Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/23

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VIRGINIA r.lOCRAr'IIY


and is a man hii^hly regarded in financial circles. He is a member of Christ Protes- tant Episcopal Church, an Independent in politics and finds relaxation from business care.s at the Country Club, of which he is a member.

Mr. Tilghman married, at the Norfolk Navy Yard, April 29. 1903, Florence, daugh- ter of Robert \\ iley AIillig"an, of the United States navy. Robert W. Milligan was made third assistant engineer, August 3, 1863, second assistant engineer. July 2^. 1866, past assistant engineer, March 25, 1874. chief engineer, [May 16, 1892, and on March 3. 1899, his rank was changed to commander. Pie was chief engineer of the battleshi}) "Oregon," when that ship made her memorable run from the Pacific to the West Indies during the S})anish war in 1898. LOmmander Milligan married Sarah A. Dubois. Child of Tench r>ancis and Florence (Milligan) Tilghman : Tench Francis (6), born in Norfolk. March 17. 1904.

Edward Carrington Stanard Taliaferro, M. D. The Taliaferro family early settled in Virginia, where they were land and slave owners. The will of Charles Taliaferro of .St. Mary's parish. Caroline county, \'irginia, dated March 2. 1734. gives to wife Mary, tliree hundred acres of the tract on which they lived, with seven slaves, household goods and live stock. To granddaughters he also bequeathed lands and slaves. Rich- ard Taliaferro was an early settler of Glou- cester county, where his daughter Martha married, in 1711. Thomas Turner, the first of this line in A'irginia. Taliaferros served with distinction in the revolution and the family ha\-e ever been prominent in Vir- ginia, and eminent in the professions. Ed- ward C. S. Taliaferro was l)orn in Glouces- ter. \'irginia, December 17. 1874, son of General William liooth and Sally (Lyons) Taliaferro.

General William Booth Taliaferro, was born in Belleville, Gloucester county. \'ir- ginia. December 28. 1822. son of Warner T. and Fanny (Booth) Taliaferro, and a de- scendant of Robert Taliaferro, gent., first of the name in \'irginia. in 1655. "^vho married a daughter of Rev. Charles (irymes.

William Booth Taliaferro was liberally educated, being a student at Harvard Uni- versitv, then at the college of William and


Mary, from which he was graduated in 1841. He studied law, but was soon drawn to a military career. On April 9, 1847, I'^c '^^^^ appointed captain in the Eleventh Regiment L'nited States Infantry, for service during the Mexican war. On August 12, same year, he was promoted to major and assigned to the Ninth Infantry. On August 26, 1848, he was mustered out of service, the war being over, and resumed the practice of his profession, in wdiich he was successfully engaged until again drawn to military life. In Alay, 1861, within a few days after the beginning of the war between the states, he was commissioned colonel in the pro- visional army of \'irginia. and was placed m command of the troops at Gknicester Point, N'irginia. He took jiart in the battle of Carrick's b'ord, X'irginia, July 13, 1861. On March 4. i8fj2, he was promoted to brig- adier-general, and served in the army of northern A'irginia until March. 1863, when he was placed in command (jf the district of Saxannah, (ieorgia. He was among the most acti\e of the defenders of Charles- ton and its dei)endencies, commanding the first division, first militar\- district, during the siege; commanding the garrison of Morris Island in July. 1863. and the garrison on James Island in the following month. In Feljruary, 1864, he commanded a division in h'lorida ; the seventh military district of South Carolina in May. i8()4. and the entire district of South Carolina, Decem1)er, 1864. He was promoted to major-general, January I. 1865, and commanded a di\ision until peace was restored.

After this brilliant militarv career. Gen- eral Taliaferro resumed his law practice. He was acti\e in j)olitical and educational afi^airs and wielded a potent influence throughout the state. He was an efficient member of the state assembly and a presi- dential elector, elected to l)oth positions as a Democrat. In 1892 he was chosen judge of Gloucester county, and until his death displayed, signal ability as a jurist. He was president of the board of visitors of \\'il- liam and Mary College, president of b^air- view Normal School, and also a member of the board of directors of the A'irginia Mili- tary Institute. In 1876-1877 he was grand- master of the Grand Lodge. Free and Ac- cepted Alasons. of \'irginia. General Talia- ferro died in BelleA'ille. \'irginia, Februarv 2y. T89R.