Grey Blue Water - Daniel Taylor
The nineteenth century was a time for growth, decisive actions, and cultural advancements. Driven by their fledgling freedom, those now living in the young America thirsted for innovation and desired to achieve lofty goals.
Soon, many settlers would pack up belongings, their families, and their dreams and travel across the dusty trails to the Country of Texas. Under the sultry desert sun, abundant resources and a burgeoning population would become the economic catalyst that would raise the tides and fortunes of many.
As thoughts of war loomed on the horizon, forward thinking John Douglas Taylor began to utilize his newly attained economic prosperity in an ingenious way— converting a riverboat steamer into a hospital ship. For Taylor, his family’s heritage would become forever linked to the Red Rover.
Ultimately, the Red Rover would be commandeered by the Confederacy and thrust into service on November 7, 1861. The ship would initially serve as a confederate barracks ship and floating battery in New Madrid, MO. During an early engagement, stationed close to Island Number 10, the Red Rover suffered damage and would eventually be abandoned as crew quarters. On April 7, when Island Number 10 eventually fell, Red Rover was seized by union forces. Later, the ship would be repaired and cast back into the fray under the Union flag.
Utilizing a plethora of handwritten correspondence from the visionary builder John D. Taylor, author and descendant Daniel Taylor casts a revealing light on the times, people, and places of the mid-1800s.
“Grey Blue Water illustrates the historical and cultural significance of the Taylor family in a well-written recounting of life and times in the mid-19th Century,” said Kathie McGuire, director of Brighton Publishing LLC. “Author Daniel Taylor presents a tale of determined and industrious people living in a transformative age fueled by innovation.”
Author Daniel Taylor was born in New Orleans, but finds himself spending much of his time working in the Washington, D.C. area. The legacy of Mr. Taylor’s ancestors continues to ignite his writing spirit while spurring him onward in historical research and his sincere dedication to promote the truth as seen through the eyes of those that lived it. Currently, Mr. Taylor calls Manassas, Virginia his home.
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