TAYLOR, (Capt.) John M., Holmes County, MS., then Acadia Parish, Louisiana
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Submitted for the LA GenWeb Archives by Mike Miller, Nov. 1998
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CAPT. JOHN M. TAYLOR, CHURCH POINT.--The subject of our sketch was born
October 31, 1840, in Holmes county, Mississippi.  He is the son of Job Taylor,
an eminent physician of Richland, Mississippi, and Mathilda (Cotton) Taylor. 
Dr. Job Taylor was a native of South Carolina, and his wife of North Carolina. 
They were married in North Carolina, and removed from there to Alabama, where
they only remained, however, a short while, locating in Mississippi, where the
Doctor engaged in planting and practising [sic] his profession.  There were
born to them nine children, six sons and three daughters.  Mrs. Taylor died in
1874, and her husband in 1885.  At the time of their death they were residing
at Longview, Texas, where they had removed several years previous.

The subject of this sketch enlisted in the C. S. A. in 1861.  His field of
operation was chiefly in Virginia.  He participated in the battles of Second
Manassas, Seven Pines and various others.  In 1863 he was discharged on
account of disability.  He returned to Texas, remaining there only a short
time, however, when he enlisted again in the army, joining the First Texas
Rangers, under Col. W. P. Lane.  At this time he was second lieutenant of the
company, and was soon afterward promoted to captain and assigned to post duty
the last six months of the war in Opelousas, Louisiana.  After the war he
engaged in the practice of law at Opelousas and subsequently became a school
teacher, in which occupation he still continues in connection with farming. 
He is a respondent of the Times-Democrat, Opelousas Courier and the Crowley
Signal.  He has acquired considerable local distinction as a writer.  He was
married in January, 1865, to Miss Delia Garrigues, daughter of Judge Adolphe
and Delia (Webb) Garrigues.  To them have been born nine children, four sons
and five daughters, viz.:  George G., printer in the Signal office at Crowley; 
Delia, a public school teacher in Acadia parish;  John M.,  Helen,  Liso, 
Henry,  Paul,  Cecelia and  Mary L.  Their mother died in 1887, near
Opelousas.  She was a member of the Catholic church.  The Captain owns
thirty-two acres of land in the vicinity of Opelousas.  He is a member of the
Episcopal church.  During Gov. Nicholls' first administration he was elected
Superintendent of Instruction of St. Landry; Acadia at that time not being a
parish.  He has taken an active part in the improvement of the public school
system in the State by the contribution of many articles to the parochial
newspapers, urging an efficient school system and the establishment of a
liberal and ample school fund.  He will continue his labors in behalf of
popular education in the future and endeavor to place the school system on a
solid basis in Acadia parish.

Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, p. 273. 
Edited by William Henry Perrin.  Published in 1891, by The Gulf Publishing
Company.

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