Richard Taylor was born to one of America's most prominent military families. His grandfather, Richard Lee Taylor, had served in the American Revolution, while his father, Zachary Taylor, rode military fame all the way to the White House in 1840. During the Mexican-American War, Taylor was a military secretary for his famous father. When the Civil War broke out, Taylor began quickly rising through the ranks, leading a regiment at the Battle of First Bull Run. Taylor had all the right connections, but he was a skilled leader, quickly becoming a brigadier general under Stonewall Jackson,...