Anthony Taylor (Medal of Honor recipient)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Taylor was a Medal of Honor
Recipient in the American Civil War
.
Taylor entered service at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, in Company A, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry as a Private on August 22, 1862. He was promoted from Private to Sergeant, October 20, 1862; to 1st Sergeant, March 1, 1863; to 1st Lt., May 8, 1863. Shortly after enlisting, Taylor was in the Battle of Antietam. He then followed his regiment West to join the Army of the Cumberland at Nashville, where he participated in the Battle of Stones River
. After being commissioned First Lieutenant in 1863 he was in command of Company A. He served on the battlefield at Chickamauga
were he was in charge of the couriers at the headquarters of General William Rosecrans
. As a First Lieutenant, Taylor was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Chickamauga
, Georgia
, on September 20, 1863. Date of issue: December 4, 1893.
Taylor later took part in the Siege of Knoxville, and at Sevierville, Dandridge and the battle of Mossy Creek
. On March 13, 1865 he was detailed acting Aide-de-Camp on the staff of Brevet Brigadier General William J. Palmer. He participated in the long campaign and cavalry raid from Knoxville, through North Carolina
and Virginia
, and south through North
and South Carolina
, Georgia
and Alabama
. Anthony Taylor carried the dispatch from General Palmer that led to the capture of Jefferson Davis
, President of the Confederacy
. Commissioned Captain on June 1, 1865, Taylor was mustered out along with the regiment in June 21, 1865.
After leaving the Army, Taylor became actively involved in the coal business, working under the name of "Anthony Taylor and Company." He was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
. Taylor married Caroline Fletcher Johnson, daughter of Lawrence and Mary Winder Johnson, in Philadelphia on February 1, 1871. They were the parents of two children: Mary Lawrence Taylor, born January 5, 1872, and Elizabeth Elmslie Taylor, born September 23, 1893. Anthony Taylor died in Philadelphia on May 21, 1894. His wife died on December 19, 1919 in Devon, Pennsylvania. Both are interred in the churchyard of the Church of St. James the Less
in Philadelphia.
Rank and Organization:
First Lieutenant, Company A, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Place and date: At Chickamauga, Ga., September 20, 1863. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Born: October 11, 1837, Burlington, N.J. Date of issue: December 4, 1893.
Citation:
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
Recipient in 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...
.
Biography
Anthony Taylor was born in Burlington County, New Jersey on October 11, 1837, the son of Dr. Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Ash Jones. He was educated at the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia.Taylor entered service at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in Company A, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry as a Private on August 22, 1862. He was promoted from Private to Sergeant, October 20, 1862; to 1st Sergeant, March 1, 1863; to 1st Lt., May 8, 1863. Shortly after enlisting, Taylor was in the Battle of Antietam. He then followed his regiment West to join the Army of the Cumberland at Nashville, where he participated in the Battle of Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
. After being commissioned First Lieutenant in 1863 he was in command of Company A. He served on the battlefield at Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
were he was in charge of the couriers at the headquarters of General William Rosecrans
William Rosecrans
William Starke Rosecrans was an inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War...
. As a First Lieutenant, Taylor was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, on September 20, 1863. Date of issue: December 4, 1893.
Taylor later took part in the Siege of Knoxville, and at Sevierville, Dandridge and the battle of Mossy Creek
Battle of Mossy Creek
The Battle of Mossy Creek was a minor battle of the American Civil War, occurring on December 29, 1863, in Jefferson County, Tennessee.Union Brig. Gen. Samuel D...
. On March 13, 1865 he was detailed acting Aide-de-Camp on the staff of Brevet Brigadier General William J. Palmer. He participated in the long campaign and cavalry raid from Knoxville, through North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and south through North
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Anthony Taylor carried the dispatch from General Palmer that led to the capture of Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
, President of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. Commissioned Captain on June 1, 1865, Taylor was mustered out along with the regiment in June 21, 1865.
After leaving the Army, Taylor became actively involved in the coal business, working under the name of "Anthony Taylor and Company." He was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
. Taylor married Caroline Fletcher Johnson, daughter of Lawrence and Mary Winder Johnson, in Philadelphia on February 1, 1871. They were the parents of two children: Mary Lawrence Taylor, born January 5, 1872, and Elizabeth Elmslie Taylor, born September 23, 1893. Anthony Taylor died in Philadelphia on May 21, 1894. His wife died on December 19, 1919 in Devon, Pennsylvania. Both are interred in the churchyard of the Church of St. James the Less
Church of St. James the Less
The Church of St. James the Less is a historic Episcopal church building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was architecturally influential. As St...
in Philadelphia.
Medal of Honor citation
First Lieutenant, Company A, 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Place and date: At Chickamauga, Ga., September 20, 1863. Entered service at: Philadelphia, Pa. Born: October 11, 1837, Burlington, N.J. Date of issue: December 4, 1893.
Citation:
Held out to the last with a small force against the advance of superior numbers of the enemy.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of American Civil War Medal of Honor recipients: T–Z