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Walter Heron Taylor and His Era Emanuel Meyer Old Dominion University

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Walter Heron Taylor and His Era Emanuel Meyer Old Dominion University Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons History Theses & Dissertations History Spring 1984 Walter Heron Taylor and His Era Emanuel Meyer Old Dominion University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Meyer, Emanuel. "Walter Heron Taylor and His Era" (1984). Master of Arts (MA), thesis, History, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/g03m-eb07 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds/34 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the History at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WALTER HERRON TAYLOR AND HIS ERA by Emanuel Meyer B.A. June 1957, University of Miami A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTERS OF ARTS HISTORY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY May 1984 Approved by: Peter C. Stewart (Director) Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ©1985 EMANUEL MEYER All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT WALTER HERRON TAYLOR AND HIS ERA Emanuel Meyer Old Dominion University Director: Dr. Peter C. Stewart This biography examines Colonel Walter Herron Taylor’s involvement in the development of Norfolk, Virginia, into a modern urban seaport. Although this thesis depicts Taylor’s role as Robert E. Lee’s adjutant and Civil War historian, it clearly demonstrates that his civic accomplish­ ments in the post-war era considerably outweighed his efforts for the Confederacy. Colonel Taylor's lifetime career in banking and commerce reflected the changing society of the South from a backward province into a modern industrial and sophisticated section. The author illustrates the Colonel’s participation in Nor­ folk's growth from the stormy Reconstruction period to the eve of World War I. Throughout these years many signifi­ cant municipal and social reforms were aided by, or were a direct result of, Colonel Taylor’s activities. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author gratefully acknowledges the expert assistance of the following individuals and organizations: William Brown, Assistant Director of the Portsmouth General Library; Karen Lanford, Clerk, Norfolk Clerk's Office, Norfolk City Hall; Benjamin Clymer, Chief Reference Librarian, Retired, Old Dominion University; Kay Domine, Archivist, Swem Library, College of William and Mary; Ellen Emser, Archivist, Old Dominian University Archives; Dianne Jacob, Archivist, Virginia Military Intstitute; Cathleen Anne Carlson, Archivist, Museum of the Confederacy; Paul I. Chesnut, Archivist, Virginia State Library; E. Lee Shep­ pard, Archivist, Virginia Historical Society; John Sharp, Archivist, Duke University Archives; John Echtenkamp, Archi­ vist, University of Virginia Archives; A. L. Kelley, Chief Librarian, The Mariner's Museum Library; Joseph Lewis, Reference Librarian, Old Dominion University Library; John Parker, General Reference, Kirn Memorial Library; Frank Smith, Reference Librarian, Bayside Library; Jean Carideo and Robert Mendelson, Reference Librarians, Chesapeake General Library; Alice Hanes, Curator, Portsmouth Naval Museum; New York Public Library. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Special mention should be made of the splendia cooper­ ation and assistance of: Janet Taylor, Walter Herron Taylor’s granddaughter; Lucille Portlock and Peggy Hale of Kirn Library’s Sargeant Memorial Room (site of the Taylor Family Papers); as well as the guidance of my advisor and mentor, Dr. Peter C. Stewart, Associate Professor of History, Old Dominion University. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE While searching for a suitable topic to meet the requir ments for a thesis in History, this author discovered the Taylor Family Papers at the Kirn Memorial Library in Nor­ folk. These papers contain an invaluable perspective on Southern history extending from the antebellum era into the early twentieth century. This collection served as the main focus and motivating force behind the selection of "Walter Herron Taylor and His Era." Colonel Taylor's life was a reflection of the changing society combined with the growth of Norfolk from a small provincial seaport into a major urban center. Indeed, it is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate the various contributions of Walter Herron Taylor toward the development of the city of Norfolk, including his involvement in the social, political, and economic history of Virginia. This treatise will also show that Taylor's civic accom­ plishments far outweigh his more famous roles as Robert E. Lee's devoted adjutant during the Civil War and later the author of two books about his commander. Although this premise appeared as a formidable challenge, it even­ tually became a pleasant task to reveal the numerous achieve ments of the unassuming Colonel. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The Colonel's participation in Norfolk's development spanned over four decades, from the stormy Reconstruction era to the eve of America's entrance into World War I. This was a crucial period of growth for the old seaport, not equal in proportion to the "Boom periods" produced by the military expansion during the two World Wars, but significant in that it was the time during which the found­ ation of a modern city was established. Throughout these years many beneficial municipal and social reforms were aided by, or were a direct result of, Colonel Taylor's activities. Although this paper will clearly emphasize Taylor's extraordinary avocation in commerce and civic advancement, it will not overlook his function as Civil War historian and his loyal service to the Confederacy. This military phase of Taylor's life will be thoroughly documented and will shed light on the Southern patriot's mystique. His pride and love of his region were continued during his distinguished career throughout the post-war period. In summary, Walter Herron Taylor,the personification of the Renaissance man, transferred defeat in war into triumph in peace. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................ ii PREFACE ................................................. iv CHAPTER I. THE FORMATIVE Y E A R S ........................... 1 II. SOLDIER AND P A T R I O T ............................ 29 III. RECONSTRUCTION AND RENAISSANCE OF NORFOLK . 74 IV. MAN OF MANY T A L E N T S .............................. 132 CONCLUSION.................................................. 164 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................. 167 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I THE FORMATIVE YEARS Walter Herron Taylor, who became Lee’s "right hand,” was born on 13 June 1838 in the Taylor-Whittle house at the corner of Freemason and Duke Streets. This was not only one of Norfolk’s oldest houses but was also considered one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in the country.1 Walter’s birthplace was shared by six generations of the Taylor family. Mention should be made that he was a direct descendant of Adam Thoroughgood, one of the first English settlers and major landowners of the lower Tidewater region.2 His grandfather, Richard Taylor, emigrated to America in 1797 and eventually became one of Norfolk’s most prominent ^Baron F. Black, "The Taylor-Whittle House of Freemason Street," In: Norfolk Historic Foundation, Norfolk-Historic Buildings and Houses. 1972, p.l; George Tucker, Norfolk Highlights. 1584-1881 (Norfolk: George Tucker, 1972), pp. 31-32. 2j. Montgomery Seaver, Taylor Family History (Philadel­ phia: American Historical Geneological Society, 1929), pp. 8-9; Edna Mae Sollen, "Virginia Families," Richmond Times Dispatch. 10 September 1939, pp. 10-12; H. Clark Meredith, Some Old Norfolk Families and Others (Norfolk: Tidewater Typography Corp., 1976), pp. 366-67. Taylor’s English origins were traced to the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire; Richard emigrated from Long Sutton, Lincolnshire. 1 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 2 citizens.3 After Richard and his brother, John, acquainted themselves with local conditions and business prospects, they entered the field of importing and merchandising dry goods.4 The brothers were profoundly influenced by Norfolk's flourishing trade with the West Indies, Europe, and the different states of the young republic.5 Richard Taylor became interested in commerce and finance, a trait which endured in the family members through the early twentieth century. This energetic immigrant from the British Isles personified the emerging merchant class in the late eigh­ teenth century. Norfolk was a busy seaport in an agricul­ tural colony and an entity apart from the rest of Virginia. The characteristics of its people had more in common with Boston or Philadelphia than with the
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