After becoming a
midshipman in 1755 Reynolds passed the
lieutenant's examination on 27 April 1758 and assumed the rank on the next day at the age of 19; he was promoted to
master and commander on 21 November 1760. On 12 October 1777, General
William Howe issued orders to capture the two newly constructed American forts,
Fort Mifflin and
Fort Mercer, which were preventing the Royal Navy from resupplying British occupational troops in Philadelphia by way of the
Delaware River. British shore batteries established on the Pennsylvania side of the river opened fire on Fort Mifflin, while Colonel
Carl von Donop, commanding approximately 2,000
Hessian troops, landed on the New Jersey shore and attacked Fort Mercer. At this time the British navy was advancing up river to lend support to von Donop by bombarding both forts. As von Donop's men assaulted Fort Mercer, Reynolds' advanced Delaware River squadron proceeded up river via the eastern or main channel with the intention of bombarding Fort Mifflin. At the same time Reynolds' fleet were to engage the American galleys harboring off Red Bank in order to draw them away from supporting the Hessian attack on Fort Mercer, however, there was no way for Reynolds' fleet and von Donop's land forces to communicate and coordinate their efforts, which proved ineffectual. Hazelwood's ships immediately engaged Reynolds' squadron, forcing it to withdraw down river. With the river tidewater now receding, Reynolds' ship, along with
HMS Merlin grounded and stuck fast in a sand bar during an effort to go around the
cheval de frise placed in the river, leaving the
Augusta tilted at its starboard side. While being engaged by Hazelwood's fleet Reynolds had the crew remove stores of supplies in an effort to lighten its load and free the vessel, but the attempt was futile as more time was needed as a fire broke out below deck and quickly spread, forcing Reynolds and his crew to abandon ship. Shortly thereafter, just past noon, before all of the crew could escape, the fire reached the powder magazine and the
Augusta exploded, killing some of the crew members.
Augusta blew up with such great force it was heard 30 miles (48 km) away in
Trappe, Pennsylvania. Before leaving the scene, Reynolds had
Merlin set on fire to prevent its capture by the Americans. The loss of the
Augusta was unexpected and unsettling to the British. After scuttling
Merlin Reynolds made his way to the New Jersey shore to a road just south of
Billingsport. Accounts of the explosion vary between the belligerents and among the commanding officer and crew. During their testimony at the inquiry Reynolds or none of the crew could say what actually caused the fire. No one could recall anything that would cause such a fire to break out on the decks or below. Only Midshipman Reid speculated that the fire originated from the cannon wads. Richard Howe seemed to accept this explanation as very likely when he wrote in his diary that "by some Accident, no other way connected with the circumstances of the action but as it was probably caused by the Wads from her guns, the ship took fire abaft". American historian
James Fenimore Cooper, in his
History of the Navy of the United States, maintains that
Augusta had her stores of supplies lightened before embarking on her mission and that the fire originated in some pressed hay which had been packed into the hull to render the vessel more resistant to shot. Other American accounts generally maintain that it was their fire rafts that caused the fire. Record of any preparation for coordination of the land attack with naval support between Reynolds and von Donop are inconclusive. There was no possible way for the two distant commanders to communicate with each other during the siege. From the beginning it seemed that Reynolds had no way of knowing at what time von Donop would commence his assault. As nightfall approached it would have been reasonable for Reynolds to assume that von Donop's attack might not begin until the next morning. Given the delayed activity of the ships' progress trying to bypass the river obstacles by Billingsport, the order to proceed up river, when it finally came, while anticipated, still caught the squadron somewhat unprepared. In the
action of 4 February 1781 Reynolds' squadron engaged
Mars, forcing her to strike her colours and surrender after
Schout-bij-nacht Willem Krul was killed. On 29 April, serving under Admiral
Samuel Hood, Reynolds, still in command of
Monarch, was present at the
Battle of Fort Royal. On 26 January 1782, Reynolds, commander of HMS
Monarch, was present at the
Battle of Saint Kitts. On 1 April 1779, Reynolds departed Portsmouth with
Jupiter and within a few hours came upon and assisted the British sloop HMS
Delight, bearing 14 guns, commanded by Admiral John Leigh Douglas, while he was in the process of capturing the French privateer
Jean Bart. Reynolds took custody of the prize and carried her into
Plymouth so that the sloop could proceed on her Admiralty orders, and he then left the
Devonshire port on 4 April to sail in the
Bay of Biscay and observe the activities of the French fleet. Reynolds was commissioned as
captain of a company of the
British Volunteer Corps'
Gloucestershire Volunteers on 22 August 1803. He died in 1808. ==Later life==