James E. Taylor (New York/Ohio, 1839-1901) original watercolor, graphite and gouache painting on paper, laid on board, depicting the Charge of the Confederate cavalry at Trevilian Station, Virginia – Confederate General Rosser's charge on General Custer's Division. Signed and dated lower right, "James E. Taylor, 1891". Oval embossed stamp, lower right corner of paper, stamped "J.M. Bristol" – possibly for James Miller, a British art supplier. Housed in an ebonized wood frame with painted gilt highlights. Sight – 22 1/4" H x 33 3/4" W. Framed – 32 1/8" H x 44" W. Note: This original illustration appears as a print illustration in "Campfire and Battlefield: history of the conflicts and campaigns of the great Civil War in the United States" by Rossiter Johnson (New York, 1896). The battle of Trevilian Station was the largest all-cavalry battle of the Civil War and the bloodiest. Union General Sheridan lost nearly 1000 men and Confederate General Hampton lost more than 800. Biography: James E. Taylor, known alternately as James Earl Taylor and James Edward Taylor, was born in Cincinnati and graduated from the University of Notre Dame at the age of 16. He enlisted in the Tenth New York Infantry (National Zouaves) in 1861. While a soldier, he sent his battlefield drawings to Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and was hired as a "special artist" when he left the army in 1863. For the remainder of the war, he traveled with the Union Army in Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina focusing particularly on panoramas of battles and the settings of the war. Leslie published 61 of his wartime drawings. (Source: The Becker Collection). Provenance: The collection of internationally known ragtime pianist and historian Johnny Maddox, Gallatin, TN. CONDITION: Examined out of frame. Paper adhered to board. Overall toning to paper. Approx. 2 1/2" repaired tear upper right margin, scratches to paper upper mid-margin with a couple of areas of spotting, dampstaining upper left margin with some rubbing/losses to image. 9" vertical mark bottom right side. 1 1/2" scratch with loss to left mid-margin.