Taylor

Taylor, a Black man, was born into slavery in Kentucky and was liberated by Union troops before enlisting in the 1st Michigan Colored Infantry in August 1864. After the war he worked for a farmer in Delhi Township. He was held in the Ingham County Jail in Mason, Michigan, and on the night of August 27, 1866, a mob took him from his cell and hanged him near the railroad depot in Mason. Mason citizens later passed a resolution condemning the killing, and a man said to have led the mob was tried and acquitted.

Cause of death, as reported: Taken from custody and lynched. A Detroit dispatch reported that a mob took Taylor from the Mason jail and hanged him from a tree, and a historical marker says the mob took him from his cell near the railroad depot.

Reported by: Detroit dispatch, reprinted in The Day Book citing the Tribune (reporters); Evening Star (reporters); The Daily Phoenix (reporters); Detroit dispatch (press report) (reporters); Delhi newspaper item reprinted from another paper (reporters); historical marker.

Sources (10)

• John Taylor, Mason, Michigan, August 27, 1866 James Madison University Libraries, Lynching Markers, August 27, 1866
• The Evening Argus, August 28, 1866, page 2 The Evening Argus, August 28, 1866
• The Portland Daily Press, August 29, 1866, page 1 The Portland Daily Press, August 29, 1866
• Evening Star, August 30, 1866, page 1 Evening Star, August 30, 1866
• Rutland Weekly Herald, August 30, 1866, page 6 Rutland Weekly Herald, August 30, 1866
• The Daily Dispatch, August 31, 1866, page 3 The Daily Dispatch, August 31, 1866
• The Day Book, September 1, 1866, page 2 The Day Book, September 1, 1866
• The Daily Phoenix, September 2, 1866, page 2 The Daily Phoenix, September 2, 1866
• The Daily Gate City, September 2, 1866, page 1 The Daily Gate City, September 2, 1866
• The Western Democrat, September 4, 1866, page 3 The Western Democrat, September 4, 1866