The last known surviving Civil War veteran in Rhode Island, Edward P. Taylor, died in 1940, just before his 98th birthday. Even as an old man, he was active in the McGregor Post #14, Grand Army of the Republic, serving as color bearer in numerous parades and events. Arthur J. Viens, past commander of the Rhode Island Commandery, Military Order of Foreign Wars, recalled his Irish grandmother introducing him, as a child, to the aged Mr. Taylor at a “Decoration Day” parade.
But Taylor was not a RI native. He had been born into slavery in Maryland in 1842. During the Civil War, he took his freedom, went to Washington, D.C., and in 1863 enlisted in the newly-formed 2nd Regiment, United States Colored Troops. The U.S. Colored Troops units were organized by the Federal government early in 1863, after self-emancipated Blacks showed up in droves at Union Army encampments begging to be allowed to help the war effort. The more than 178,000 men who served provided much-needed manpower for the Union effort. The 2nd Infantry saw action along the Gulf Coast, especially in Florida, where Mr. Taylor was badly wounded. While in the hospital he met John Holden, a Rhode Island soldier who had also been injured, and the two became good friends. Holden encouraged his friend to come to Rhode Island, where, he said, the textile mills were always looking for good workers.
Following his war service, Taylor returned to Washington, where he married a formerly enslaved woman, Martha Scott. In 1874, they decided to take advantage of John Holden’s offer, and moved with their two young children to West Warwick, RI. True to his word, Holden helped Taylor get a job
as a cloth dyer at the local mill, and helped the family buy a home. Martha Taylor helped support their growing family by taking in laundry. They were married for 70 years; she died less than a year before he did in 1940.
Taylor's remarkable story was rediscovered as the West Warwick Public Library digitized photographs taken of the Pawtuxet Valley and its citizens between 1880 and 1935. Volunteers Chester and Janice Browning began digging into his background, and eventually connected with Taylor descendants who were also researching their family history. They discovered that Taylor, his wife, and several of their children were buried at the local Greenwood Cemetery without a headstone or other marker.
The Major Sullivan Ballou Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (successor to the G.A.R.), a reenactor group, took on the service project of obtaining and installing a proper headstone and military marker.
(You may recall Sullivan Ballou’s letter to his wife was featured in Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary. Yes, that Sullivan Ballou, a Rhode Island lawyer — although there’s a question now whether he really was the author of the famous letter.) The headstone was unveiled and dedicated in a Memorial Day ceremony, Saturday, May 26, 2012. The ceremony was organized by the Sullivan Ballou unit (in full period dress, both veterans and some women civilians), other units of the S.U.V.C.W., and the Military Order of Foreign Wars.
Four descendants of Mr. Taylor were present, delighted to see their ancestor’s service recognized by his community.
Steven A. Usler, an aide to Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), read a citation and presented them with a neatly-folded flag that had flown over the U.S. Capital. The ceremony ended with a rifle salute by members of the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers, and "Taps."
As a pacifist, I’m not generally a big fan of (or attender at) military ceremonies. But on that day, I was glad to be able to witness proper attention and recognition given to a man — and his family — who served the nation well, and went on to serve his community well for many decades thereafter.
