Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/116

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

men. His last words on the field of battk were: "Go back! I would rather die than be whipped!" He died, May 12, i84, and a monument marks the place where he fell.

Taliaferro, Alexander Gait, born at "Churchill," Gloucester county, V'irginia, in September, 1808. He graduated Bachelor oi Arts at William and Mary College, and in 1832 graduated in law. In 1861 he was lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, in the state militia. He applied to Governor Letcher for orders, but was told that all militia offices were out of commission. He at once went to Harper's Ferry and took his place in the ranks in a company of minute-men from Culpeper county. A few days later he was given command of a squad of men from Baltimore, and with them he was assigned to Col. Ambrose P. Hill's regiment, but in a few days received from Governor Letcher a commission as lieutenant-colonel of in- fantry, and was assigned to the Twenty- third Virginia Regiment, of the "Stonewall" division. In the operations which followed, ht was wounded in the battle of Kernstown, and soon afterwards he was chosen colonel of his regiment. At the battle of McDowell, a second horse was killed under him ; at the first battle of Winchester his sword was torn away by a grapeshot, and at Port Re- public he was wounded in the shoulder, ren- dering him incapable of taking part in the battles about Richmond, and while invalid- ed at his home in Culpeper county, only escaped capture through the sagacity of his wife, who put the Federals upon a wrong scent. After the death of Gen. Winder. Col. Taliaferro was promoted to brigadier- general, and succeeded to the command of the lirigade, and he temporarily commanded

ilie "Stonewall" division. At the time of the surrender, he was post commander at Charlottesville. He now retired to his ejtate, "Ninondale," Culpeper county, where he died, June 29, 1884. He married, in 1836, Agnes Harwood, daughter of Thomas Mar- shall, of "Oakhill," Fauquier county, Vir- ginia.

Taliaferro, William Booth, son of Warner T. Taliaferro and Frances Booth, his wife, born at Belleville, Gloucester county, Vir- ginia, December 28, 1822. He attended Har- vard College, and was graduated from Wil- liam and Mary College in 1841. During the Mexican war he was captain in the Eleventh L'Uited States Infantry, was promoted to major, and in 1848 his regiment was dis- banded. He commanded the Virginia state forces at the time of the John Brown raid, and was later at Norfolk and Gloucester Point. As colonel of the Twenty-third Vir- ginia Regiment, he served in West Virginia, and in 1862 was made brigadier-general. In December he joined Jackson in the valley. cc>mmanding a brigade. He succeeded to the command of Jackson's division, and took part in the operations against Pope, and was wounded. He was in the battle of Freder- icksburg, and was subsequently given com- mand of the district of Savannah. In July. 1863, he commanded at Morris Island, and then on James Island. He subsequently commanded in East Florida, and afterwards in South Carolina. When Sherman came before Savannah, he guarded the route for Hardee's escape. In December he was given a division, and January i. 1865, was promoted to major-general. After the war, he returned home, and rendered good ser- vice to the cause of education, as president