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ten years old, in 1814, a colored wom¬ an, the mother of two little children, wag taken quite near his father's house, tied, gagged, thrown into a wagon, amid the criesi of her little ones, and hurried off acrossi the bor¬ der. She was sold into Georgia, and her children grew up in the Russel family.
A thrilling, yet somewhat ludicrous story is told of Joseph C. Taylor.* Hearing one June morning that a col¬ ored girl had been kidnapped nearby and was being hurried to the Mary¬ land line, he mountedl a plow horse and followed the kidnappers. He had time to think, however, that he could do nothing without arms. Stopping
*The following data have been fur¬ nished by D. F. Mag-ee, Esq.:
Joseph C. Taylor was born in the neig-hborhood of Kennett Square, in Chester county, about 1802, of Quaker parentag-e, and -was of the family of Taylors v^rell known in that section. In early life he learned the tanning' trade at a tannery in Little Britain township, and for a short time before his marirage kept the hotel in Little Britain township, at Oak Hill. He married Susan Ring Twaddell, of Ches¬ ter county, and immediately thereafter began keeping store, first at Oak Hill, and then at Ashville, in Little Britain township, which two villages are within a mile of one another. His first wife and two children he had by her, died within ten years of his mar¬ riage, and he afterwards married Jane
¦— , of Philadelphia, by whom
he had a large family of boys, who grew to manhood: B. Frank, David M., John K., Edwin C. and Howard N. The first three became soldiers in the Union army, and John K. -was killed in bat¬ tle. David M. is President of the Far¬ mers' Bank of Oxford, Edward C. was a prominent physician, and died in Oxford some years ago. B. Frank be¬ came proininent and was a Justice of the Peace at the time of his death, some ten years ago. Howard died in early manhood. Joseph C. Taylor, physically and mentally was a strong, rugged and always aggressive and fearless man. He was a militant Abolitionist, and in speech and action, in season and out, he contended for the freedom of the slaves. Located, as he was, some four to six miles north of the Mason and Dixon line,
