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General Quincy T. Harris is a minor, deceased character in Red Dead Redemption 2.

History[]

Background[]

Quincy T. Harris was born on June 18th, 1826. During the American Civil War, General Harris was a prominent leader on the side of the Confederacy.

He is rarely mentioned in 1899 by NPCs, although clues to his achievements and fame can be encountered in parts of Lemoyne and eastern New Hanover. The placement of the scant evidence surrounding him seems to serve as a commentary on the ambiguity of war, leadership, memory, and human nature generally, as he is a figure celebrated for great virtue on one hand and yet also a leader responsible for terrible atrocity on the other.

Troops under his command attacked Fort Brennand on May 8th, 1863. In 1864, Harris was present at Bolger Glade, where a massive battle between Union and Confederate troops occurred. It became known as the Battle of Scarlett Meadows, and though Confederates sustained heavy casualties, they were able to repel the Federal attack. Due to in part to his leadership at Bolger Glade, Harris was cemented as a local hero to the state of Lemoyne.

He died on April 9th, in 1888. Though he may have passed, his legacy continued on in all manner of ways, such as the building and dedication of the Quincy Harris Memorial Hall, a home for poor veterans.

Character[]

Personality[]

Quincy Harris is portrayed in the media as a local hero to Lemoyne for the repelling of a Federal attack at Bolger Glade. Enough to be commemorated via a statue in his honor. However, most people consider him to be a coward, especially the men under his command. His statue was vandalized with the insult, and a first person account by the supposed veteran father of a camper under his command stated he was a coward who sold out his men. He was such a bad and cowardly general, there were rumors circulating he was secretly a turncoat working for the union. Battlefield whispers heard at Bolger Glade have him repeatedly requesting his men to advance and attack instead of retreat to avoid casualties. While the battle was won, it was a Pyrrhic victory as his men suffered many casualties in opposition to the Union soldiers. Overall, Harris seems to be more of a coward than the media who reports on him lets on, and hated by people who know the truth about his leadership.

Appearance[]

His appearance is only shown through the illustration on a cigarette card and a statue of him in Saint Denis. Though, he looks to be quite dirty with brown hair and a Shenandoah beard. He wore the standard uniform of a Confederate General.

Quotes[]

All quotes are from the battlefield whispers that can be heard at Bolger Glade.

The men, they must attack. Tell the Major the men must attack.
General Harris giving orders to a subordinate.
My orders, sir, are quite clear. Tell the Major to attack or face a court martial.
Harris rejecting a Major's request to retreat.
Runner, I need a goddamn runner! Get me a goddamn runner! Take this note to Major Wilkinson. You're gonna attack at once. At once, goddammit!
Harris, asking for a runner
Higher ground? Nonsense! He is to attack within the hour.
General Harris on Major Smith's request to retreat to higher ground
I disagree. I need your men to hold their position. To the last man, if necessary. Is that clear?
General Harris telling Captain Fisher to rejoin his unit
Prepare my horse, soldier. We must escape before the Yankees cut off the roads.
No! This is... This is... We must move my command post back significantly. No one is to retreat! Is that clear?
General Harris' last orders before fleeing Bolger Glade

Trivia[]

  • Harris seems to be a composite stand-in for a number of prominent Confederate generals, including Robert E. Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard (who had direct ties to Louisiana), and Nathan Bedford Forrest.
  • The Saint Denis Times describes Harris as a courageous commander and says historians agree that he fought valiantly during the Battle of Scarlett Meadows in August 1864, but mentions that there were conflicting accounts of his actions that were quickly dismissed.[1] There are various hints through the game that hint at Harris as a stubborn, ignorant coward who pushed his men into an unwinnable battle all for his own personal glory[2], as well as abandoning them to die in Bolger Glade while he retreated to safety when the battle was all but lost.[3]
  • An equestrian statue of Harris, vandalized with the word "Coward," can be found outside Saint Denis City Hall. Statues of both Lee and Beauregard, which once stood for decades in New Orleans, likewise eventually became subject to vandalism and were removed following a 2015 city council vote.
  • Harris's statue, along with his grave in the Saint Denis Cemetery, show that he had the middle initial "T."
  • Harris is the only Confederate leader to appear in the Prominent Americans Card Set.
  • Much like many real-life Civil War memorials, the statue of Quincy on horseback in Saint Denis faces north, to symbolically "face" the Union states.
  • Notably, the Shenandoah style of facial hair he displays on his card image (full beard with no mustache) was not a popular one among American Civil War generals and was not worn during the war by virtually any prominent Confederate general.
  • During the Fundraiser stranger mission, Arthur Morgan can choose to make a donation for the expansion of Quincy Harris Memorial Hall in Saint Denis. If he does so, in 1907 the building will display a plaque that commemorates a list of donors, including Arthur.
  • A report by Union First Lieutenant Ronald Alger can be found among the ruins of Fort Brennand, describing the massacre that was occurring at the fort by troops commanded by Harris in May 1863 during the American Civil War.[4] Alger's document and the fort are references to the real-life Battle of Fort Pillow and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
  • If Madam Nazar spawns near Bolger Glade she states that Harris had "such soft hands." This further supports the General's reputation as a coward, in reference to him not getting his hands dirty during battle.
  • The player can encounter a man at a campsite, who states that his father served under Harris and told him that Harris was coward who sold out his men. The man also claims that his father told him that there are rumors that Harris was secretly working for the Union. [5]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Quincy Statue Defiled
  2. Letter to Martha from Garfield
  3. Ghostly details of the battle from Harris and his men can be overheard if the player travels to Bolger Glade at night, during a rainstorm.
  4. Civil War Report
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMkgKqNOTrY

Navigation[]

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