Three Generations of Taylors in the Revolutionary War: By Pat Kinsella Herdeg

We have both Bakers and Taylors who served in the Revolu-tionary War, as well as other relatives, but we’ll focus on the Taylor side for this story—specifically, Josiah Taylor, his son, Gamaliel Taylor, and his grandson, Thomas Taylor.

Now, how far back is the Revolutionary War? You can figure out the dates—mid to late 1700’s, but in family terms, it goes like this: my grandfather Lloyd Taylor, had a grandfather Daniel Taylor, who had a grandfather Thomas Taylor who had a grandfather Josiah, which is where this particular tale begins. Or maybe before that…

Josiah’s grandfather, Captain John Taylor died in 1704--he was killed by Indians while pursuing them after they destroyed Fort Pascomuck. Captain John’s son, also John, married Wait Clapp, and moved to Fairfield—known now as Westport-- in the colony of Connecticut, by the time our Josiah was born in 1701. Green’s Farms Congregational Church was a huge part of the Taylor life; as one Westport history book exclaimed: “Green’s Farms Congregational Church WAS the town at this point.”

Josiah Taylor—born in 1701-- was an elderly man in his seventies when the Revolutionary War broke out; he fought as a private. We know that by 1779, he was chosen to commissary and supply soldiers’ families, as well as handle claims for dependents left behind by their fighting men.

His son, Gamaliel—in his early forties--also fought in the War; he was a 2nd lieutenant in the First Battalion under Colonel Whiting, Fifth Company under Captain Thorp. As a lieutenant, he was in several different companies and under several different commands. In 1780, Gamaliel was still found in military records. Which battles did he fight in? He would seem to have been the most traveled and battle scarred of the three, for anyone who wants to dig deeper.

Gamaliel’s son, Thomas, also fought; he enlisted at age eighteen on May 29th of 1776, along with Nathan Taylor, a cousin? PrivateThomas was stationed at Fort Schuyler (the rebuilt and re-named Fort Stanwix near Rome, NY) under the command of Colonel Elmore, in the company of Captain Albert Chapman.

And so, we have three generations of Taylors fighting for their colony of Connecticut, along with various brothers and cousins. As one Revolutionary War genealogist commented when he was reviewing these records two hundred years later: “ It isn’t all that uncommon to find a father and a son that served, but it is quite another to discover the grandfather served as well.”

Proof of our Taylor family’s passion for their soon to be country was evident in Josiah’s will, written in 1777, four years before his actual death. He passed everything on to his wife, Thankful, and their children. However, as Josiah named each of his children in the will, he singled out two of his sons-- Paul and Eleazer-- from the other boys, and next to their names wrote: “Afraid they will turn traitors”. Did they? I haven’t discovered that yet.

But, to stay Loyalist in their small town would have been an unpopular decision. While our relatives clearly knew of the war raging in the colonies—after all, the Taylor men were already enlisted, no one was prepared for April of 1777.

On Friday of April 25, 1777, Mercy Disbrow of Greens Farms was boiling water on the beach to make salt for the household. Looking up, she was the first to see twenty six mainmasts with Union Jacks flying—British warships were headed to Compo Beach. They landed, marched through Compo and Fairfield to Danbury and destroyed as many of the colonists war supplies as possible.

Almost two thousand British soldiers, led by William Tryon, faced Benedict Arnold--who was still on our side; more than 300 British were killed and untold colonists.

Then, on July 6th, 1779, Tryon and the British returned, burning homes, barns and churches, including the Green’s Farm Congregational Church of our Taylors. Although the church was destroyed, the Communion silver was saved by Deacon Jesup—he hid it in his well. Of the many local houses burned, one of those belonged to Widow Eunice Morehouse, most likely mother of Mary Morehouse, who would wed our Thomas in four years time.

So, yes, to remain loyal to the British at this time would have torn apart families, as Josiah pointed out in his will. While we do not know what choices Thomas’ uncles, Paul and Eleazer made, we do know what life had in store for our Thomas and Mary, and baby Gideon in the wilds of Vermont. But that is a story for another day.

Picture One: Green’s Farms Congregational Church, burnt to the ground by the British in 1779
Picture Two: Moat at Fort Schuyler, where Thomas Taylor-- my grandfather's, grandfather's grandfather (!) --fought
Picture Three: British Revolutionary War frigate
Picture Four: American Soldiers in the Revolutionary War