George W. Taylor (general)
Encyclopedia
George William Taylor (November 22, 1808 – August 31, 1862) was a general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He commanded a brigade
in the Army of the Potomac
before being mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run
in Northern Virginia
.
, which was the home to five generations of the Taylor family. He was the son of Arch Taylor, a prominent local businessman. Taylor graduated from a private military academy in Middletown, Connecticut
. George W Taylor joined his fathers company as an ironworker with Taylor Iron Works. Taylor Iron Works/Taylor Wharton is the oldest foundry in US History and the 13th longest continually operating company in the world history (Economist 2004)
In 1827, Taylor joined the United States Navy
as a midshipman, serving aboard the USS Fairfield
during her Mediterranean deployment from 1828-1831. When the ship returned to the U.S., he resigned from the Navy and entered his family's mercantile business With the outbreak of the war with Mexico in 1846, he became a captain in the 10th U.S. Infantry under Zachary Taylor
. While in Mexico, he developed a reputation for discipline and order among his men. He also cultivated a strong friendship with Philip Kearny
, a fellow future Civil War general.
After receiving his honorable discharge with the end of the hostilities, Taylor joined the California Gold Rush
and spent three years mining at Corte Madera, California
, (near San Francisco) before returning to New Jersey, where he engaged in the manufacturing of iron until the Civil War erupted in early 1861.
in May 1861 and was appointed by Governor Olden as the new regiment
's first colonel
. His son, Archibald II, served as his aide-de-camp
. Taylor was involved in the fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run
. Later, his 3rd New Jersey was brigaded with the 1st
, 2nd, and 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry to make up what became famed as the "First New Jersey Brigade
". Taylor's regiment served in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the VI Corps
, in numerous battles in the Seven Days Battles
during the end of the Peninsula Campaign
.
When his mentor and friend Kearny was elevated to division
command in June 1862, Taylor was promoted to brigadier general
(date of rank May 9, 1862) of the 1st New Jersey Brigade, leading it in the Northern Virginia Campaign
in August 1862. He was mortally wounded on August 27, 1862 (the day before the Second Battle of Bull Run
), while defending a bridge over Cub Run on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad when an artillery shell exploded near him and hurled him into the air. Badly injured in the left leg, he was transported to a hospital in Alexandria, Virginia
, where he died on August 31.
His body was transported to Clinton, New Jersey
, via train, where hundreds of people turned out for his funeral. He was buried there in Riverside Cemetery (also known as Clinton Presbyterian Churchyard). A year later, his nephew was killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville
and buried beside him.
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He commanded a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
before being mortally wounded at the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
.
Early life and career
Taylor was born at "Solitude," the family's mansion near High Bridge, New JerseyHigh Bridge, New Jersey
High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 3,648.-History:...
, which was the home to five generations of the Taylor family. He was the son of Arch Taylor, a prominent local businessman. Taylor graduated from a private military academy in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
. George W Taylor joined his fathers company as an ironworker with Taylor Iron Works. Taylor Iron Works/Taylor Wharton is the oldest foundry in US History and the 13th longest continually operating company in the world history (Economist 2004)
In 1827, Taylor joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a midshipman, serving aboard the USS Fairfield
USS Fairfield (1828)
The first USS Fairfield was a sloop-of-war in the United States Navy. Fairfield was launched 28 June 1828 by New York Navy Yard; and first put to sea 20 August 1828, Commander Foxhall A. Parker in command....
during her Mediterranean deployment from 1828-1831. When the ship returned to the U.S., he resigned from the Navy and entered his family's mercantile business With the outbreak of the war with Mexico in 1846, he became a captain in the 10th U.S. Infantry under Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
. While in Mexico, he developed a reputation for discipline and order among his men. He also cultivated a strong friendship with Philip Kearny
Philip Kearny
Philip Kearny, Jr., was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly.-Early life and career:...
, a fellow future Civil War general.
After receiving his honorable discharge with the end of the hostilities, Taylor joined the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and spent three years mining at Corte Madera, California
Corte Madera, California
Corte Madera is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Corte Madera is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 39 feet . The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census...
, (near San Francisco) before returning to New Jersey, where he engaged in the manufacturing of iron until the Civil War erupted in early 1861.
Civil War service
Taylor helped recruit and organize what became the 3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
The 3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was an American Civil War Union Army regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac....
in May 1861 and was appointed by Governor Olden as the new regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
's first colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
. His son, Archibald II, served as his aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
. Taylor was involved in the fighting at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
. Later, his 3rd New Jersey was brigaded with the 1st
1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
The 1st New Jersey Volunteer Infantry was an American Civil War Union Army regiment of infantry from New Jersey that served in the Army of the Potomac....
, 2nd, and 4th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry to make up what became famed as the "First New Jersey Brigade
First New Jersey Brigade
The First New Jersey Brigade is the common name for an American Civil War brigade of New Jersey infantry regiments in the Union Army of the Potomac...
". Taylor's regiment served in the 1st Brigade, 1st Division of the VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)
The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Formation:The corps was organized as the Sixth Provisional Corps on May 18, 1862, by uniting Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin's Division, which had just arrived on the Virginia Peninsula, with Maj. Gen. William F. Smith's...
, in numerous battles in the Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, away from...
during the end of the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
.
When his mentor and friend Kearny was elevated to division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
command in June 1862, Taylor was promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
(date of rank May 9, 1862) of the 1st New Jersey Brigade, leading it in the Northern Virginia Campaign
Northern Virginia Campaign
The Northern Virginia Campaign, also known as the Second Bull Run Campaign or Second Manassas Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during August and September 1862 in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E...
in August 1862. He was mortally wounded on August 27, 1862 (the day before the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
), while defending a bridge over Cub Run on the Orange & Alexandria Railroad when an artillery shell exploded near him and hurled him into the air. Badly injured in the left leg, he was transported to a hospital in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, where he died on August 31.
His body was transported to Clinton, New Jersey
Clinton, New Jersey
Clinton is a Town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey on the South Branch of the Raritan River. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,719....
, via train, where hundreds of people turned out for his funeral. He was buried there in Riverside Cemetery (also known as Clinton Presbyterian Churchyard). A year later, his nephew was killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
and buried beside him.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals