Richard Lee Taylor (April 3, 1744 – January 19, 1829) was an officer in the Continental Army in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

. He was the father of

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...

, the 12th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

, and

Joseph Pannell Taylor Joseph Pannell Taylor (May 4, 1796 – June 29, 1864) was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He was the younger brother of Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States. Early life ...

, who served as a general in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

Early life

Taylor was born in

Orange County, Virginia Orange County is a county (United States), county located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was ...

in 1744 to Zachary Taylor and Elizabeth Lee. He was a graduate of the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William ...

. In 1769 he explored the Ohio River and

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

with his older brother, Hancock Taylor, travelling from

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

began, Taylor became a 2nd lieutenant in the Virginia Continental forces on February 12, 1775, and fought in the battles of White Plains, Trenton, Brandywine, and

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...

. He was discharged as a lieutenant colonel on September 12, 1781. Taylor was also involved with the Valley Forge Campaign. In the Fall of 1777 Thomas Shoemaker's Gwynedd township house was first plundered by Washington's army, then occupied by Taylor and other officers who kept the foragers away. The troops commandeered livestock and hay for the army. The troops did not even leave a milk cow for the family with small children and when they bought a new one it was taken too. However, this was stopped by Capt. Richard Taylor, Capt. William Cunningham and Capt. Francis Taylor (all from Virginia and part of Greene's Corp). They had the prime offender arrested on 24 October 1777, and made him run the gauntlet after which the families in the neighborhood were no longer bothered. Richard Taylor told Thomas Shoemaker, he had "been in nine battles and would be in ninety-nine more before the British gained the day." Thomas Shoemaker's land was the southwest corner of the intersection of present-day North Wales Rd. and Welsh Rd, just outside Lansdale Pa. (currently owned by Tom and Wendy Tracy) During the

Northwest Indian War The Northwest Indian War (1786–1795), also known by other names, was an armed conflict for control of the Northwest Territory fought between the United States and a united group of Native American nations known today as the Northwester ...

, Taylor served as a volunteer in the Kentucky militia under Major

John Adair John Adair (January 9, 1757 – May 19, 1840) was an American pioneer, slave trader, soldier, and politician. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. A native of South Carolina, Ada ...

. He was injured in a disastrous 1792 battle with Indians under

Little Turtle Little Turtle ( mia, Mihšihkinaahkwa) (1747 July 14, 1812) was a Sagamore (chief) of the Miami people, who became one of the most famous Native American military leaders. Historian Wiley Sword calls him "perhaps the most capable Indian leade ...

near Fort St. Clair, site of the present Eaton, Ohio. After the war, Taylor became an Original Member of the Virginia

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...

Personal life

Taylor married Sarah Dabney Strother in 1779. They lived first at his plantation, "Hare Forest". However, he had acquired throughout Kentucky, and with the return of peace in 1783, he started clearing the land to move his family there. They did so in 1785. Beginning in June, 1792, following the constitutional convention that made Kentucky a state, Col. Taylor built his first brick home on acreage east of Louisville purchased from Isaac Shelby. He sold that house on Dec. 1, 1795 to George Rudy. He then built a second brick house, known today as "Springfield" or the Zachary Taylor House.Kleber pg.868. Richard Taylor Grave

By 1800, Taylor had enlarged "Springfield" to by 1800. He remained active for the remainder of his life in Kentucky politics. He donated for the creation of

Taylorsville, Kentucky Taylorsville is a home rule-class city in Spencer County, Kentucky, United States. It is the county seat of Spencer County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 763 and was estimated at 1,275 in 2018. It was incorporated in ...

, which was named in his honor.Bailey, Bill. ''Kentucky State Parks''. (Glovebox Guidebooks of America, 1995). pg.299-301 Richard Taylor died in 1829 at the age of 84. He was buried in the family cemetery, now part of the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Richard American people of Scotch-Irish descent American people of the Northwest Indian War Burials in Kentucky Continental Army officers from Virginia Military personnel from Louisville, Kentucky People from Orange County, Virginia

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

Fathers of presidents of the United States College of William & Mary alumni 1744 births 1829 deaths People from Taylorsville, Kentucky