George Taliaferro Ward (1810 – May 5, 1862) was a major cotton planter and politician from Leon County, Florida.

Ward was born in Fayette County, Kentucky, and moved with his family to Tallahassee, Florida Territory, in 1825.

A major planter in central Florida, George Ward owned Waverly, his wife's Southwood, and Clifford Place plantations.

Planters were known for conducting duels to carry out challenges of honor, and tensions rose in the years before the American Civil War.

The petition drew attention to the fact that their six-month enlistment period was up and that the troops wished to return home.

Ward, along with Abraham K. Allison, led a faction of the convention who wished to delay secession to see if Georgia and Alabama would secede first.

[5] Though Ward did eventually sign Florida's Ordinance of Secession, he was reluctant to do so, stating "When I die, I want it inscribed upon my tombstone that I was the last man to give up the ship.

Ward's remains were left when the 2nd Florida retreated but several volunteers returned to retrieve the body under enemy fire.