The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-06-13
GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR.

cations Of General Taylor, who now stands
30 splcuously before the whole country
as the commander Of the army OF oCcupa-
ion, we extract from one of our exchanges
,he following sketch, Il will be fsund in
leresing:
General Taylor entered The army in
1903, Immediately aner the attack on the
and has been in the service Of
his country from that time to the present.
fIaving entered the army as a lieutenant
II infantry he had risen 10 the command
# a company at The beginning Of the last
war
For his gallant defence Of Fort Harrison
the 5,h September, 1912, President Mad
son conferred upon him the brevet rank of
Major, and he is now The oldest brevsl in
The army.
Ia 1892, he became The Colonel Of the
9Th infantry, with this regiment he went to
Florida in 1896, where he was always
foremost in danger.
On the 25Ih December, 1896, Col. Tay-
lor, al The head Of a detachmen. Of a6ou,
500 men, composed Of parts of The lst 4lh
and 9Th regiments Of United States lnfan
try and some Missouri volunteers, net a.
bou, 700 Indians under Alligator, Sam Jones
and Coa.coo-chee on the banks, Of the
O-ke-cho>bee This battle was sough,
bv the Indians for the day before the en-
gagemen,, Col. Taylor received a challenge
from Alligator. telling him where to find
him. and bantering him TO come on-COl,
Tsyl lor desired noting better and immediate.
Iy pushed on a. rapid march to the ex-
pected battle ground, fearful that the willy
Indian might change his purpose. The In
dams had strong position in thick swamp
covered in 'front.' by small stream. whose
quicksands rendered it almost impossible
bat he pushed through the quichsands and
swamps in The face Of deadly fire from
\ concealed foe, driving the Indians before
him.
The action was long and severe. The
Indians yielding the ground inch by inch,
and then only at the point Of the bayonet,
After three hours Of bloody contest, The In-
dans were routed and pursued with grea.
slaughter, until night This was the las'
stand the Indians ever made, in a large
body, and the only instance in which they
voluntarily gave battle, Though Col. Tay-
loI won the day, it was at the expense Of
| 80 killed and wounded d-more than one
Fourth OF his whole force. Two colonies,
Colonel Thompson Of the 9TH infantry and
Colonel Genlrv of the Missouri volunteers,
Tell al the head of the troops. Capt. Fan
Swearngen and Lieuts. Brooke and Garter
also fell in The engagement.
During the whole of the engagement,
Col. Taylor remained on horseback. pass
ing from point to point, cheering his men
TO The conflict, and exposed 10 the indian
rifle at every moment.
For this battle, Mr., Poinset, Secretary
of War, rendered merited praise to all en-
gagged. in his communication to Congress.
The brev4t of Brgadler General was con-
ferred on Col Taylor, and he was given
the chief command in Florida, which he
resigned in 1910, after four or five years
ardueus and inGefa'igabIe service in the
,wamps and hammocks of Florida
After his retirement from Florida, he was
assigned TO the command Of the lst depart,
nenl of the army, including the States Of
LOUISIANA, Mississippi, Alabama, &c. with
us headquarters al Fort JessuP, Louis
lana.
His position gave him the command o
he army OF occupation but the usage o
he service would have justified the
Government in assigning 10 that command
either of the six general officers of tht
regular army, whose rank is higher thar
his.
But it may be fairly presumed that thu
high character, gallant services and grea
experience of Gen. Taylsr, aside from hi
geographical position, pointed him out a
me appropriate commander of an army
which was to plan, our flag upon the bank
Of The Rio del Noue.
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