Thomas Taylor was born in Amelia County, Virginia on September 10, 1743. A resident of Richland County, South Carolina, he served as a colonel in the Camden District Brigade of the South Carolina State Troops from 1780 to 1783. He was captured during the Battle of Fishing Creek in August 1780 but escaped and continued to lead troops throughout the remainder of the war. He died in Richland County on November 16, 1833.