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Taylor, Richard 1826-1879

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 “StonewallJackson 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.

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