George W. Taylor (general)

George William Taylor
Brig. Gen. George W. Taylor
Born	(1808-11-22)November 22, 1808 High Bridge, New Jersey
Died	August 31, 1862(1862-08-31) (aged 53) Alexandria, Virginia
Place of burial	Presbyterian Churchyard
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Navy  United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1827–1831 (Navy) 1847–1848; 1861–1862 (Army)
Rank	Midshipman Brigadier General
Unit	Army of the Potomac
Commands held	3rd New Jersey Volunteer Infantry First New Jersey Brigade
Battles/wars	American Civil War First Battle of Bull Run Peninsula Campaign Seven Days Battles First Battle of Rappahannock Station Battle of Manassas Station †

American Civil War

George William Taylor (November 22, 1808 – August 31, 1862) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded a brigade in the Army of the Potomac before being mortally wounded at the Battle of Manassas Station in Northern Virginia. The poem "The General's Death" by Joseph O'Connor was based on George W. Taylor's death.

Taylor was born at "Solitude," the family's mansion near High Bridge, New Jersey, which was the home to five generations of the Taylor family. He was the son of Arch Taylor, a prominent local businessman. Taylor graduated from a private military academy in Middletown, Connecticut. George W Taylor joined his fathers company as an ironworker with Taylor Iron Works. Taylor Iron Works/Taylor Wharton is the oldest foundry in US History and the 13th longest continually operating company in the world history (Economist 2004)

In 1827, Taylor joined the United States Navy as a midshipman, serving aboard the USS Fairfield during her Mediterranean deployment from 1828-1831. When the ship returned to the U.S., he resigned from the Navy and entered his family's mercantile business. With the outbreak of the war with Mexico in 1846, he became a captain in the 10th U.S. Infantry under Zachary Taylor the followin year. While in Mexico, he developed a reputation for discipline and order among his men. He also cultivated a strong friendship with Philip Kearny, a fellow future Civil War general.

After receiving his honorable discharge with the end of the hostilities, Taylor joined the California Gold Rush and spent three years mining at Corte Madera, California, (near San Francisco) before returning to New Jersey, where he engaged in the manufacturing of iron until the Civil War erupted in early 1861.