Tuscola County MI Archives Biographies.....Taylor, Edward H. 1842 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 14, 2007, 7:04 pm Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) EDWARD H. TAYLOR, attorney-at-law in Vassar, was born in Lyth in the county of Westmoreland, on the historic banks of Lake Windemere, England, his natal day having been January 8, 1842. His parents, Thomas and Jane (Powley) Taylor, emigrated to America and located in the State of New York, when our subject was a lad of eight years. The father who was a farmer by occupation, owned property in England and after he crossed the broad Atlantic engaged as an agriculturalist in Ransomville, Niagara County, N. Y. However he was not spared to reap the fruits of his efforts in the New World, as he died soon after coming to America. In a family of nine children our subject was the seventh in order of birth. Three of the children came to the United States and one, a sister Jane, married Thomas Gollan, who died in August, 1863; they were the parents of John W. Gollan, of whom see sketch on another page of this volume. A brother of our subject, James, lives in Vassar, where he is engaged as a veterinary surgeon and pension agent. Edward H., of this sketch, was reared on the home farm, where he was engaged working during the summer seasons and attending the village school in winter. Before he became of age he enlisted in the great Civil War which was then being fiercely waged. The date of his enlistment was August 8, 1862, at which time he became a private in Company E, One Hundred Twenty-ninth New York Infantry, Col. Peter A. Porter commanding the regiment and Capt. J. W. Holmes the company. He was mustered into the United States service in the city of Lockport, N. Y., on August 22, 1862, and was made a corporal at that place. With his regiment our subject marched to Baltimore to relieve the Seventh New York National Guards at Ft. Federal Hill. During the closing months of 1862 at the beginning of 1863 he drilled in heavy and light artillery drill, and in December, 1862, was promoted to be Drill Sergeant. At the same time the regiment to which he belonged was transferred from the One Hundred Twenty-ninth to the Eighth New York Heavy Artillery. Two companies were added, making twelve in the regiment, which remained at Fts. Federal Hill, McHenry and Marshall in Baltimore until May 1864. At the time of the battle of Gettysburg the regiment was ordered to Maryland Heights where they mounted one hundred-pound Parrot guns. Thirty days after going there they returned to Baltimore and garrisoned at the above named forts. In May, 1864, the regiment was ordered to join Gen. Grant in the Army of the Potomac and became an integral part of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Second Army Corps, under Gen. Hancock, remaining as such until the close of the war. Mr. Taylor was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Company E, during the summer of 1864, and on the 1st of January of the following year he was made First Lieutenant. With his company he was present at the surrender of Lee at the Appomattox Courthouse and participated in many battles but fortunately escaped uninjured. From Appomattox Courthouse he marched with his regiment to Bailey's Cross Roads near Washington where he remained in camp until June, 1865. He participated in the Grand Review. By the order of the War Department he was transferred to the Tenth New York Infantry and placed in command of Company E, remaining in such until the regiment was mustered out at New York, in July, 1865. After returning to his home in Ransomville our subject was engaged in teaching school and in the meantime employed his leisure hours in studying law until April, 1872. Then with his family he removed to Vassar, Mich., where he has since resided. In May, 1873, he was admitted to practice at the bar of the courts of Michigan, and in the ensuing year he was admitted to practice before the United States courts at the city of Detroit. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of his profession and has worked up an enviable reputation as a skillful and pains-taking lawyer. His fitness for public positions has been recognized by his fellow-citizens who have elected him to various offices of trust and honor. For two years he was Circuit Court Commissioner and for the same length of time served efficiently as Prosecuting Attorney. The cause of education has always found a warm friend in Mr. Taylor and as Secretary of the School Board for nine years he contributed materially to the advancement of the standard of knowledge. He was also a member of the Village Council eight years. Socially he is identified with various organizations: the Knights of Honor, the Independent Order of Foresters and the Masonic Lodge No. 555 at Ransomville, N. Y. As might be expected he is thoroughly in sympathy with the principles of the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he served as Commander four terms in succession. Politically he is an active Democrat but not a strong partisan. On November 13,1861, Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Marguerittie J. Roberts a resident of Ransomville N. Y. Five children blessed this union, but two only survive. One son died in 1874 at the age of eight years, one daughter in 1874 at the age of two, and another when eleven years old in 1888. Edward J., the surviving son, was born in Ransomville, February 14, 1863, and attended school in Vassar. He is married and his family includes a a [sic] child two years old. Edward J. represents the Soapine Manufacturing Company of New York at Council Bluffs. The daughter, Luella S., was born in Ransomville, N. Y., and is now under the parental roof. The family of which our subject is a member is known in English history as being prominent in the Border warfare between Scotts and Saxons, and sustained their warlike reputation down to the time of Cromwell. The father of our subject, his grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather, were all only sons in their respective families. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of the Presidents of the United States Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/tuscola/bios/taylor509gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb