919. He died in 1935 and was buried in Section 4 of Arlington National Cemetery. His wife, Louise Norton (1856-1919) is buried with him.

Bainbridge Reynolds, Midshipman, United States Navy. The son of Alfred Reynolds. He attended the United States Naval Academy, 1910-1912. He was born in 1891 and died in 1917. He is buried with his parents in Section 4.

ADMIRAL REYNOLDS DIES IN HOSPITAL

  • Retired in 1915 After Serving 42 Years In Navy
  • Returned to Duty in World War
  • Made An Ensign in 1874
  • Spent Three Years Under Dewey
  • Commanded the Pacific Reserve Fleet, 1912-13

WASHINGTON, September 10, 1936 – Rear Admiral Alfred Reynolds died yesterday at the Naval Hospital.  His age was 83.  Admiral Reynolds, in retirement at Gulfport, Mississippi, since the World War, had been ill three months.

A long and distinguished career in the American Navy ended when Rear Admiral Alfred Reynolds retired.  He served in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Campaign and in the World War.

He was the son and grandson of Army officers, but preferred the Navy. His father was Major General Joseph J. Reynolds and his grandfather was Captain William P. Bainbridge.

Admiral Reynolds was born in Hampton, Virginia.  He entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1869 at the age of16 and was graduated in 1873.

Commissioned an Ensign in 1874, he served for three years on the Pacific on the screw ship Narragansett under the command of Admiral George Dewey.

He commanded an expedition to Seoul, Korea, to protect the United States Minister and foreigners and later, during the Spanish-American War, commanded the Massasoit. He was also on duty in the Bureau of Equipment in that war.  He was assigned in 1899 to the Nashville and later participated in the campaign in the Philippines.  He also took part in the fighting in the Boxer Rebellion.

He served as Ordnance Officer of the Navy Yard at League Island, Philadelphia, in 1902-05, commanded the Nevadan 1905-07 and attended the Naval War College, Newport, in 1907.

Admiral Reynolds commanded the receiving ship Franklin in 1907-08 and the Montana in 1908-09.  He saved as Governor of the Naval Home, Philadelphia, in 1911-12. In 1912-13 he commanded the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

In 1912 President Taft appointed him to accompany the Secretary of State as the American Naval Representative to the funeral of the Emperor of Japan. From 1913 to 1915 he served as President of the Naval Examining and Retiring Boards.  He retired in 1915 because of age, having been a Rear Admiral since 1911.

With the United States at war with Germany, Admiral Reynolds returned to active duty in 1917.  He established a training station at Gulfport, Mississippi, and commanded the Naval Reservation there before returning to civilian life in 1919.

He was twice married, i9n 1880 to Miss Louise S. Norton and in 1921 to Miss Sarah Josephine Le Cand.

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