Military officer; born in
New Orleans, La., Jan. 27, 1826; son of
President Zachary Taylor; graduated at Yale College in 1845; and entered the
Mexican War with his father.
In 1861 he became colonel of the 9th Louisiana Volunteers in the
Confederate service, and was in the
battle of Bull Run.
In October he was made a brigadier-general; served under “
Stonewall”
Jackson in
Virginia; was promoted to major-general; and in 1863-64 served under
E. Kirby Smith in the trans-Mississippi Department, opposing
Banks in his
Red River expedition.
When
Banks left
Alexandria, on the
Red River, and marched to the siege of Port Hudson General Taylor, whom he had driven into the wilds of
western Louisiana, returned, occupied that abandoned city and
Opelousas, and garrisoned
Fort De Russy.
Then he swept vigorously over the country in the direction of the
Mississippi River and New Orleans.
With a part of his command he captured
Brashear City (June 24, 1863), with an immense amount of public property and the small-arms of 4,000 National troops.
By this movement about 5,000 refugee negroes were remanded into slavery.
Another portion of the
Confederates, under
General Greene, operating in the vicinity of
Donaldsonville, on the
Mississippi, was driven out of that district.
New Orleans was then garrisoned by only about 700 men, when a way was opened for
Taylor to
Algiers, opposite; but the
Confederate leader was unable to cross the
Mississippi, for
Farragut's vessels were patrolling its waters and guarding the city.
When
Banks's forces were released by the surrender of
Port Huron (July 9) they proceeded to expel
Taylor and his forces from the country eastward of the
Atchafalaya.
This was the last struggle of
Taylor to gain a foothold on the
Mississippi.
Afterwards he was in command at
Mobile, and on May 4, 1865, surrendered to
General Canby.
He died in New York City, April 12, 1879.
