Dr. R. B. Tacy (spelled Tacy in the source document, though often read or transcribed as Tracy) was a French surgeon who served in the French Navy under Napoleon Bonaparte.
When Napoleon was banished to the island of St. Helena, Dr. Tacy, like many of the Emperor’s loyal officers and men, fled to America. He eventually settled in the mountains near Boyer, West Virginia.
His life on the Appalachian frontier is defined by a remarkable Civil War legend:
The "Old War Horse" at the Battle of Allegheny
In December 1861, when the Battle of Allegheny Mountain broke out on the heights above his home, the roar of the heavy artillery was too much for the old surgeon to resist. Though he was an elderly man around eighty years old, his military instincts flared.
Dr. Tacy shouldered a gun loaded with buckshot, rode directly into the heat of the battle, and fired sixteen rounds of sixteen buckshot. The spirited old veteran later maintained that he personally accounted for at least sixteen casualties among the invading Union ranks. His son, William Tacy, also fought in the battle as a soldier in the Confederate army.
Family and Legacy
- Wife: Pauline Jean Tacy, who passed away on January 9, 1867. She is buried at the family's home place near Boyer.
- Daughter: Lucy Tacy Doyle, who married into the local Doyle family. While some of Dr. Tacy's children were born in France, Lucy is believed to have been born in America.
- Grandson: Mr. Doyle, who preserved these family memories, recalled that his grandfather's first names were likely Robert Benjamin.
- Final Resting Place: Dr. Tacy died on June 9, 1865. He is buried at the John Wanless place on Thorny Creek.
The history of the French settlers near Boyer centers on the fascinating lives of Dr. R. B. Tacy (believed to be Robert Benjamin Tacy) and his wife, Pauline Jean Tacy.
Origins and Escape to America
Dr. Tacy served as a surgeon in the French Navy under Napoleon Bonaparte. Following the defeat of the French Empire and the banishment of Napoleon to the remote island of St. Helena, Dr. Tacy—along with a wave of Napoleon’s loyal officers and soldiers—fled Europe to seek refuge in America.
He chose to make a home in the rugged mountain wilderness near Boyer. While some of the couple's children were born in France, their daughter, Lucy Tacy Doyle, is believed to have been born after their arrival in America. Lucy tragically passed away when her own children were still quite small.
A Father and Son on the Battlefield
The Tacys' quiet life on the mountain frontier was violently disrupted by the outbreak of the American Civil War, leading to an extraordinary local legend during the Battle of Allegheny Mountain in December 1861:
- William Tacy (The Son): William was a regular soldier in the Confederate Army. His unit was positioned directly on the mountain heights rising right above his family's home.
- Dr. R. B. Tacy (The Father): Although Dr. Tacy was an elderly man estimated to be about eighty years old, the deafening roar of the artillery awakened his old military surgeon instincts. Unable to stay behind, the "old war horse" shouldered a gun, loaded it heavily with buckshot, and rode straight into the middle of the battle. He managed to fire off sixteen rounds of sixteen buckshot each. The spirited veteran later boasted to his family that he had personally accounted for at least sixteen Union casualties during the fighting.
Burial Locations
The French surgeon and his wife passed away shortly after the Civil War ended and are buried in separate locations in the area:
- Dr. Tacy died on June 9, 1865. He is buried at the John Wanless place on Thorny Creek.
- Pauline Jean Tacy died on January 9, 1867. She was laid to rest at their original home place near Boyer.
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