Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-10-27
CAT Ain AYLOR DEAD
He Was Very Well Known
:. in Morrison
County !.

i +" -
- County ... u
Cartain Oscar Taylor, for years "a
familiar figure at sessions of the dis
trict court in Little Falls, died Tues
day, Oct. 18th, at the Soldiers Home
at Leaven worth, Kansas. The St.
Cloud Times gave the following
obituary notice: - r:E 81.
With Captain Taylor death occurs
the passing of one Of the most noted
men of pioneer DAYS in this part of
the state. At different times in the
early sixriss he was in the employ of
the Unlteo States government as a
mail carrier, as a soldier. and as a
/ surveyor, and later served the state
in the legislature and vas for several
! terms county attorney of Stearns
county. Then for more than twenty
years he practisad law in this city
and was known throughout the state
as one Of the most brilliant, capab BILE
NJ EN- bers ct the profs ssion.
Oscar Taylor. as nearly as can be
ascertained, was born~~in Franconia.
county Of Grafton, Ne Hampshire.
in the year 1887. As to his exact
age at the time Of death, the records
dc not agree. Some authorities give
it as 68 and his army record as 70. In
the latter ffties, while yet in his
teens, be moved west.
He was an active partici pant in the
Indian troubles Of the early sixties
and made record for himself as d
| soldier. When altaiu Ambrose Free
man, father cf D e.. Fl eeman, Ct St.
Cloud, on Aug. "a, 1869, organized
FIR. eman's company Of Mounted Ran
gers for the purpose of affording relief
to the garrison At FO1t Abercromh HE,
Dakota, Oscar TAylcr 1T once enrolled
with the company and was appointed
first lieutenant. HIS company took
part IN nun Der Of engagements v itn
the Indians near Fort Abercrombie.
This was in August, 1862. On the
23d of that month word was received
at the fcrt that body Of 500 Indians
were coming from Red Lake to effect
its capture. AS soon as the news was
received Captain Van der Horck, tine
Ctficer in charge, sent out couriers to
the settlements to spread warning
of the impending danger. Happily,
nearly Ill the surrounding people
gaiE ed The fort before the enemy ar
rived. A mail coach that left the fort
on the 22nd fell into the hands Of tie
Indians and the driver was killed. A
runner was DISPATCHED to St. Cloud at
the, same time, asking for relief ana
it was then that Capt. Freeman s
Mounted Rangers organized. They
proceeded to FL. A bercrcmbie at once
and arrived t1ere a foitDieht after
leaving st. Cloud The Indians at
tackled the fort on Sept. 9th, and Oh
Sept, Goth, fired upon Capt. Freeman S
company whila the men were water
ing their horses ia the river. The red
men were pursued and routed. how
ever. Freemans Rangers disbanded
on Oct. l4th, with Fort Alb rcrom bic
saved from the Indians
The Sioux Indian war, which broke
<; out in August. 1862, cacssd an urgent
necessity for cavalry for the purpose
of repclIing the Indians. TIE merci
les savage foe had per, etrated, whole
sale maesacres all along tie frontier
and many lives had been sacrificed.
Within a week of the disarmament of
Cat. Freemans company, Lieutenant
Oscar Taylor organized Company D OF
the First Regiment Of Moun ted Ran
gers, with 100 men in. all, himself CAP
tain, Ambrose Freeman and John g.
Raymond as first lieutenants, and
Richard Potter IS second lieutenant.
1t included many st. Cloud men,
among then John Schaefer, John
Coates and Andrew Fritz. This was
Oct. %, 1862: Captsin Taylor served
continuously in the Sioux Indian war
until Nov. 4, 1868, when his com
pany disbanded. The savages had
then been whipped irto submission.
: At the close CT his military service
Capt. Taylor returned to st. Clio nd
to reside.
He served this district as a membe,
Of the house in the legislative session
Captain Taylor was admitted to the
Minnesota Bar before coming to St.
Cloud. Soon after his arrival here he
met and after married Miss Caroline
e. Wright. whose parents were then
residing in this city. A son, Edward,
who survives with the mother. was
born to- them tere. He resumed his
law practice following the Indian
campaign. In 1880 he was elected
county attorney of Stearns county, but
was defeated for reelection by ID. B.
Searle. now judge of the district
cOnrt. He ran for the same Office
again, however, In 1885, served two
years, and was defeated for reelection
by John D. Sullivan, who was. how.
}, ever, unable to qualify. and Mr.. Tay.
Tor served out the term.
From 1879 till 1881. Mr.. TAYLOR was
associated with D. T. Calhoun. in the
practice of law. and later with M. 10.
Taylor and afterwards with Geo. ".
Stewart: His residence continued here
until the nineties Fl ht years aqo
he was stricken with paral7tic
trouble, and from that time till his
death, was practically helpless and m.
! able to walk. He was taken to Cali.
fornia for some years and later to
steyenville.- Ment., where he was ten.
derby cared for by an ever raithfnl and
loving wife. Last spring It Vas ne.
cided to remove him to Fort Leaven-
worth. Kan. to the Soldiers Home.
where he might be near his son, The
latter is practictng law in KanssaCitv.
L He Pnm0ine6