Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Richard Scott "Dick" Taylor (January 27, 1826 – April 12, 1879) was an American planter, politician, military historian, and
Confederate general. Following the outbreak of the
American Civil War, Taylor joined the
Confederate States Army, serving first as a brigade commander in
Virginia, and later as an army commander in the
Trans-Mississippi Theater. Taylor commanded the District of West Louisiana and was responsible for successfully opposing U.S. Federal Government troops invading upper northwest
Louisiana during the
Red River Campaign of 1864. He was the only son of
Zachary Taylor, the
12th president of the United States. After the war and Reconstruction, Taylor published a memoir about his experiences.
Early years
Richard Scott Taylor was born in 1826 at
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
, his family's plantation near
Louisville, Kentucky, to
Zachary Taylor, a lieutenant colonel in the
United States Army at the time, and
Margaret Mackall (Smith) Taylor. He was named after his paternal grandfather,
Richard Lee Taylor, a Virginian who had served in the
American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Richard Taylor, nicknamed ''Dick'', had five older sisters, two of whom died in childhood before he was born. Three lived to adulthood: Ann Mackall Taylor,
Sarah Knox Taylor
Sarah Knox "Knoxie" Taylor Davis (March 6, 1814 – September 15, 1835) was the daughter of the 12th U.S. President Zachary Taylor and part of the notable Lee Family. She met Jefferson Davis (1808–1889), when living with her father and family a ...
, and
Mary Elizabeth Taylor. The children spent much of their early lives on the American frontier, as their father was a career military officer and commanded frontier
forts. All the family lived with him at these posts. As a youth, Richard was sent to private schools in
Kentucky and
Massachusetts.
After starting college studies at
Harvard College in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Taylor completed them at
Yale in
New Haven, Connecticut, where he graduated in 1845. He was a member of
Skull and Bones, Yale's social club.
[ "This list is compiled from material from the Order of Skull and Bones membership books at Sterling Library, Yale University and other public records. The latest books available are the 1971 ''Living members'' and the 1973 ''Deceased Members'' books. The last year the members were published in the '']Yale Banner
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
'' is 1969." He received no scholastic honors, as he spent the majority of his time reading books on classical and military history.
In the beginning of the
Mexican–American War (1846–1848), Taylor visited his father at the Mexican town of
Matamoros in July 1846. Reportedly he volunteered to serve as his father's
aide-de-camp.
Having to leave the war because of
rheumatoid arthritis, the younger Taylor agreed to manage the family
cotton plantation in
Jefferson County, Mississippi. In 1850, he persuaded his father (then serving as 12th
President after being elected in 1848) to purchase ''Fashion'', a large
sugar cane plantation in
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Charles) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, its population was 52,549. The parish seat is Hahnville and the most populous community is Luling.
The parish wa ...
. After his father's sudden death in July 1850, Taylor inherited the sugar property.
On February 10, 1851, Richard Taylor married Louise Marie Myrthe Bringier (d. 1875), a native of
Louisiana and daughter of wealthy
French Creole matriarch Aglae Bringier and her husband. Steadily Taylor added acreage to the plantation and improved its
sugar works at considerable expense; he also expanded its
labor force to nearly 200 slaves. He became one of the wealthiest men in Louisiana for his holdings. The freeze of 1856 ruined his crop, forcing him into debt with a large
mortgage on the plantation. His mother-in-law Aglae Bringier financially aided Taylor and his wife.
In 1855, Taylor entered local politics. He was elected to the
Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Louisiane) is the upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana. All senators serve four-year terms and are assigned to multiple committees.
Composition
The Louisiana State Senate is compose ...
, in which he served until 1861. First affiliated with the
Whig Party, he shifted to the American (
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...
) Party, and finally joined the
Democratic Party. He was sent to the first Democratic Convention of 1860 in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, as a state delegate. There he witnessed the splintering of the Democrats. While in Charleston, he tried to work out a compromise between the two Democratic factions, but his attempts failed.
American Civil War
When the
American Civil War erupted, Taylor was asked by Confederate
General Braxton Bragg to assist him, as a civilian
aide-de-camp without pay, at
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...
. Bragg had known Taylor from before the war, and thought his knowledge of military history could help him to organize and train the Confederate forces. Taylor had been opposed to secession, but accepted the appointment.
While training recruits, Taylor received news that he was commissioned as a
colonel of the
9th Louisiana Infantry
The 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment or Louisiana Tigers was the common nickname for certain infantry troops from the state of Louisiana in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally applied to a specific company, th ...
. The members of the 9th Louisiana voted for Taylor because they thought that with Taylor's connections to
Confederate President
The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
, who was widower of his late sister Sarah, the unit would be sent out sooner and see battle more quickly. On July 20, he arrived in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
with his regiment and received orders from
LeRoy Pope Walker,
Confederate States Secretary of War, to board the train and move to Manassas to take part in the
First Battle of Manassas; the 9th Louisiana arrived at Manassas Junction hours after the battle was won by the Confederacy.
On October 21, 1861, Taylor was promoted to
brigadier general, commanding a Louisiana brigade under
Richard S. Ewell in the
Shenandoah Valley campaign led by
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
. During the Valley Campaign, Jackson used Taylor's brigade as an elite strike force that set a rapid marching pace and dealt swift flanking attacks. At the
Battle of Front Royal on May 23, the
First Battle of Winchester on May 25, and finally at the climactic
Battle of Port Republic on June 9, Taylor led the 9th Infantry in timely assaults against strong enemy positions.
His brigade consisted of various Louisiana regiments, as well as Major
Chatham Roberdeau Wheat's
"Louisiana Tiger" battalion. The undisciplined lot was known for its hard fighting on the battlefield, but also for its hard living outside. Taylor instilled discipline into the Tigers and, although Major Wheat did not agree with his methods, he came to respect Taylor.
Taylor subsequently traveled with the rest of Jackson's command to take part in the
Seven Days Battles around Richmond. Attacks of
rheumatoid arthritis left him crippled for days at a time and unable to command in battle. For instance, Taylor was unable to leave his camp and command his brigade around this time. He missed the
Battle of Gaines Mill, and Col. Isaac Seymour, commanding the brigade in his absence, was killed in action.
Taylor was promoted to the rank of
major general on July 28, 1862. He was the youngest major general in the Confederacy. When Taylor was promoted over three more senior commanders, they complained of favoritism. President Davis wrote them a letter that noted Taylor's leadership capabilities and promise, and said that Taylor had been recommended by General Jackson. He was ordered to
Opelousas, Louisiana, to conscript and enroll troops in the District of Western Louisiana, part of the Trans-Mississippi Department, west of the river.
The historian
John D. Winters
John David Winters (December 23, 1916 – December 9, 1997)John D. Winters obituary, '' Ruston Daily Leader'', December 10, 1997 was an American historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. He is known for his monograph ''T ...
wrote that Taylor was:
After his service as a recruit officer, Taylor was given command of the tiny District of West Louisiana. Governor
Thomas Overton Moore had insistently requested a capable and dedicated officer to assemble the state's defenses and to help counter Federal forays into the state.
Before Taylor returned to Louisiana, Federal forces in the area had raided throughout much of southern
Louisiana. During the spring of 1862, Union forces came upon Taylor's Fashion plantation and plundered it.
Taylor found the district almost completely devoid of troops and supplies. However, he did the best with these limited resources by securing two capable subordinates, veteran infantry commander
Jean-Jacques "Alfred" Mouton, and veteran cavalry commander
Thomas Green. These two commanders would prove crucial to Taylor's upcoming campaigns in the state.
During 1863, Taylor directed an effective series of clashes with
Union forces over control of lower Louisiana, most notably at
Battle of Fort Bisland and the
Battle of Irish Bend. These clashes were fought against
Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks for control of the
Bayou Teche region in southern
Louisiana and his ultimate objective of
Port Hudson. After Banks had successfully pushed Taylor's
Army of Western Louisiana
The Army of Western Louisiana was a part of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in all the major engagements during Union Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks' campaign to capture Port Hudson, Louisiana. For much of its ex ...
aside, Banks continued on his way to
Alexandria, Louisiana, before returning south to besiege Port Hudson. After these battles, Taylor formulated a plan to recapture
Bayou Teche, along with the city of
New Orleans, Louisiana, and to halt the
Siege of Port Hudson.
Operations to recapture New Orleans
Taylor's plan was to move down the
Bayou Teche, overcoming the lightly defended outposts and supply depots, and then capturing
New Orleans, which would cut off
Nathaniel P. Banks's army from their supplies. Although his plan met with approval from
Secretary of War James A. Seddon and President
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
, Taylor's immediate superior,
Edmund Kirby Smith, felt that operations on the Louisiana banks of the Mississippi across from Vicksburg would be the best strategy to halt the
Siege of Vicksburg. From
Alexandria, Louisiana, Taylor marched his army up to Richmond, Louisiana. There he was joined with Confederate Maj. Gen.
John G. Walker's Texas Division, who called themselves "
Walker's Greyhounds". Taylor ordered Walker's division to attack Federal troops at two locations on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi. The ensuing
Battle of Milliken's Bend and
Battle of Young's Point
The Battle of Milliken's Bend was fought on June 7, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army had placed the strategic Mississippi River city of Vicksburg, Mississipp ...
failed to accomplish the Confederate objectives. After initial success at Milliken's Bend, that engagement ended in failure after Federal gunboats began shelling the Confederate positions. Young's Point ended prematurely as well.
In response to Confederates summarily executing black U.S. soldiers, U.S. Army general
Ulysses S. Grant, wrote a letter to Taylor, urging the Confederates to treat captured black U.S. soldiers humanely and professionally and not murder them. Grant stated the official position of the U.S. government, that black U.S. soldiers were sworn military men and not insurrectionist slaves, as the Confederates asserted they were.
After the battles, Taylor marched his army, minus Walker's division, down to the Bayou Teche region. From there Taylor captured Brashear City (
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a small city in St. Mary and lower St. Martin parishes in the U.S. State of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census. Known for being “right in the middle of everywhere”, Morgan City is located 68 miles (109&nb ...
), which yielded tremendous amounts of supplies, materiel, and new weapons for his army. He moved within the outskirts of New Orleans, which was being held by a few green recruits under Brig. Gen.
William H. Emory. While Taylor was encamped on the outskirts and preparing for his attack against the city, he learned that
Port Hudson had fallen. He withdrew his forces all the way up Bayou Teche to avoid the risk of being captured.
Red River Campaign
In 1864, Taylor defeated Union General
Nathaniel P. Banks in the
Red River Campaign with a smaller force, commanding the Confederate forces in the
Battle of Mansfield and the
Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill occurred on April 9, 1864 and formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War when Union forces aimed to occupy the Louisiana state capital, Shreveport.
The battle was essentially a continuation ...
on April 8–9. He pursued Banks back to the Mississippi River and, for his efforts, received the thanks of the Confederate Congress. At these two battles, the two commanders whom Taylor had come to rely on:
Brigadier Generals
Alfred Mouton
Jean-Jacques-Alfred-Alexandre "Alfred" Mouton (February 18, 1829 – April 8, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. Although trained at West Point, he soon resigned his commission to become a civil engineer and then a ...
and
Thomas Green, were killed while leading their men into combat. On April 8, 1864, Taylor was promoted to
lieutenant general, despite having asked to be relieved because of his distrust of his superior in the campaign,
General Edmund Kirby Smith. The
Congress of the Confederate States issued a joint resolution, which officially thanked Taylor and his soldiers for their military service during the Red River Campaign.
Last days of the war
Taylor was given command of the
Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. After General
John Bell Hood's disastrous
campaign
Campaign or The Campaign may refer to:
Types of campaigns
* Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed
* Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme
* B ...
into
Tennessee and near destruction of his army at the
Battle of Franklin Battle of Franklin may refer to four battles of the American Civil War:
* Battle of Franklin (1864), a major battle fought November 30, 1864, at Franklin, Tennessee as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign
* Battle of Franklin (1863), a minor eng ...
, Taylor was briefly given command of the
Army of Tennessee, until most of its remnant was sent to contest
Sherman's march further north through the Carolinas from
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
.
[Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001, p. 523.] He surrendered his department at
Citronelle, Alabama, the third and last major Confederate force remaining east of the
Mississippi, to Union General
Edward Canby on May 4, 1865, almost a month after
Appomattox Courthouse and was paroled three days later.
[ The rest of his command was paroled on May 12, 1865, in Gainesville, Alabama. In his memoir "Destruction and Reconstruction," Taylor told of what happened as he surrendered his troops. General Canby, speaking in a thick German accent and wearing a Union uniform, informed him that now that the War had ended, Southerners would be instructed about "the true American principles." General Taylor responded that he was sorry that his grandfather, an officer in the revolution, and his father, president of the United States, had not passed on to him true American principles.
]
Military prowess
Taylor did not have any military experience until the Civil War broke out. However, most of Taylor's contemporaries, subordinates, and superiors spoke many times of his military prowess as he proved himself capable both in the field and in departmental command. Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan from 1867 to 1869. Before the war, Forrest amassed substantial wealt ...
commented about Taylor, "He's the biggest man in the lot. If we'd had more like him, we would have licked the Yankees long ago." Charles Erasmus Fenner
Charles Erasmus Fenner (February 14, 1834 – October 24, 1911) was a Louisiana lawyer who captained a battery in the American Civil War, and later served as a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from April 5, 1880, to September 1, 1893. Durin ...
, an officer in the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department and post-war Louisiana Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Louisiana (french: Cour suprême de Louisiane) is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orlea ...
justice, asserted that, "Dick Taylor was a born soldier. Probably no civilian of his time was more deeply versed in the annals of war, including the achievements and personal characteristics of all the great captains, the details and philosophies of their campaigns, and their strategic theories and practice."[Parrish, T. M]
''Richard Taylor, Soldier Prince of Dixie''
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1992.
Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and Richard S. Ewell frequently commented on their conversations with Taylor about military history, strategy and tactics. In particular, Ewell stated that he came away from his conversations with Taylor more knowledgeable, impressed with the amount of information Taylor possessed. It was Stonewall Jackson who recommended promoting Taylor to major general and putting him in command of Confederate forces in western Louisiana. Taylor was one of only three lieutenant generals in the Confederacy who did not graduate from West Point (the others being Forrest and Wade Hampton III).
In his 1879 memoir, Taylor modestly attributed his progress as commanding officer during the war to two habits:
Postbellum life
The war resulted in the destruction of Taylor's home, including his much prized library, and his sugar cane property and facilities. He moved his family to New Orleans at the end of the war and lived there until his wife died in 1875. He was president of The Boston Club 1868–1873. After his wife's death, he moved with their three daughters to Winchester, Virginia. From there he traveled regularly to see friends and colleagues in Washington, D.C. and New York City.
Taylor wrote a memoir, ''Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War'' (1879), which is considered one of the most creditable accounts of the Civil War. The historian T. Michael Parrish wrote that, "Taylor finally gave enhanced dignity to defeat and surrender."
Taylor continued to be active in Democratic Party politics. He interceded with President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
to gain the release of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis, then still held in Fortress Monroe; and was a leading political opponent of Northern Reconstruction policies. He died on April 12, 1879, of dropsy (edema related to congestive heart failure) in New York City. He was visiting his friend and political ally Samuel L. M. Barlow I
Samuel Latham Mitchill Barlow I (January 5, 1826July 10, 1889) was an American lawyer known for forming several legal partnerships, such as Bowdoin, Larocque & Barlow and Shipman, Barlow, Larocque. Barlow was also a major stakeholder in ''The Ne ...
, a former Louisiana State Senator. Taylor's body was returned to Louisiana for burial at Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans.
Family
Richard Taylor was the only son of Margaret Mackall Smith and President Zachary Taylor. His sister Sarah Knox Taylor
Sarah Knox "Knoxie" Taylor Davis (March 6, 1814 – September 15, 1835) was the daughter of the 12th U.S. President Zachary Taylor and part of the notable Lee Family. She met Jefferson Davis (1808–1889), when living with her father and family a ...
was the first wife of Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
, but died of illness in 1835, three months after their marriage. His sister Mary Elizabeth, who had married William Wallace Smith Bliss in 1848, served as her father's White House hostess. Although Taylor chose to serve the Confederacy, his uncle, Joseph Pannell Taylor
Joseph Pannell Taylor (May 4, 1796 – June 29, 1864) was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He was the younger brother of Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States.
Early life
...
, served in the Union Army as a Brigadier-General.
Richard and Marie (''née'' Bringier) Taylor had five children, two sons and three daughters: Louise, Elizabeth, Zachary, Richard, and Myrthe. Their two sons died of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects childr ...
during the war, losses that affected both parents deeply.
Legacy
*The Lt. General Richard Taylor Camp #1308, Sons of Confederate Veterans in Shreveport, Louisiana, is named for General Taylor; the camp was chartered in 1971.
*Jackson B. Davis
Jackson Beauregard Davis Sr. (March 27, 1918 – August 22, 2016) was an American lawyer and politician based in Shreveport, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Loui ...
, a former state senator from Shreveport
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...
, wrote a biographical article about Taylor that was published in 1941.[Davis, Jackson Beauregard. "The Life of Richard Taylor", ''Louisiana Historical Quarterly'', Volume 24 (January 1941), pp. 49-126.]
*A full-length biography, T. Michael Parrish's, ''Richard Taylor, Soldier Prince of Dixie'', was published in 1992.
Works
* Taylor, Richard
''Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War''
J.S. Sanders & Co., 2001 879 . First published 1879 by D. Appleton.
*
*
See also
* List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
Notes
References
* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
* Parrish, T. Michael. ''Richard Taylor, Soldier Prince of Dixie''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1992. .
* Prushankin, Jeffery S. ''A Crisis in Confederate Command: Edmund Kirby Smith, Richard Taylor and the Army of the Trans-Mississippi''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2005. .
* Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. .
* Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .
* Winters, John D. ''The Civil War in Louisiana''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963. .
External links
Richard Taylor
in the ''Handbook of Texas
The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA).
History
The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...
Online''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Richard (General)
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Confederate States Army lieutenant generals
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American people of English descent
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People of Louisiana in the American Civil War
Louisiana Tigers
Richard
Louisiana Whigs
19th-century American politicians
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