The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-07-18
GENERAL TAYLOR.

Zachary Taylor, the second son of Richard
Taylor, colonel in the army of the Revolution,
was born in Orange county, Virginia, November,
1856, and died July 9, 1850, in his siKty-sixth
year.
His youth was passed among the pioneers Of
Kentucky, where his taste for military life, prob
ably inherited, was greatly stimulated. At the
commencement Of hostiities with Great Britain,
he was appointed by President Jefferson, a lieu
,@1sni in the 7ih -aoi'a.,ot 81 i7 tssf,:tr-
| During the war, he served under General Hsr-
rison in his northwestern campaign against the
Indians, and having been promoted to a cap
taincy, was intrusted with the defence Of Fort
Harrison, with fifty men, half Of them unfit for
duty. A strong party Of the Indians, under the
Prophet the brother Of Tecuuche, made mid
night attack upon it, but he was prepared, and
after battle which lasted till six o'clock in the
morning, completely repulsed them. Soon after,
he took prominent part in the expedition under
Major General Hopkins, against the Prophets
town, and on his return, found letter from Pres
ident Madison comforting upon him majors
brevet for his gallant defence of Fort Harrison.
| After the close Of the war, he remained In the
service in the West, till the year 1892, when he
was promoted to the rank of Colonel. He was
ordered to Florida, at early stage of the Semi
mole war, and on the 25th of October, 1887, in
hard-fought battle at Okeechobee, routed the In
dams For this he was honored with the brevet
rank of brigadier general, and in 1888, was ap-
pointed to succeed General yesup in the CON-
msnd Of the forces in florida.
La ls4l, he was ordered to Fort Gibson to take
command Of the second department; and on the
18th of September, 1914, was directed to hold the
troops between the Red River and the Sabine in
readiness to march as might be indicated by the
Charge Of the United States near Texas. In
ls45, his forces were concentrated at Corpus
Christi.
In obedience to orders, he planted his troops on
the Goth Of March, 1916, on the Rio Grande OPP
posite Matamoras Here Captain Thornton's
command was cut to pieces by the Mexican army
and war was then declared by the Congress of
the United States to exist. Next followed the
victories Of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma,
achieved by General Taylor, over forces outnum-
bering his own. In the former, the Americans
numbered 1T officers, and 2,1ll men, against
5000 Mexicans; and in the latter, 173 officers,
and | 700 men, against more than 5000 Mexicans
Soon after these battles Of the Sth and 9th of
May he was breveted Major General in the
United States Army.
He next marched upon Monterey, arriving there
on the 10th of September. He commenced an
ha Oh sha
about carrying the city at the point Of the bayo-
net, when General Ampudia capitulated. His
forces consisted of 425 officers, and 6,22O men.
His artillery consisted Of one i0-inch mortar, two
24-pound howitzers, and four light field batteries
Of four guns-the mortar being the only piece
servceable for siege. The town works were
armed with forty-two pieces Of cannon, and man.
ned with force Of at least 1000 troops of the
line and from ., 600 to 5000 irregulsrs.
We find him next advancing in the interior Of
Mexico at the head of 400 men, not more than
900 being regular troops.
"Here he received intelligence that Santa Anna
was advancing on him and he fell back to Buena
Vista--a strong position between Aqua Nueva
and Saltillo On the 22d of February, the battle
was commenced by Santa Anna, at the head Of
10000 well-appointed soldiers. The particulars
of this battle are familiar to all 1t continued
through the 23d and, although General Tsy-
lor's defeat seemed to be inevitable, yet he sue
ceeded by skill, and by the courage and devotion
of his officers and men, in repulsing the over
whelmug forces Of the enemy, and throwing them
back into a desert where thousands perishedo
In ls47 General Taylor returned to the United
States in the spring of 1913, he was nominated
by the Wings as their candidate for the Presi-
dency to which he was elected in November Of
the same year and on the 5th Of March, 1919, ne
was inaugurated. Seventeen months thereafter,
he who had passed unscathed through the perils
of camp life for forty years, and escaped the man.
fold deaths of many an Indian and Mexican bat
tle-feld, is suddenly stricken down by disease,
and the grave closes over the remains Of the
weather beaten soldier.
"The campaigns Of Mexico" says the Albany
Atlas "made many famous names, but how many
untimely grsves7 The seeds Of glory were the
seeds of death, to the gallant Worth, Gaines,
Kearny, Duncan, Kirby, and to the illustrious
Chief of all, who has now fallen.