William Cooper Talley (December 11, 1831 – October 20, 1903) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

for Delaware County from 1874 to 1877. He served as a colonel in the Union Army during the

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, fought in many of the key battles of the war and was promoted to brigadier general by

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

in 1865.

Early life and education

Talley was born in

Brandywine Hundred, Delaware Brandywine Hundred (also known as North Wilmington) is an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. It is located to the north and northeast of the city of Wilmington. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the ...

, to Reverend Lewis S. and Priscilla (Clark) Talley. He attended the Forwood School and graduated from Professor Sudley's Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1853.

American Civil War

When the civil war broke out, Talley sold his newspaper and organized a company mainly from Delaware County, Pennsylvania known as the Rockdale Rifle Guards. The company became Company F of the

1st Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment The 1st Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment, also known as the 30th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, was a regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was a part of the famed Pennsylvania Reserve division in the Army of the Potomac f ...

and was mustered in to the Union Army in 1861 with Talley as captain. At the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, Talley was given command of his regiment by General Warren, the Corps Commander. At the Battle of Spotsylvania, he commanded the 1st Brigade of the 5th Corps and was taken prisoner of war. After being captured, he was brought to General

Richard S. Ewell Richard Stoddert Ewell (February 8, 1817 – January 25, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee ...

's headquarters where Ewell offered to parole him but Talley declined. Talley and 700 captured Union soldier were freed the next day by the cavalry troops commanded by General Philip Sheridan. Talley received his Colonel's commission on November 2, 1862. He was mustered out on June 13, 1864. By recommendation of General

Samuel W. Crawford Samuel Wylie Crawford (November 8, 1829 – November 3, 1892) was a United States Army surgeon and a Union general in the American Civil War. He served as a surgeon at Fort Sumter, South Carolina during the confederate bombardment in 1861. ...

, Talley was promoted to brigadier general by

in 1865 for gallant and meritorious action at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and other engagements.

Career

Talley was the co-publisher of the ''Upland Union'' newspaper in Media, Pennsylvania, and publisher of the ''Delaware County Democrat'' newspaper in Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1876, Talley sold his interest in the ''Delaware County Democrat'' and became the owner of the ''National Democrat'' newspaper in

Norristown, Pennsylvania Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 7 ...

. He worked as the deputy collector and then collector for the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

for the Seventh District of Pennsylvania. Talley was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County for the 1874, 1875 and 1876 terms. He served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and as a member of the Centennial Committee. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1877. From 1877 to 1903, he worked as a proofer for the

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Inde ...

in the United States Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.

Personal life

Talley was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Post Wilde No. 25 in Chester, Pennsylvania. Talley is interred at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

References

External links