History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 429

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North Carolina, in 1838, where his father,
MOlern Taylor, was also born, in 1800. The
latter was a son of Richard Taylor, who was
born in North Carolina, in 1773, and there
became a large planter, accumulating much
property in land and slaves, dying at the age
of sixty-seven. He reared a family of seven
children, of whom McClem, the father of
William M. of this article, was the third in
age.
In 1841 McOlem Taylor left North Carolina
and took lip his residence in Mississippi,
where he resided four years, when he moved
to Claiborne parish, Louisiana, and thirteen
years later to Texas, settling in Milam
county, where he bought land and opened up
a farm on the Brazos river. The title to this
land being defective, Mr. Taylor lost his
home some years after locating in this
county. He never sought or held office and
had no military record, having been too old
to take any part in the late war, but furnished
three sons for that cause. He was a
member of the Missionary Baptist Church
for more than thirty years, and always observed
the strictest integrity. He contributed
liberally of his means to all laudable purposes
when in condition to do so, and when
his death occurred suddenly in April, 1892,
a sorrowing community followed him to his
last resting place near Caddo Church. He
was first married to Miss Sarah Banks, by
whom he had the following children: Jennet,
Louisa, deceased, who married J. M. Cargill;
James H.; Eliza, died young; Mary, deceased,
first married John Leatherman and after his
death James Scoggin; William M., of this
article; Alexander; Sallie, deceased, who married
David Allday. In 1845 Mrs. Taylor
died, and three years later Mr. Taylor married
Mrs. Cynthia Ann Peters, nee Oargill,
and by this union there were five children:

Olivia, John, Parthenia, deceased, Louisa
and Edward. Mrs. Taylor, the second, died
in February, 1879.
W. M. Taylor was raised mainly in Claiborne
parish, Louisiana, accompanying his
father, in 1859, to Texas, locating in Milam
county, where he worked with and near his
father until the opening of the late war. In
the spring of 1861 he enlisted in Company
F, Captain Stinnett, Eighth Texas Infantry,
Colonel Young. With this command he remained
during the war. He served west of
the Mississippi river. The first fight was at
Young's Point on the Mississippi river. Afterward
he took part in the battles of Mansfield,
Pleasant- Hill, Jenkins' Ferry and Yellow
Bayou. The command then 'returned to
Texas and were disbanded at Hempstead,
May, 1865.
Mr. Taylor returned home at once and resumed
work on the farm, one pony being all
he had left with which to make his first crop.
The second year he bought a small tract of
land near Jones Prairie on Pond creek, and
this- he retained two years, when he made
several removals, but finally, in 1878, bought
500 acres near Wilderville, unimproved, on
which to settle and to which he has added by
purchase' until his holdings amount to 700
acres, 350 acres of which are in cultivation.
About eighty-five bales of cotton annually
are grown, besides grain and stock products
in proportion.
Politically, Mr. Taylor is a Democrat, but
takes only a casual interest in partisan politics.
He is a valued member of the Masonic
order, holding membership in the lodge at
Rosebush.
. In 1867 Mr. Taylor married Mary B.,
daughter of Peter Allday. She was born in
1845, in Georgia, and is a sister of David
Allday, in whose sketch in this work a full

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