The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-16

ence, luxury and social enjoyment of life on
1.-The coast The business of sugar planting
required rare combination for the best sue I
cess. The culture Of the cane approached
the nicely of garden work. sugar boiling |
was very neat branch Of manufacture, in
which techpicsl skill sought the highest aids /
of science; and the proper organization and |
care of the labor, the purchase of supplies |
and the sale of crops, required hrst rate bus
mess qualifications. Nevertheless en- well I
Administered plantation there was an oppor,
tunlty for both learned leisure and social
relaxation. Richard Taylor availed himself
of both. As leading citizen he took part
also in politics. and was in the State Senate
from 1856 to 1860. He was delegate to the
Charleston convention in 1850 and after
ward to that at Baltimore, and was q mem
Der of the Secession convention OF Louisiana
in 1860 81.
As member of the military committee
Taylor aided Governor Moore in organizing
the troops eff Louisiana for the contest He
was appointed colonel Of the Ninth regiment
of Louisiana volunteers Ia June, 1861, and
sent with them to Virginia The day he
got to Richmond he waited on the secretary
Of war and informed him that he had regi
ment thoroughly armed, equipped and
| ready to start?" asked the secretary. I'm
| Eve Minutes replied Taylor. The secre-
| tary promised to have transportation ready
!, for hin that night, but the men waited all
1
fore they got eff. Instead OF running
| through in eight hours they reached Man
assas Junction at dusk on that eventful day
on which the battle had been fought, His
regiment remained with that army, and in
! the autumn Taylor was promoted to be
brigadier. In the spring of 1862 he led his
brigade in the Valley campaign under
/ Stonewall Jackson, and won distinction at
Front Royal, Middletown, Winchester,
strasburg, Cross Keys and Port Republic:
General Jackson gave his brigade battery OF
artillery which they hsd captured as re-
! ward for Their gallantry, and recommended
Taylor for promotion. In the North Amer
i lean Review his "Reminiscences" of those
i transactions months ago prepared the way
/ for the more permanent work which he has
barely lived to complete.
| That he was not incapable of gentIer emo
| tons many such passages as this in his pic
i lures of the war abundantly prove: THE
great valley of Virginia was before us in all
its buty. Fields of wheat spread far and
wide, interspersed With woodlands bright in
their robes of tender green. Wherever ap
propriate sites existed, quaint old mills with
| turning wheels were busily grinding the
previous years harvest, and from grove and
eminence showed comfortable homesteads.
| The soft vernal influence she'd q languid
| grace over the scene. The theater OF war in
this region was from Staunton to the Pc.
tomac. 40 miles, with an average width of
some %. and the Blue Ridge and Allegheny
bounded it East and West. Drained by the
Shenandoah with It's numerous affiuents the
surface was nowhere flat, but succession OF
graceful swells occasionally rising into
abrupt hills. Resting on limestone, the soil
was productive, especially of wheat, and the
underlying rock furnished abundant
metal for the construction of roads. Ere
quent passes or gaps in the mountains
through which wagon roads had been CON
structed afforded easy access from east and
west and, as has been stated, pixies were ex-
cellent though unmetalied roads became
heavy after rain But the glory Of the val
ants OF this favored region were worthy of
Il their inheritance The North and South
were peopled by sclons of colonial families
and the proud names of the Old Dominion
abounded. In the central counties of Rock.
ingham and Shenandoah were many de-
scendants of Hessians captured at Trenton
and Princeton during the revolutionary era.
These we're thrifty substantial farmers, and
like their kinsmen of Pennsylvania, ex
pressed their opulence in huge barns and fat
cattle. The devotion of all to the Southern
cause was wonderful. jackson, valley man
by reason OF his residence at Lexington,
south of Staunton. was their hero and idol
The women sent husbands sons, loversto
battle as cheerfully as to marriage feasts.
No oppression, no destitution could abate
their zeal
When Jackson moved from the valley to
| join Lee In his attack on Mcclellan in the
seven days fight for Richmond, Taylor was
with him and shared in all his combats in
that momentous struggle. For his success
in the field he was promoted to the rank OF
major general and assigned to the command
of Louisiana, but owing to exposure in the
j field he suffered partial and temporary
paralysis Of the lower limbs and was unable
ior some weeks to assume his command. He
did so, how ever. in August, 1862. si-fl
/ When General Taylor arrived in Lousians
to arrange for its defense there was no army,
no arms, no munitions, no money. The
Federals held the Mississippi river and cut
off communication from the East, except
between Port Hudson and Nicksburg. Tay-
lor showed great ability in organizing and
supplying an army, and gradually won back
that part of the State west of the Mississippi
from the Federals. His success here was
brilliant and evinced great fertility OF re-
source and fine administrative ability as well
as the highest elements of field commander.
He gradually built up an army by small
accretions, equipplng it mainly by captures
from the opposing forces in numerous small
engagements, until he had reclaimed the
whole of Louisiana west of the Mississippi
when vicksburg fell, July, 1868. He was
then compelled 10 fall back west Of Der.
wick's Bay, but continued his organization
and added such strength to his army as to
maintain his threatening attitude towards
New Orleans and keep large Federal force
occupied"
General Taylor's most signal achievement
during the war was his defeat of General N.
P. Banks, near Mansfield De Soto parish, in
May. 1864. With 5000 men he attacked
Banks Federal army, said to have been
1000 strong. and routed him, capturing p
guns and large number of prisoners, with
baggage, munitions of war, ETC. He pursued
Banks, and again attacked him at Pleasant
Hill, strong position. Banks held on till
night, and retreated under cover o. the
darkness. Taylor then, under orders from
| General r.. X Smith who lad command nj
the Trans-Mississippi department marched
north to aid in repelling the column under
General Steele who was moving from Little
Rock to effect junction with Banks. Steele,
however, retired in time to eyade COLI
sion.
i In the summer of 1864 General Taylor was
promoted to the rank of lieutenant general,
The second grade In the Confederate army,