James Craig Taylor
| James Craig Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Attorney General of Virginia | |
|
In office January 19, 1870 – January 1, 1874 |
|
| Preceded by | Charles Whittlesey |
| Succeeded by | Raleigh Travers Daniel |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the Carroll, Floyd, Grayson, Montgomery and Pulaski Counties district |
|
|
In office September 7, 1863 – March 15, 1865 |
|
| Preceded by | John Dickenson |
| Succeeded by | n/a |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Montgomery district |
|
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In office December 7, 1881 – December4, 1883 |
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| Preceded by | William M. Ellis |
| Succeeded by | William M. Ellis |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 23, 1826 Montgomery County, Virginia |
| Died | September 24, 1874 (aged 60) Christiansburg, Virginia |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine Rebecca Wade |
| Occupation | lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Virginia Confederate States
|
| Service/branch |
Virginia Militia Confederate States Army
|
| Rank |
 Major (CSA) |
| Unit | 54th Virginia Infantry |
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War Battle of Middle Creek |
James Craig Taylor (September 23, 1826 - October 25, 1887) was a Virginia lawyer, newspaper publisher and politician who became the Attorney General of Virginia as Congressional Reconstruction ended. After serving in the Confederate States Army and the Virginia Senate (1863-1865), James C. Taylor won the first statewide postwar election on July 6, 1869, defeating Thomas R. Bowden who had won election four years earlier when many former Confederates were precluded from voting, or chose not to vote. Taylor later won election to the Virginia House of Delegates and served part-time for one term before losing to the man he had defeated.
The second son born to the former Mary Montgomery Craig (c.1795-c.1872) and her husband Creede Taylor (who moved to Montgomery County from Bedford County about 1814) received his first name to honor his maternal grandfather, who had donated 175 acres of his property (once known as Hans Meadow) to establish the town of Christiansburg in 1792. This James C. Taylor had seven siblings, including elder brother George (b. 1825), younger sisters Ann (b. 1830) and Malinda (1836-1906), and younger brothers Creed Jr., John Locke and Robert discussed below.
James C. Taylor received a private education, then read law with Preston & Staples in Christiansburg.
James Craig Taylor married fellow Montgomery County native Catherine Rebecca Wade (1832-1893) on December 23, 1851. They had eight children.
Admitted to the Virginia bar in October, 1850, James Craig Taylor established a private legal practice in Christiansburg, and would ultimately practice before Virginia courts at various levels, as well as federal courts. He also published a newspaper in Christiansburg, The Star, which until 1860 competed with the Whig-leaning Montgomery Messenger (later the Montgomery Herald) edited by Robert C. Trigg. In 1860, attorney James C. Taylor owned $2,500 in real estate and $4000 in personal property (which included a 30 year old female slave); he also was training John L. Taylor to become a lawyer.
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