Capt. James Taggart Jr. was the second child of James Taggart Sr. and Rachel Peterson Taggart. James was born in 1801 in North Carolina and married Jane Weddle on Jan. 10, 1822, by Jackson County, Indiana, marriage record. Jane was the daughter of Elias Weddle and Nancy Weddle in Jackson County.
James Taggart settled in Washington Township before Brown County was organized as a county in April 1836. He purchased three parcels of land.
He became the second sheriff of Brown County; however, he was the first elected sheriff in the first election of the newly formed Brown County. He took office Aug. 16, 1836, and held it for three years before he went away to war.
James and Jane had 11 children: Nancy Taggart, James Weddle Taggart, Elizabeth Taggart, Susanna Taggart, William Harrison Taggart, Wesford Taggart, Rachel Taggart, Mary Jane Taggart, Franklin Peterson Taggart, Peterson Stewart Taggart and Captain Thomas Taggart.
After James died, Jane, his widow, married Zachariah Kelley on March 22, 1852, by Brown County marriage record. In the 1860 census of Washington Township, Jane and Zachariah Kelley were enumerated in the household of Jane’s son, Franklin Peterson Taggart.
Jane died May 27, 1867, age 61-6-14 by the gravestone inscription. She is buried in the Green Valley Cemetery, Washington Township, Brown County.
On the 13th of May 1846, the president of the United States called for troops to carry on the war with Mexico, which had just begun. Within a few days after receipt of the news, James Taggart, T.M. Adams, P.C. Parker, Williamson Wise, Charles Bolt and perhaps others concluded to raise a company, if possible, in Brown County for the war.
A meeting was advertised to be held in Georgetown to raise volunteers, on which occasion a large crowd gathered. The above men headed the enlistment roll with their names, and a call was made for others and was responded to by an increase to about 20 men. Another meeting was called at Nashville soon afterward, and the number of volunteers was so increased that it was seen that the completion of the company was assured.
Early in June, the complete organization of the company was affected by the election of the following officers: James Taggart, captain; Thomas M. Adams, first lieutenant; Patterson C. Parker, second lieutenant; Williamson Wise, third lieutenant. The organization was fully completed on the 8th of June and was reported thus to the governor of the state for acceptance and assignment to the Third Indiana Regiment, which was rapidly being mustered at New Albany.
On the 14th of June, orders were received from the governor for the company to proceed forthwith to New Albany and there to report to the officers of the Third Regiment. The company hastily prepared to leave on the following day, the 15th of June. They had purchased bright uniforms of bright blue jeans and had styled themselves “Brown County Blues.” A large crowd assembled to see them leave in wagons.
The company reached New Albany on the 17th of June and were mustered in as Company E of the Third Indiana Volunteers, Col. James H. Lane. The company remained in New Albany undergoing training to get ready for active duty of war.
The first of July, the company reached New Orleans where they camped upon the field made famous by General Jackson. At the end of a week, the regiment took shipping across the Gulf of Mexico to Brazos Island, encountering a severe storm on the way.
While at New Orleans, Caleb Bidwell died of measles, his death being the first in the company.
Reese Brummett and John Followell died of diseases on the Gulf and were buried beneath the waves with cannon balls at their feet.
Joshua Brummett and several others died at Brazos Island and were entombed in the sand.
After several months, the regiment was removed to Camp Belknap where Capt. James Taggart was taken sick and sent home. During his absence, Lt. Adams commanded the company.
When James recovered from his illness, he was sent back to his unit where he was killed Feb. 23, 1847, in the Battle of Buena Vista. He was buried on the battlefield.
This was the last battle of the war. An account of this battle can be found in the 1884 book by Weston Goodspeed, “History of Brown County.” This publication is sold in the gift shop in the Brown County History Center.
— Pauline Hoover, Brown County Historical Society
