William B. Taliaferro

William Booth Taliaferro
General William B. Taliaferro
Born	(1822-12-28)December 28, 1822 Gloucester County, Virginia
Died	February 27, 1898(1898-02-27) (aged 75) Gloucester County, Virginia
Buried at	Ware Church Cemetery, Gloucester County
Allegiance	United States of America  Confederate States of America
Service/branch	United States Army  Confederate States Army
Years of service	1846-48 (USA) 1861–65 (CSA)
Rank	Major (USA) Major General (Virginia Militia) Brigadier General (CSA)
Unit	9th U.S. Infantry Regiment 11th U.S. Infantry Regiment
Commands held	District of South Carolina District of Eastern Florida District of Savannah Jackson's Division—II Corps Taliaferro's Brigade—Jackson's Division 23rd Virginia Infantry
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War American Civil War
Relations	James A. Seddon (uncle)
Other work	Judge, State Politician

William Booth Taliaferro (December 28, 1822 – February 27, 1898), was a United States Army officer, a lawyer, legislator and Confederate general in the American Civil War.

William Booth Taliaferro (pronunciation Anglicized to "tah'-liver") was born in Gloucester County, Virginia, to a prominent family of English-Italian origin who settled in Virginia in the 17th century. He was the nephew of James A. Seddon, who would become Secretary of War for the Confederate States of America under Jefferson Davis. Taliaferro attended Harvard University and The College of William and Mary, graduating from the latter in 1841.

Taliaferro joined the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War, fighting in both the 11th and 9th U.S. Infantry regiments. After the war, Taliaferro entered public life, serving as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and as a prominent backer of James Buchanan's presidential campaign in 1856. He also continued his military service as commander of a division of the Virginia state militia; he commanded at Harpers Ferry following the raid of that town's arsenal by John Brown.

Taliaferro became commander of Virginia's state militia following Virginia's secession action on April 17, 1861; indeed, in what might be Virginia's 1st act of aggression of the war, on April 18, 1861, Virginia State Militia Major General Taliaferro is sent to take command at Norfolk, Virginia. Later he later took command of the 23rd Virginia Infantry as a colonel. He fought several engagements in 1861 and by the end of the year had ascended to brigade command, where he led Confederate forces at the Battle of Greenbrier River, in what is now West Virginia.