Confederate Service

John Pickney Taylor, Henry Taylor, Sr. and John Pickney Wishart

Two of Lemuel Taylor’s sons, John and Henry Sr., enlisted in the Lumberton Guards, later known as Company A, 46th Regiment, North Carolina Troops, on February 8, 1862. John Taylor died in the military hospital at Front Royal on November 4, 1862, leaving behind nine children. Henry, Sr. was discharged for deafness after a prolonged illness in November 7, 1863. The oldest son, Willis, then enlisted on December 4, 1864 at Richmond VA in Company E, 51st Regiment of North Carolina Troops, and served until the end of 1864.

John Pickney Wishart and Francis Marion Wishard, bothers and cousins to John, Henry and Willis through their aunt Lucia Taylor Mears, also joined on the same day.

Lemuel left a substantial part of his land to John Taylor’s widow, Mary Pitman Taylor, to be passed, upon her death, to her five boys.

Battle accounts of the 46th trace some of the most vicious battles of the Civil War as the Army of Northern Virginia fought a series of engagements from the Virginia coast all the way up to Washington, Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg.

Willis Taylor

Willis Taylor enlisted in Richmond Virginia the year after his younger brother died in the hospital at Front Royal, Virginia. Willis’ unit, the 51st Regiment, fought in the campaigns along the Virginia and Carolina coast and rivers for control of the ports and access to shipping lanes. The Regiment suffered a crippling blow in the battles around Petersburg and Fort Harrison, losing about half of the men as casualties.

Willis joined the Regiment as it was assigned to defend along the Cape Fear River, Wilmington and then to Fort Fisher to defend against an amphibious assault. In the closing months of the war Sherman’s forces fought the 51st for control of eastern Carolina, and eventually accepted their surrender just outside of Durham.

Of the several thousand men in the Regiment, only thirty-six members remained to be paroled at Greensboro in April, 1865.

Extracts from  "North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865, A Roster"

"COMPANY A

"This company, known as the "Lumberton Guards," was raised in Robeson County and was enlisted at Lumberton on February 8, 1862. It was mustered in at Camp Mangum, near Raleigh, April 16, 1862, and was assigned to the 46th Regiment N.C. Troops as Company A. The company functioned thereafter as a part of the 46th Regiment, and its history for the remainder of the war is reported as a part of the regimental history.

"The information contained in the following roster was compiled primarily from a company muster-in and descriptive roll dated April 16, 1862, and from company muster rolls for July 1, 1862-June 30, 1863, and September 1, 1863-December 31, 1864. No company muster rolls were located for May 1-June 30, 1862; July 1-August 31, 1863; or for the period after December 31, 1864. Valuable information was obtained from primary records such as the North Carolina adjutant general’s Roll of Honor, discharge certificates, medical records, prisoner of war records, newspaper casualty lists, and pension applications. Secondary sources such as postwar rosters and histories, cemetery records, and records of the United Daughters of the Confederacy also provided useful information.

"TAYLOR, HENRY, Private

"Born in Robeson County where he resided as a farmer prior to enlisting in Robeson County at age 30, February 16, 1862. Present or accounted for until discharged on November 7, 1863, by reason of "deafness said to have been caused by a severe and protracted attack of sickness."

"TAYLOR, JOHN, Private

"Born in Robeson County where he resided prior to enlisting in Robeson County at age 39, February 16, 1862. Present or accounted for until he died in hospital at Front Royal, Virginia, November 4, 1862, of disease.

"TAYLOR, WILLIS, Private

"Resided in Robeson County and was by occupation a farmer prior to enlisting at Richmond, Virginia, at age 41, December 3, 1864, for the war. Present or accounted for through December, 1864.

"Wishart, John Pinkney, Sergeant

"Born in Robeson County where he resided as a farmer prior to enlisting in Robeson County at age 27, February 8, 1862. Mustered in as Private. Promoted to Sergeant in November-December, 1862. Present or accounted for until he died in hospital at Richmond, Virginia, December 30, 1862 of "variola."

"WISHART, FRANCIS MARION

"Previously served as 1st Lieutenant of Company A of this regiment. Promoted to Captain on September 30, 1864, and transferred to this company. Present or accounted for through October, 1864. Paroled at Greensboro on May I, 1865. On the battlefield he displayed an 'absolute indifference to danger' and a 'total ignorance of fear, laughing and joking under fire as in camp, always wanting to ‘get at ‘em.’'"