General Quincy Harris is a minor, unseen character in Red Dead Redemption 2.
History
Background
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. But 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 in May 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 local hero to the state of Lemoyne.
By 1899, not much is known about Harris, but it can be inferred that by then he is deceased. 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.
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. Statues of both Lee and Beauregard once stood for decades in New Orleans until a 2015 city council vote called for their removal.
- Harris is the only Confederate leader to appear in the Prominent Americans Card Set. Notably, the style of facial hair he displays on his card image (full beard with no mustache) was not a popular one among Civil War generals and was not used during the war by virtually any prominent Confederate general (at least not in any photograph).
- 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.
- The Saint Denis Times describes Harris as a courageous commander and goes into some detail about his valiant performance during the Battle of Scarlett Meadows.
- A report by deceased Union 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 April 1863 during the Civil War. The document and the fort are references to the real-life Battle of Fort Pillow and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. More than any other single item in the game, this document makes a direct connection between Harris and a historical person.