The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-22
GEORGE ". conDoN. pnIcADlEn.oENnn,I


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Brown his check for 81, 200. Tho lieu
tenant made Very pretty little speech,
closed by saving. "s,r the company
shall be called Tine Taylor Grays, in
honor OF your lberality and patriotism.
and we are going to march straight
into Washington and send you a lock
or Abraham Llncolns hair" Mr. Tay-
Tor said. Look out Lieutenant. that his
hireiings do not get your scaips before
this fuss is ended
In that company were two lawyers.
two graduates OF the V. NJ. l.. two
practicIng physicians. two preachers,
two school teachers. merchants, me
chanics. farmers and schooiboys-oniy
six married men III the company--by
far the majority were bcardless boys
In their teens
On tho I'd OF May. 81, the company
was mustered In tho service Of the
Confederate States as the Taylor
Grays. Major Tomlin's Battalion a.
The last OF July the company got
ita new tailor made uniforms. with cnps.
gi"cn BY Mr. Taylor. Tic patriotic
women Of the county went down 10
West Point and presented The company
with a very handsome state fling and
gave tho boys Il ,sumptuous feast; such
a barbecue never was seen and never
will he seen again.
After n full day of cnjoyncn, ,hc
women left in tears. the mothers
weeping because they had no more
sons 10 offer to the county; young girls
weeping because they wore not boys
TO go TO the front 20 battle for consti-
tutlonai liberty.
The battalion had Very comfortable
quarters in front OF the old Grove
Hotel. where it stayed six months do
ing guard duty and drilling four hours
every day. with battalion dress parade
every Sunday. restless fearing tho war
would close before II got ~ chance 10
fight. On the first sunday in October
the battalion was transferred to York
town, in boats and marges. AS il pass
ed in review before General j. Il. Ma
gruder. he said. Major Tomlin, that is
the best drilled and hest dressed
battalion ever saw outside OF the
military institute. but much of that
Will rub OFF"
The list OF November the Taylor
Grnys were presented with overcoats
given by the patriotic women of the
county, headed b. Miss Arianna Burke
and Miss sophy Pcmberton, each head
ing the list with 800
The company stayed on the ponin
sula four months, doing picket duty,
hfinS at Gunboats, the rising down tina
York and the invisible. but noisy
enemy The h:st real fight was March.
'6a, In the Dismal Swamp.
In April '62, the battalion was re-
organized. and the Taylor Grays" mus
tered as Company d. Fifty-third VIZ
Einia Infantry. After that the company
smclt burnt powder and tasted war IN
earnest. with a visible enemy In Skin
mishes and picket firing in that Sec
tion, engaged in tho Seven Days nEh,
around Richmond. Cold tInrbor. charge
at Malvern liill. July J. Last III the
month participated in the capture OF
The fun brigade of the enemy below
Drewcry's Bluff August 60. ali-dny
light Mt Lee Springs. in Fauqnicr coun-
ty 3lst. second battle Of Manassas:
September ID. capture Harper's Ferry:
18th, Sharpsburg that fail several
brushes In tho Valley: December Is
nll-day fight at fredericksburg; Feb
ruary. c.. fight at Newbcrne. n. G.:
April. fight on the weldon Railroad
then on To Gettysburg. where tho COM
pany sustained heavy losses. That fail
fight in November on the Orange Plank
Road; December II. second battle OF
fredericksburg: May. '6i. big nght
near Hewlett House: later ut Hanover
Courthouse. Ashland. .Iohnsons store
Pototimoi Creek. Second cold IIarhor:
June drove back raiding party from
High Bridge: June 20 put in trenches
in from; Of Bermuda Hundred. where
the company stayed nine months. Thin
ly clad, on half nations and scarcity
of water April at Five Forks. then
on the Retreat. dghtinS very day and
retreating every night. On the 9Th,
big fight at Saylor's Creek and Fishers
Mill whero tho little remnant Of
Picketts Division was almost annlhi.
lated: then on TO Appomattox, whore
there were but TWO OF the TAYLOR
Grays lcft--Corporal Tom Redd and
Private William H. Turpin Az thcrc
was no organized company, no COM
missioned officer. these two decided not
to surrender. bnt tried To get TO Cen
eral Joe johnson. Before thcv could
get into North Caroline hrson eur
rendered After resting IN days In
Tittsylvanin county, they turned their
faces homewnrd, crossed the Pumunkev
River Al Hanover Town, April Is. Those
two ragged veterans separatcd--Rcdd
to his home. three miles: Turpn. to
his. eight miles further on--havinE been
hound together by tics OF frondship.
strengthened by four years or SUI
fcrine and hnrdships. never to no
broken, but made stronger and stronger
as tho years roll by
This sketch liz respectfully dcdica ted
by Ex-Corporal Tom Ecdl and En-