A Veteran's Death

There died at the home of his daughter Mrs. Celia Losee, in Lansing, yesterday morning full of years and enjoying the high esteem and respect of all who knew him, a man who was probably more instrumental than any other in bringing about the construction of the soldiers' monument at Detroit. He was the Rev. George Taylor, who from 1849 to about 1870 held different pastorates in this county, except duirng the years of the war when he was a chaplain in the army, and was for several years of that time a resident of Ann Arbor. In addition to Mrs. Losee he leaves one son, Rev. Sibley G. Taylor, of Cheboygan. The remains of the deceasd clergyman will be brought to Ann Arbor tomorrow on the 11:10 a. m. train on the Michigan Central, and will be taken at once to Forest Hill cemetery, where they will be interred beside those of Mrs. Taylor, who died several years aso. Rev. George Taylor was bom in the little village of Mereworth, Kent coanty, England, 87 years ago. His father was an industrious rnechanio. George was the fourth of nine childreu. His boyhood was spent at home, wbere be obtained an ednoation in the village schools. At the age of 20 hewas grauted a lioeuse to preacb in the Wesleyan Methodist churoh. He preaohed for two years, but at the eud of that period decided to emigrate to America. From New York he weut to Rochester, where he preacbed aud subsequently was assigned pastora,tes at Pittsford, Victor aud Mendon, remaiuiug iu the latter place oue year. Failing bealth obliged him to give up bis ministerial labors for a time, but wheu he recovered he recived an assignmeut to Perry, where he reruained for seveu years. In 1849 he removed to jiichigan, aud soun after his a.rival in Detroit uuited witb the Methodist couference. His first pastorate was at Saline, where he remaiued oue year. From there he weut to Ypsilauti for two years, aud in 1852 was assigned to preach in Detroit in the old cburoh on Congress st, which was burned in 1855 or 1856. At the end of bis Detroit service he ministered to the spiritual needs of the people of Pontiac, Rcmeo and Fliut, stayiug two years at each place. In 18(30 he gave up his regular work and supplied vairous churches, preaohing at Howell, Pontiac, Ann Arbor and Milford until the war broke out. At the corumencenieufc of the rebellion he was located at Milford and soon after hostilities began be weut totbe front as chaplain of the Eigbth Michigan iufantry, which was recruited mostly in the surrounding connties. He remaiued with his regiment nntil forced by il] health to tesign his oommission and return to Aun Arbor, wbere his faruily was louated daring his absence. He preaohed for sonie time at Aun Arbor and other points in the irumediate vicinity, and was also couneoted with the Chr:8:ian commission during and after the war. Shortly after the close of the war efforts were made to raise funds for the construction of a soldiers' monument at Detroit. These efforts met with but little success for some time, and the projectors realized that somethiug must be done. Several years rolled by and the monument was still a thing of the future. About the year 18Ö8, the late John Owen sent for Mr. Taylor to ome to Detroit. Upon his arrival there he was told of the slow progress the monument associaion was making in securing funds, and he was asked to assist thern. Mr. Taylor accepted an offer frorn the monument associatiou to lecture and collect mouey throughout the state for the enterprise. He secnred leave of absence from his conference, although he did not sever his membership with that body or give up the ministry. Por years he devoted his entire time to the raising of fuuds for the erection of the monument which now adorns Cadillac square. In company with officers and membeis of the association he made addresses and dolivered leotures in all parts of the state in tbe interest of the tribute to the valor of M chigan's héroes of the wat. Meetings were held in all the larger cities of the state and were addressed upou scones and incidents of the war by Mr. Taylor and his associates. Although often discouraged and disbeartened, he porsevered, and it was largely throngh his efforts tbat success at last crowued the efforts of the assooiation and they were enabled to close a contract for the ereotion of the monument with Randolph Rogers, the famons sculptor, who was bom iu Ann Arbor, but at that time was iu Italy. The total aruonnt raised for the monument was sometbing over $80,000, which represents the sum it cost. For a unmber of years after the completion of the monnmeut Mr. Taylor continuad hia work in the rninistry, preaching at various points in the state, bat abont 15 yeats ago, oíd age and failing health obliged him to give np active work, and he made bis home witb a daughter in Detroit, where be resided for nearly 15 years. Alisfortunes came in nis oíd age, bnt be bore theru patiently and murmured not that bis lot was not a happier one. Untü about a year ago he was living with bis daughter and her hushand in Detroit. Siuce then he and bis danghter lived in Lansing.