Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-04-26
Death of General Richard Taylor
Sketch of His Life.

Gen. Richard Taylor. Of the late Confederate
army. and cnly son Of President Zschary Tsy-
lor died uf dropsy. on Saturiay-mornine last,
a, the residence of his friend. Gen. 5. l.. NJ.
Barlow. IL New York city. There were pres
cat NJ his bedside at th, iime-of his death his
sister. Mrs. Philip 2. Dandridse, of Winches-
ter, Va, and the members OF Gen Barlow's
family. Richard Taylor was born 10 New
Orleans. January 26,s 1926. lie picked up
French in Louisiana as uother tongue. ~
Fort Smelling, in Minnesota, a missionary
taught him when six or seven years old, the
only white boy in school of hali-hreeds.-
hs his father moved from post TO pot along
the frontier, from Baton Bouge 10 Jefferson
Barracks. and thence to For. Smelling, he
accompanied him until his nineteenth year,
when his father sent him to Edinburgh where
he spent three years. Leaving Scotland he
spent a wear in Paris. Returning 10 America
he received private tuition for two years from
Mr. Brooks Of Lancaster, Mass, aud entered
the iurior class at Yale IN ls43. He was
eradnated in 1915 lie went directly from
college to his father ; camp on the Mexican
frontier. and was attached TO his person as u
sort of military secretary or aiJe-de-camp.-
He WIS present at the battles Of Palo Alto,
Resaca de la Palma and Monterey At the
conclusion of the war he went 10 Canada and
ENGLAND, where he was received with great
distinction. lie resided on cotton plantation
beIonoing 10 his father Ia Jefferson county,
Miss, until lsl9, when he moved to sugar
estate in the perish Of ST. Charles. about 20
miles above New Orleans, where he was living
when the war broke out Ia February, 1851.
ne married Myrlhi Briuger, lady OF French
extraction. OF an old aud powerful Creole
family. who died in 1915, leaving him three
daughters. who now reside 10 Winchester, Va
and having lost four sous He.was delegate
4, the Charleston convention in 1860. aud
afterwar,l. 10 that at Baltimore, aud was
member of the secession convention Of LOUISE
ana in lSG0-6l In the spring Of 1862 be led
his brigade IN the Valley campaign under
Stonewall Jackson, aud won distinction at
Front Royal, Middlcsown, Winchester, Ssras-
burg. Cross Keys aud Port Republic. Geo.
jackson gave his brigade battery Of artillery
which they mad captured as reward Of theis
qaIlantry and recommended Taylor Gr promo
tiop When Gen. Jackson moved from tho
Shenandoah Valley TO join Lee in lis attack on
Mcclellan in the seven days fight for Rich
mond Gen. TAYLOR was with him aud shared
in All his cont bats in that momeutous struggle.
For his success in the held he was promoted 10
the rank OF major. general aud assigned TO tho
command Of louisiana Gen. Tsylor's most
signal achievement during the war was his
defeat of Gen. y. F. Banks. near Mans6eld;
De Soto parish, IN May, 1864. With 10000
men be attacked Banks Federal army, said 20
be 40 600 strong, and routed him, capturing
! % guns aud large number Of prisoners, with
baggage, munitions Of war, &c. 10 the sum
mer OF 1864 Gen Taylor was promoted TO the
rank OF .lieutenant-eenera. the second grade
in the Confederate army, and ordered 10 th5
Command Of the department Of Alabama and
/ Mississippi. After Lees snrrend'r at Appo-
mattox and Gen. J. Il Jobnston's capisulation
nothing remained FOR Gen Taylor but to fol-
low their example. For several years after
the wal Gen. Taylor resided ia New Orleans,
and the Legislature of Louisiana gave him
charge of some important public works 10 that
State. In 1873 he was induced 10 80 abroad
on business OF importance, and passed con-
sid rIble time in England. where he made
himself favmite He was honored with tho
election as a member Of tho Turf Club iu 1913
and again 10 1874. With the Prince Of Wales
/ he was on the most cordial terms. Until
/ within the last fortnight no immediate danger
was positively apprehended by his friends, and
! Gen. Taylor was able 10 supervise the passage
through the press Of a very striking and char
acteristic work on the history Of the late civil
war, cnttled Destruction and Reconstruction.