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Moses Taylor, Sr. performed Patriotic Service during the American Revolution when he paid for supplies for the revolution. This is according to Haun, North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts, Book B, Part XIII, P 1840, Voucher #130. Although he may have been born in Virginia, he is credited with his service in North Carolina where he appears to have purchased land in Craven County in 1756. 

Many people in Butler County share a connection with the Taylor family as research shows Moses Taylor Sr. had seven sons and five daughters including: Joseph Sr. married Mary Slade in 1785; Moses Jr. married Sidney Marshall in 1788; James married Chloe Marshall in 1795 (sisters); Thomas (Alfred) married Elizabeth Taylor in 1808; Redding married Polly Machsay in 1801; John Prevatte married Hughanna Carr in 1803; Absolum married Polly Robinson in 1818; Elizabeth married William Beasley in 1784; Sina married Samuel Biggers; Sally (Sarah) married Robert Daugherty in 1784; Nancy married Daniel Daugherty in 1786 (Brothers); Polly (Ann) married Peter Taylor Jr. of Va. in 1810. Some of those sons-in-laws also served in the Revolution.

In the fall of 1794, heeding the call of the west, his family planned a 1795 move to Kentucky, a new state since 1792. A large group including family, friends and neighbors made the move using wagons with teams of oxen and horses. They carried household items and brought their livestock. They traveled across North Carolina and probably came into Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap. They traveled quite often on the rivers as overland routes had not yet been built. It is said they used the wood from the flatboats to build the early cabins. Many of them settled in the Gasper River area of what is now Warren County, KY, building those cabins and clearing land for the planting of crops. Some moved on north or west and ended up in Butler County, KY or further on into Indiana, Mississippi and Texas.

Moses Taylor, my 5th great grandfather, was born about 1730 in Virginia and died on March 4, 1817, in Warren County, KY near the Gasper River. He married Elizabeth Prevatte (1743-1833) in Craven County, North Carolina in about 1761. They had seven sons, one of which was Moses Taylor, Jr, my 4th great grandfather, born about 1765 in NC and died on March 13, 1830, in Warren County, KY. Moses Jr. married Sidney Marshall (1765- ???) on July 23, 1788, in Craven County, NC. They had a daughter Sidney Taylor, my 3rd great grandmother, born September 21, 1799, in North Carolina and died on June 14, 1880, in Butler County, KY. She married Edward Cowan McCoy (1798-1849) on March 28, 1819, in Warren County, KY. They had a son Edward Burton “Bert” McCoy, my 2nd great grandfather, on September 11. 1828 in KY and died on November 2, 1849, in Butler County. Bert married Martha Patsy Givens (1825-1914) on June 7, 1849, in Butler County. Bert and Patsy had a son, Edward Thomas “Tom” McCoy, my great grandfather on February 24, 1858, in KY, who died on March 4, 1938, in Butler County. Tom married Mary Belle Foster (1860-1940) on October 23, 1877, in Butler County, KY. They had a son Moses Turner McCoy, my grandfather, on January 11, 1881, in Butler County who died on March 4, 1938. Moses married Lossie Mayhugh (1886-1971) on December 12, 1903, in Butler County. Moses and Flossie had a son, Ezra McCoy, my father, on November 5, 1911, in Butler County who died on October 14, 1968, in Morgantown, Butler County. Ezra married Rhoda Arlene Beliles (1907-1998) on December 14, 1935, in Warren County, KY.

As part of America 250, the Butler County Chapter NSDAR members will be continuing our series of articles about our Patriots of the American Revolution. If you have a Revolutionary Patriot in your family line and are interested in joining our chapter please contact the Regent, Lynda O’Driscoll at 270.734.5137 or any member.