attacks. At the Battle of Front Royal on May 23, the First Battle of Winchester on May 25, and finally at the climactic Battle of Port Republic on June 9, Taylor led the 9th Infantry in timely assaults against strong enemy positions. His brigade consisted of various Louisiana regiments, as well as Major Chatham Roberdeau Wheat's "Louisiana Tiger" battalion. The undisciplined lot was known for its hard fighting on the battlefield, but also for its hard living outside. Taylor instilled discipline into the Tigers and, although Major Wheat did not agree with his methods, he came to respect Taylor. Taylor subsequently traveled with the rest of Jackson's command to take part in the Seven Days Battles around Richmond. Attacks of rheumatoid arthritis left him crippled for days at a time and unable to command in battle. For instance, Taylor was unable to leave his camp and command his brigade around this time. He missed the Battle of Gaines Mill, and Col. Isaac Seymour, commanding the brigade in his absence, was killed in action. Taylor was promoted to the rank of major general on July 28, 1862. He was the youngest major general in the Confederacy. When Taylor was promoted over three more senior commanders, they complained of favoritism. President Davis wrote them a letter that noted Taylor's leadership capabilities and promise, and said that Taylor had been recommended by General Jackson. He was ordered to Opelousas, Louisiana, to conscript and enroll troops in the District of Western Louisiana, part of the Trans-Mississippi Department, west of the river. The historian John D. Winters wrote that Taylor was: After his service as a recruit officer, Taylor was given command of the tiny District of West Louisiana. Governor Thomas Overton Moore had insistently requested a capable and dedicated officer to assemble the state's defenses and to help counter Federal forays into the state. Before Taylor returned to Louisiana, Federal forces in the area had raided throughout much of southern Louisiana. During the spring of 1862, Union forces came upon Taylor's Fashion plantation and plundered it. Taylor found the district almost completely devoid of troops and supplies. However, he did the best with these limited resources by securing two capable subordinates, veteran infantry commander Jean-Jacques "Alfred" Mouton, and veteran cavalry commander Thomas Green. These two commanders would prove crucial to Taylor's upcoming campaigns in the state. During 1863, Taylor directed an effective series of