Born near Mount Sterling, in Morgan County, Kentucky, Taulbee attended the common schools and was tutored by his father.

During his tenure, he became embroiled in a long-running dispute with a Kentucky journalist, Charles Kincaid, who wrote a series of articles accusing Taulbee of profiting from his congressional service.

The relationship between the two men hit a breaking point in December 1887, when Kincaid published in the Louisville Times newspaper a salacious account of an affair the congressman was alleged to be having with a young government employee.

Witnesses said the two exchanged harsh insults before Taulbee grabbed the shirt collar of Kincaid and threw him backwards.

[1] Taulbee lingered for 11 days before he died from the effects of his wounds at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. on March 11, 1890.

"[citation needed] This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress