Background
TALIAFERRO, William Booth was born on December 28, 1822 in Belleville, Gloucester County, Virginia, United States, United States. Son of Warner T. and Frances (Booth) Taliaferro.
General lawyer military planter
TALIAFERRO, William Booth was born on December 28, 1822 in Belleville, Gloucester County, Virginia, United States, United States. Son of Warner T. and Frances (Booth) Taliaferro.
Graduated from College William and Mary, 1841. Studied law Harvard.
He was related to Confederate Secretary of War James A. Seddon. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1841 and attended Harvard Law School. He was an Episcopalian and a Democrat.
He had one son by his marriage to Sally N. Lyons on February 17, 1853. When the Mexican War began, Taliaferro became a captain in the 11 th United States Infantry and was later promoted to major. Having developed a successful law practice in Belleville, he entered local politics.
He was a member of the Virginia House from 1850 to 1853 and an elector for President Janies Buchanan in 1856. During John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry in 1859, he commanded the Virginia Militia. When the Civil War began, he volunteered for duty in the Confederate Army.
In the early days of the war, he was in the Peninsula as a major general of militia. He served as a colonel of the 23rd Virginia infantry under General Robert S. Garnett in western Virginia before his promotion to brigadier general on March 6, 1862. Taliaferro then participated in Jackson’s Valley campaign, was seriously wounded on August 29 at Second Manassas, but recovered to fight at Fredericksburg in December before he was ordered to Beauregard’s command.
In March 1863, he was given command of the District of Savannah, East Florida, and South Carolina. He defended Fort Wagner near Charleston in July 1863. In December 1864, he again held a division command, and in the final months of the war, he guarded the route for the escape of General William Hardee’s troops.
He surrendered around Bentonville, North Carolina, and was paroled in May 1865. He returned to his Belleville law practice and became active in opposition to Reconstruction. Taliaferro was elected to the Virginia House in 1874 and served until 1879.
He was a judge of the Gloucester County Court from 1891 to 1897. Taliaferro also was a member of the Board of Visitors of Virginia Military Institute and of the College of William and Mary.
"Peculiar institution" of slavery was not only expedient but also ordained by God and upheld in Holy Scripture.
Stands for preserving slavery, states' rights, and political liberty for whites. Every individual state is sovereign, even to the point of secession.
Member Virginia House of Delegates, 1850-1853. Member Virginia Legislature, 1874-1879. Member board visitors College William and Mary.
Married Sally Lyons, 8 children.