Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-04-19
Death of Gen. Richard Taylor
Sketch of EEls Life

Gen. Richard Taylor, of the late Con-
federatc army, and only son OF Presi-
dent Zachary Taylor, died of dropsy, on
Saturday morning last, at the residence
of his friend, Gen. S. L. NJ. Barlow, in
New York city. There were present at
his bedside at the time of bis death his
sister, Mrs Philip P. DandTiage, CT
Winchester, Va. land the members OF Grn.
Barlow's family. Richard Taylor was
born in New Orleans, January 26, 1926.
lie picked up French in Louisiana as
a mother tongue. At Fort Suelllng, in
Minnesota, missionary taught him
when six or seven years old, Tie only
white boy III a school Of halt breeds.
AS his father moved from post to post
along the frontier, from Baton Rouge
10 Jefferson barracks, and thence to
Fort Smelling, he accompanied him tn
I'll his nineteenth year, when his father
sent him to Edinburgh, " here he spent
three years. Leaving Scotland lie spent
a year in Paris. Returning to America
he received private tuition for two
years from Mr.. Brooks, of Lancaster,
Mass. and entered the junior class at
Yale in 1913. He graduated in lS45.
He wen. directly from college to his "a
theirs camp on the Mexican frontier, and
was attached to his person rs sort OF
military secretary or aide de-carup. lie
was present al the battles Of Pa!o Alto,
Resaca de Ia Palma, and Monterey. at
the conclusion of the war lie went to
Canada and England, where he was re
ceived with great distinction. lie resid-
cd on q cotton plantation belonging 10
his father in Jefferson county, Miss, un-
I'll ls49, when he moved to 2 sugar IS
tate in the parish OF St. Charles, about
twenty miles above New Oileans, where
he was living when the war broke ont,
In February, 1851. he married MyrLll
Bringier, a lady Of French extraction, o.
an Old and powerful Creole family, who
died in 1878, leaving him throe dauGh-
elst, who now reside in Winchester, Va,
and having lost four sons. lie was
DELEGATE to The Charleston convention in
1860, aud aftcrward to that at Ball
more, and was a member OF the seccs-
sion convention Of Louisiana in 1860 81.
In the spring of 1862 he led his brigade
in tire Valley campaign under Stone
wall jackson, and Won distinction at
Front Royal, MidAletown, Winchester,
Strasburg, Cross Keys and Port Repu5-
lie. Gen. Jackson gave his brigade q
battery Of artillery which they had esp
,ured rs a reward for their gallantFy,
and recommended Taylor for promotion.
When General Jackson mov,d from the
| Shenandoah Valley to JOIN Lee in his
attack On Mcclellan in the seven days
/ fight on Richmond, Gen. Taylcr was
with lin and shared in all his comhats
! in that momen,ous struggle. For hls
| success in the field he was promoted TO
the rank of major general and ASSIGNED
| 10 the command Of Louisiana. Gen.
Taylor's most sigma! achievement during
the war was his defeat Of Gen. n. L.
Banks, near Mansfield, De Soto parish,
! in Mav,lS64. With 10000 men he at-
tackled Bauks's Federal army, saij 70 be
10000 strong, and routed him, capinr-
! ing y guns and large number al prIso-
ners, with baggage, munitions OF wal, c,
In the summer Of l@G4 Gen. Taylor VAS
promoted TO the rank Of lieutenant gen
eral, the second grade il the Coniedcr-
ate army, and ordered to the command
! of ,hc department Of Alabama snd Mis-
sissippi. After Lees surrender at -Ap-