Taylor, William O., 1855-1923

William O. Taylor served in the 7th Cavalry under General Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn. He was born in Canandaigua, New York, and enlisted in the Army at Troy, New York on January 17, 1872. Between 1872 and 1876, Taylor served under Custer in both his Yellowstone and Black Hills expeditions. During the Battle of Little Big Horn in June of 1876, his company was split from the main body of the regiment and put under the command of Major Marcus Reno; Reno's regiment then took one path, while Custer's took another. Custer's regiment was slaughtered, while Reno's, upon encountering the Sioux, retreated across the Little Big Horn River. It was for this reason that Taylor did not die alongside Custer in the battle. Taylor was discharged from the Army in January of 1877 at Fort Rice, Dakota Territory. After his discharge, he moved to Orange, Massachusetts. He spent the next thirty years working as a metal polisher at the New Home Sewing Machine Company. He collected voluminous materials on the battle, and eventually wrote a manuscript about his experiences that he entitled.

"With Custer on the Little Big Horn." The manuscript was completed in 1917, but was only recently published in 1996 by Viking Press. Taylor died in 1923. He was 68 years old.