William J. Taylor was the son of Joseph Taylor b 1797 d 1862 Daviess Co., KY and Mildred Hinkle. Joseph and Mildred were married in Shelby Co., KY January 22, 1822. Mildred died about 1827. I have not yet learned when she was born, but believe her father to have been Charles Hinkle b 1777 d 1843 Shelby Co., KY.
In addition to William, Joseph and Mildred Taylor may have had an older son, Jefferson Mandred Taylor b 1823. After Mildred's death, Joseph married Mary Speer in Oldham Co., KY 1831. Joseph and Mary had three children: Joseph b 1834, Elizabeth b 1837, and Sarah b 1847. Mary died 1835 and Joseph married a third time to a Mrs. Hinkle.
from Daviess County, Kentucky History Published 1883 by Interstate Publishing Co., Chicago and reprinted in 1966 by Unigraphic, Inc., Evansville, IN
"Captain W.J. (William) Taylor remained on his father's farm until twenty years of age, when the war with Mexico was declared, and he was one of the first to volunteer. He enlisted in Company H, First Kentucky Infantry Volunteers. He was in the battle of Monterey, Mexico. After this Captain Taylor was detailed with a number of others to escort a provision train from Monterey to Comargo, and while on the route they were all captured, and the wagon train was burned. They were stripped of their coats and shoes and made to walk 900 miles to the city of Mexico, they could have been tracked by the blood from the prisioners' feet. On their arrival to the city of Mexico the prisoners were thrown into the same prison with the convicts and had to sleep on the floors and that without blankets. When General Scott advanced on the city of Mexico, Captain Taylor and the rest of the prisoners were sent into the mountains, where they remained till the close of the war. They were sent to Tampico, and then to New Orleans, La. and while on the way they had a storm which lasted nine days. They landed in New Orleans, having lost one sailor. From New Orleans they came up the Mississippi to Louisville, Ky., where his father met him, and he and his father returned home.
He married Martha J. Speer, Feb. 13, 1850. She was born in Oldham Co., Ky., July 12, 1824, and was the daughter of John and Mary (Grove) Speer, natives of North Carolina. January, 1853, they came to Daviess County and settled on a farm in Masonville, within 100 yards of where he now lives.
At the outbreaking of the late (Civil) war he and Dr. Noel raised Company H, First Kentucky Calvary, Confederate Volunteers. Dr. Noel was elected Captain, and Captain Taylor was elected First Lieutenant. Captain Noel was killed at the capture of a railroad bridge in West Tennessee in the fall of 1861. Captain Taylor was then elected Captain of the company. His company was then sent with General Forrest, and they went into the Federal lines, and was at the capture of Murfreesboro, and various other battles. When Bragg's army came over into Kentucky, Captain Taylor's company was in the advance guard, and was at the fight at Perryville, and covered the retreat of Bragg's army as it went out of Kentucky. Captain Taylor's company was then placed under command of General Wheeler, and made various raids in Middle Tennessee, and on the trail of Sherman to the sea, and returned in advance of him to the surrender of the army at the close of the war. Captain Taylor was offered the office of Colonel of his regiment, but refused, choosing rather to be with his company. He was wounded five times, and had one horse killed under him.
At the close of the war he returned home to his farm in Masonville Precinct, where he has since been engaged in farming. He and his wife are members of the Christian church. They have four children: John T., who married Almeta Dodson; Joseph S., married Fannie Kirk, who died, and then he married Mary A. Kirk; Henry Y., married Alice Pursell; and Mary C., wife of James F. Camp. Captain Taylor owns a fine farm of 254 acres, 150 under cultivation. He was elected Democratic representative to the Kentucky Legislature in 1875, and held that office two years. He is also a member of Braham Lodge, A.F. & A.M., near Bethabara. He and Dr. Noel had the first threshing machine in Daviess County. It was called a "ground hog."
