on " Thoughts on the Nature and Origin of Force " (1870); "On the Refraction of Sound" (1875): "Kinetic Theories of Gravitation" (1876); "Re- cent Researches in Sound " (1876) ; " History of the Electro-Magnetic Telegraph " (1878) ; " The Scien- tific Work of Joseph Henry " (1878) ; " Physics and Occult Qualities" (1882) ; and " On the Crumpling of the Earth's Crust " (1882) ; also a discussion with the Rev. J. Newton Brown " On the Obliga- tion of the Sabbath " (Philadelphia, 1853).
TAYLOR, William Mackergo, clergyman, b.
in Kilmarnock, Scotland, 23 Oct., 1829. He was
graduated at the University of Glasgow in 1849,
and at the theological seminary of the United Pres-
byterian church in Edinburgh in 1852, and after
officiating for two years as pastor of the small par-
ish of Kilmaurs, Ayrshire, removed in 1855 to Liv-
erpool, England, to form a new Presbyterian con-
gregation. There he gathered a large congrega-
tion of merchants, mechanics, and tradespeople.
He visited the United States in 1871, and preached
in Brooklyn, N. Y., with such effectiveness that in
the following year he was called to occupy the pul-
pit of the Broadway Tabernacle in New York city,
as the successor of the Rev. Joseph P. Thompson.
He received the degree of D. D. from both Yale and
Amherst in 1872, and that of LL. D. from Prince-
ton in 1883. He was lecturer at Yale seminary in
1876 and 1886, and at Princeton seminary in 1880.
In 1876-'80 Dr. Taylor edited the "Christian at
Work." He is the author of " Life Truths," a vol-
ume of sermons (Liverpool, 1862) ; " The Miracles :
Helps to Faith, not Hindrances " (Edinburgh, 1865) :
" The Lost Found and the Wanderer Welcomed "
(1870); "Memoir of the Rev. Matthew Dickie"
(Bristol, 1872) ; " Prayer and Business " (New York,
1873) ; " David, King of Israel " (1875) ; " Elijah,
the Prophet " (1876) ; " The Ministry of the Word,"
containing lectures delivered at Yale (1876):
" Songs in the Night " (1877) ; " Peter, the Apos-
tle " (1877) ; " Daniel, the Beloved " (1878) ; " Moses,
the Lawgiver" (1879); "The Gospel Miracles in
their Relation to Christ and Christianity," consist-
ing of his Princeton lectures (1880) : " The Limita-
tions of Life, and other Sermons " (1880) ; " Paul,
the Missionary" (1882); "Contrary Winds, and
other Sermons " (1883) ; " Jesus at the Well "
(1884); "John Knox: a Biography " (1885) ; "Jo-
seph, the Prime Minister " (1886) ; "The Parables
of Our Saviour Expounded and Illustrated " (1886) ;
and " The Scottish Pulpit " (1887).
TAYLOR, William Vigneron, naval officer,
b. in Newport, R. I., in 1781 ; d. there, 11 Feb.,
1858. He went to sea before the mast, became a
captain in the merchant marine, and entered the
navy as a sailing-master, 28 April, 1813. He was
attached to Com. Oliver H. Perry's flag-ship, the
" Lawrence," in the battle of Lake Erie, where he
was severely wounded, afterward receiving a vote
of thanks and a sword for his services. He was
commissioned a lieutenant, 9 Dec, 1814, cruised in
the "Java" on the Mediterranean station in
1815-16, and was on leave at Newport on account
of his wound in 1816-'23, after which he served in
the ship " Ontario," of the Mediterranean squadron,
in 1824-6, at the Boston navy-yard in 1827-'8, and
in the frigate "Hudson," on the Brazil station, in
1829-30. He was promoted to master-comman-
dant, 3 March, 1831, was in charge of the receiving-
ship at Boston in 1833-'4, and the sloop " Warren "
in 1835. In 1839-'41 he had the store-ship " Erie."
He was promoted to captain, 8 Sept., 1841, and
commanded the Pacific squadron in the " Ohio " in
1847-'8. After this he was on leave at Newport
until his death. — His son, William Rogers, naval
officer, b. in Newport, R. I., 7 Nov., 1811, entered
the navy as a midshipman, 1 April, 1828, became a
passed midshipman, 14 June, 1834, and cruised in
the "Peacock" in the East Indies in 1835-6.
When the " Peacock " was stranded on the island
of Massera in 1836, he was sent to take the U. S.
diplomatic agent, Edmund Roberts, to Muscat to
arrange treaties. This voyage lasted five days in
an open boat, and upon arrival at Muscat the sul-
tan offered him the sloop "Sultane " to go to the
relief of the " Peacock " ; but the latter had got off,
and he rejoined her at sea. He served as acting
lieutenant on the same station and in the Pacific
in the schooner "Enterprise" and ship "North
Carolina" in 1836-8. He was commissioned a
lieutenant, 10 Feb., 1840, and was engaged in the
survey of Tampa bay, Fla., in 1842-3, during
which he at times had command of the steamer
" Poinsett " and the brig " Oregon." He served on
the Brazil station in the brig " Perry " and the ship
'•Columbus" in 1843-4. During the Mexican war
he was on the sloop " St. Mary's " in the engage-
ment with batteries at Tampico, where he com-
manded the launch in the expedition that captured
that port and five Mexican schooners, 14 Nov.,
1846. During the siege and bombardment of Vera
Cruz he commanded the eight-inch gun in the
naval battery on shore for thirty-six hours. He
was promoted to commander, 14 Sept., 1855, and
was on ordnance duty at Washington in 1857-'9.
In 1861 he was ordered to command the steamer
" Housatonic," and he was promoted to captain, 16
July, 1862. While senior officer in the blockade
off Charleston he engaged the Confederate rams
" Chicora " and " Palmetto " in the " Housatonic "
when they attacked the squadron in January. 1863.
When Dahlgren took command he was appointed
fleet-captain, and participated in the actions against
Morris island in July, 1863. On 16 July he was in
the battle on board the monitor " Catskill," and on
18 July in the monitor " Montauk." He command-
ed the steamer " Juniata " in both attacks on Fort
Fisher. He was president of the board to revise
the navy regulations, was in charge of the ordnance-
yard at Washington in 1866-'7, and was promoted
to commodore, 25 July, 1866. He was a member
of the examining board in 1868, commanded the
northern squadron of the Pacific fleet in 1869-'71,
was promoted to rear-admiral, 19 Jan., 1871. and
was president of the examining board in 1871— '2,
and commanded the South Atlantic squadron from
22 May, 1872, till 7 Nov., 1873, when he was retired.
TAYLOR, Zachary, twelfth president of the' United States, b. in Orange county, Va., 24 Sept., 1784; d. in the executive mansion, Washington, D. C, 9 July, 1850. His father, Col. Richard Taylor, an officer in the war of the Revolution, was conspicuous for zeal and daring among men in whom personal gallantry was the rule. After the war he retired to private life, and in 1785 removed to Kentucky, then a sparsely occupied county of Virginia, and made his home near the present city of Louisville, where he died. Zachary was the third son. Brought up on a farm in a new settlement, he had few scholastic opportunities ; but in the thrift, industry, self-denial, and forethought required by the circumstances, he learned such lessons as were well adapted to form the character illustrated by his eventful career. Yet he had also another form of education. The liberal grants of land that Virginia made to her soldiers caused many of them, after the peace of 1783, to remove to the west ; thus Col. Taylor's neighbors included many who had been his fellow-soldiers, and these often met around las wide hearth. Their corner-
