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Richard "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.
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- Early Life
- Marriage
- Secessionist
- Civil War
- Post-War Life and Death
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Richard Taylor was born on January 27, 1826, near Louisville, Kentucky, on his family’s plantation, “Springfield.” He was the youngest child and only son of General and later United States President Zachary Taylorand Margaret Mackall (Smith). Taylor was named after his paternal grandfather, Richard Lee Taylor, who served in the American Revolution....
On February 10, 1851, Taylor married seventeen-year-old, Louisiana native, Louise Marie Myrthe Bringier. Their marriage produced two sons and three daughters. Both sons died of scarlet fever during their youth, while Taylor was serving in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
Taylor became active in politics as a member of the Whig Party, and voters elected him to serve in the Louisiana state legislature from 1855 until 1861. When the Whig Party disintegrated, Taylor joined the American Party (also known as the Know-Nothing Party) and later, the Democratic Party. Taylor was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventi...
Confederate Officer
When the American Civil War began, Taylor initially went to Florida, where he helped his friend, General Braxton Bragg, train Confederate soldiers. He soon returned to Louisiana where the soldiers of the 9th Louisiana Infantry elected him as their colonel in July 1861. Taylor’s regiment headed off to fight in Virginia and arrived at Manassas on the night following the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run(July 21, 1861).
Brigadier General
On October 21, 1861, Confederate President Jefferson Daviscommissioned Taylor as a brigadier general in the Provisional Confederate Army. In the spring of 1862, Taylor commanded a Louisiana brigade under Major General Richard Ewell at the battles of Front Royal (May 23, 1862), First Winchester (May 25, 1862), and Port Republic (June 9, 1862) during Stonewall Jackson‘s Shenandoah Campaign. Taylor also took part in the Seven Days Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862) during the Peninsula Campaignin Vi...
Major General
On July 28, 1862, Davis promoted the thirty-six-year-old Taylor to major general, making him the youngest officer to hold that rank in the Confederate Army up to that time. Officials assigned Taylor to command the District of Western Louisiana in August 1862, serving under General Kirby Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department. In the spring of 1863, Taylor tried unsuccessfully to disrupt Major General Ulysses S. Grant‘s supply lines west of the Mississippi River during the Vicksb...
After the Civil War, Taylor moved to New Orleans. Union soldiers had destroyed and confiscated his plantation. Taylor divided his remaining years between Louisiana and Virginia, lobbying for the Democratic Party and against Reconstruction policies. He published his memoirs, titled Destruction and Reconstruction: Personal Experiences of the Late War...
Learn about the life and career of Richard Taylor, the son of President Zachary Taylor and a prominent Confederate general in the Civil War. Find out his achievements, battles, and surrender in the Eastern and Western theaters.
- Harry Searles
Learn about Richard Taylor, a Louisiana senator and a son of President Zachary Taylor, who became a Confederate general and fought in the Shenandoah Valley and Louisiana. He surrendered his army in 1865 and opposed northern Reconstruction.
Jan 10, 2018 · Learn about the life and career of Richard Taylor, the son of President Zachary Taylor and a Confederate general who fought in Virginia, Louisiana, and Texas. Explore his achievements, challenges, and legacy in the American Civil War.
Jan 1, 1996 · Learn about the life and career of Richard Taylor, the only son of President Zachary Taylor and a prominent Confederate commander in Louisiana. Find out how he fought in the Shenandoah Valley, defended his home state, and faced his brother-in-law Jefferson Davis.
Jan 12, 2024 · When the Civil War began, Richard Taylor helped General Braxton Bragg train Confederate soldiers in Florida. Richard Taylor was elected colonel of the 9th Louisiana Infantry in July 1861. Confederate President Jefferson Davis promoted Richard Taylor to Brigadier General on October 21, 1861.
Proving himself an able combat commander, he was promoted all the way to a lieutenant general. He served in Virginia, Mississippi and Louisiana, and is remembered for his victory over Major Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks at Mansfield , Louisiana and his successes in the Red River Campaign .
