Pvt. Erasmus Elvin Taylor

Pvt. Erasmus ElvinTaylor

       From the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois

5th Ill. Light Artillery

Three Years Service

Renwick’s Elgin Battery

   Enlisted Aug. 17, 1862.
   Farmer.
   Aged. 15, years.
   Mustered In at Elgin, Ill's. Nov. 15, 1862.
   On the resignation of Capt. Renwick in May of 1863 Capt. Andrew Wood takes command and the battery is renamed;

Wood's Battery

   Discharged due to Disability Sept. 25, 1863.

       From the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois

G Co. 17th Ill. Cav.

? Co. 15th Ill. Cav.

Clinton's Rangers

   Enlisted Dec. 28, 1863
   Messed with Pvt. Robert Simmons.
   Mustered Out Jan. 25, 1866.

Moved to Elgin, Ill' in 1891.

       From the Post #49 files
Joined Elgin GAR Veteran's Post #49 Sept. 18, 1892.
 
       From the Sept. 16, 1915 issue of The Elgin Daily Courier

VETERANS TO ATTEND ST. CHARLES REUNION

     D. B. Beebe and E. E. Taylor, two well known G.A.R. veterans are the only Elgin survivors of the 17 Illinois cavalry regiment who will attend the annual reunion at St. Charles Friday, September 17.
     Mr. Beebe also attended the reunion thirty years ago at the Sherman house, Chicago.   Policemen John Patchin, John Rippberger, George Baker, William Dalton, M. Nelson, all deceased accompanied Beege to this festival.
     About fifty members of the regiment remain and it is expected that the majority will attend.   A program prepared by Phil Phillips, secretary and treasurer of the organization, will afford enjoyment and at noon a dinner will be served by the women of the First M. W. church at St. Charles.
     The 17th regiment was feared by all bands of criminals.   It took an active part in Price's raid and chased Bill Anderson, Jesse James and Quantrill through Missouri, afterwards crossing the plains to protect the settlers from the Indians.

          Obit: Dec. 29, 1932 issue The Elgin Courier-News.
   E.E. Taylor, 86 years old, 314 East Chicago street, a resident of Elgin for the last 41 years, commander of Veteran Post No. 49, G.A.R., and widely and popularly known, particularly among members of patriotic societies of the city, died at Sherman hospital at 10:45 o'clock last night, death due to an acute attack of double pneumonia.  He had been in declining health for some time and was taken to the hospital at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
   His death removed from the city a man who had for many years taken an active and keen interest in the affairs not only of the G.A.R., but of other patriotic organizations.  He had accumulated a wide circle of warm friendships among the veterans of Elgin as well as among other groups of citizens, to whom announcement of his death comes as a considerable shock.
   Mr. Taylor had an adventurous and colorful career.  He was born in Woodstock, Ill., on October 19, 1846.  As a young man he engaged in farming at Ringwood, relinquishing that occupation some years later to enter the windmill and pump business with his brother, the late Edward Taylor, at Hebron, Mr. Taylor came to Elgin, 41 years ago, and entered the insurance business, an activity in which he was engaged for many years.
   For the last 14 years Mr. Taylor had been custodian of the Memorial hall, and for the past 12 years had been commander of the Elgin Post of the G.A.R., having been successively re-elected each year.  Mr. Taylor was accorded these positions in recognition of his interest in the welfare of the G.A.R. members, and in recognition also of his splendid and interesting war record.
   He served nearly four years as a federal soldier in the Civil war, and participated in many of the important battles of that great conflict.  In order to serve his country, it had been necessary to "romance" a bit about his age, for Mr. Taylor first enlisted when he was but 15 years old.  With his brother, Nathan, 14 years old, they ran away from home to enlist.  The boy Taylor looked 19 years old and an understanding recruiting sergeant admitted him to the army.
   He first enlisted with the Fifth Battery, Illinois Light Artillery, on August 17, 1862.  He was discharged on account of disability on September 25, 1863.  Recovering from an illness, he re-enlisted with the Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry, Company G, on December 28, 1863 and received his discharge from service on January 25, 1866.  In both enlistments he served as a private soldier.
   Most of his army service occurred in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri, where his outfit engaged in almost daily battle with those engaged in guerilla warfare, organizations of renegades who frequently preyed upon both confederates and federals.  His cavalry detachment pursued and captured the confederate General Price and his men.
   Mr. Taylor had always cherished the memory of Abraham Lincoln, for whom he voted, while a soldier stationed at Bowling Green, Ky.  As a small boy Mr. Taylor's father introduced him to Lincoln, and the boy received from the great war president a wan smile and a pat upon the head.  Private Taylor was stationed at Iron Mountain, Mo., when he received news of the assassination of Lincoln, and his company fired a tribute of 60 guns, Mr. Taylor working Gun No. 5 in that fusilade of shots.
   While he still resided in Ringwood, Mr. Taylor married Miss Eunice Madole of that city, his first wife.  He is survived by the widow, Mrs. Edith Taylor; a daughter, Mrs. Cora Burdick, of Cedar Falls, Iowa; three sons, George E. Taylor, of Genoa City, Wis., C.C. Taylor, 768 Mill street, Elgin, and Milton Taylor, of Chicago; a step-daughter, Mrs. Buena Hazard, of Modesto, Calif., four grandchildren, and great grandchild.  A Son, Newton J. Taylor, at one time a prominent Elgin grocer, died about a year ago.
   Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, private, at Memorial hall and at 3 o'clock from the Norris chapel, the Rev. J.B. Martin, of Waukegan, formerly pastor of the First Methodist church here, to officiate, with burial in Bluff City cemetery.  Members of the G.A.R. will act as honorary escort, and will be attended by the Sons of Veterans.  Members of the Spanish-American War Veterans will act as pallbearers, and a firing squad from Elgin Post No. 57, American Legion, will fire a salute and tribute at the grave.

       From the 1956 Kane Co. Honor Roll
Buried at - Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, Ill.
Location - Grave 4, Section 16

Used with permission Dan Mallett

Many members of Post #49 sewed watch faces to their ribbons to show they were from Elgin.