Joseph Hancock McLean Taylor

After graduation from West Point, he was appointed Brevet 2nd Lieutenant, 1st US Cavalry on 1 July 1856, made permanent on 16 January 1857. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on 22 April 1861, to Captain, 3rd US Cavalry on 13 May, and transferred to the 6th US Cavalry in the reorganization of 3 August 1861. He was appointed Lieutenant Colonel and AAG effective 20 August 1862.

He was General Sumner's Assistant Adjutant General (AAG) on the campaign.

He continued in Regular Army service, reverting to Major and AAG on 30 March 1866. He was cited by brevet for gallantry at Fair Oaks and Antietam. He served as AAG of the Departments of the South (to 1873), Texas (to 1878), the East (to 1879), the South again (to 1882), and of the Platte, where he died of disease in 1885.

Basic service dates from Heitman1. His photo here from a group portrait taken of General Sumner and his staff at Warrenton, VA in November 1862, now at the Library of Congress.

Joseph's father was Joseph P. Taylor, Commissary General of Subsistence, USA during the War. His uncle was President Zachary Taylor. He married Mary Montgomery Meigs (1843-1930), daughter of Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, in Washington on 30 March 1864.

See an excellent biographical sketch from Don Caughey on Crossed Sabers, source of some details here.

6/26/1836 in KY

3/13/1885; Omaha, NE; burial in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia