FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2025
New Historical Marker to Recognize James T. S. Taylor, Black Civil War Soldier and Local Politician
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - On Friday, November 21, at 11:00 AM, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History will unveil a state historical marker at the 1st Street South entrance to Oakwood Cemetery.
The marker will recognize James T. S. Taylor, a Black Civil War soldier and local politician. Taylor grew up in Charlottesville and served as a sergeant in the 2nd United States Colored Infantry. After the war, he became a leader in Charlottesville’s Republican Party, and he was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867-68. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. The new marker was funded by the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History.
Parking for the unveiling is available on 1st Street South, across the street from Oakwood Cemetery. The Nau Center’s website and press release for this event are accessible here.
The approved text will read as follows on the historical marker:
James T. S. Taylor (1840-1918)
James T. S. Taylor, a free Black shoemaker, grew up in Charlottesville and served as a sergeant in the 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry during the Civil War. As a newspaper correspondent, he wrote wartime letters detailing Black soldiers’ experiences and protesting racial injustice. He later became a leader in Charlottesville’s Republican Party. He was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1867-68, where he championed Black suffrage and civil rights. In 1881, he supported the Readjuster Party, a biracial reform coalition that abolished the poll tax and invested in public education. Taylor remained an active Republican into the 20th century and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery.
Media Contacts
Caroline E. Janney
Director
Nau Civil War Center
cej4b@virginia.edu
Brian C. Neumann
Managing Director & Digital Historian
Nau Civil War Center
bcn3xu@virginia.edu