Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-06-04

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but for his peculiar relations 10 Zachary
Taylor, whose daughter he had married by
stealth, in opposition to the expressed
wishes and positive commands Of her IA
ther. General (then Col) Taylor said to
his daughter, "If you marry Lieut.. Davis,
| will never sec your face again, dead or
alive" The infatuated girl, nevertheless,
eloped with Davis, who had taken adyan-
tage of the patronage of his commanding
officer, and violated the laws Of hospitality
by secretly gaining the affections Of his
daughter. In such adherence did Zacha-
ry Taylor hold Davis, that he kept his
word with frmness that may be deemed
pitiless cruelty. When, in the course Of
time, his disobedient daughter lay on her
death.b bed, she sent to him penitent mes
sage, entreating him to visit her, that she
might die in peace, with her fathers bles-
sing. or his forgiveness, the stern reply of
the iuexorable old man was: IL warned
yeu that ifever you married that man, |
would never see you again, living or dead.
and I never viu" And 80 the unfortu-
nate lady died, unblest and unforgiven by
him.
When Davis came under the immediate
command Of his father.in-law in the Mexi-
can war, Gen. Taylor refused to recognize
him in any way, except officially, as in CIV
ing orders, and in other matters Of purely
military form and duty.
There was a two-fold obstacle to Tay-
lor's performance of his duty in the Buena
Vista matter. Davis was his son-in-law,
and was at the same time known to be the
object of his hatred and adherence He
could not we'll have escaped suspicion Of
bad motives or personal feeling in either
view.
A friend to whom / read the foregoing a
short time since, gave me the following
sketch of Davis relations to an old Miss
issippian. renowned for desperate and rcck-
less courage: Alexander McClung often
proved himself, on the battle field and on
the duelling ground, man of dauntless
and unsurpassed valor, showing an abso-
lutte contempt for death on every occasion
that presented. He killed many men with
his own hand, and finally shot himself in
the head.
happened to be in constant comm uni
cation with Col. A. r. MoClung of Miss
issippi, in l949 and 1850, and had almost
daily conversation with him in relation to
prominent Mississippians. AS matter
of course, JEFF. Davis was frequently named,
and for him McClung entertained the most
supreme contempt. He said that jeff was
not man of true courage-that he wished
to be regarded as a duellist; but in giving
q challenge, would always cast about for a
non-combatant and would exercise enough
prudence to creep out of accepting one from
an antagonist over whom he had not great
advantage. McClung said, on one Occa-
sion:
II am very sorry ever fought a duel
1t is not a pleasant business; and yet l
would like to fight one more, with one man,
and that man is Jefferson Davis, because |
think the United States will be better with
out him. He will not fight me, he is too
great a coward. In fact, he is not now,
never was, and never will be brave man,
in the true sense of the word. He is
dangerous and willy politician, loaded down
with vanity and self conceit, wishing only
for his own aggrandizement, and he cares
not at what expense or how many desolate
households. He thinks of himself and
himself only, and l should not be surprised
to find him, one of these days, taking such
a step in public as will place his neck in
halter, for he is a bad man and sceun-
drel, and l have frequently denounced him
as such before the people of Mississippi;
and the dirty poltrOon and artful villain
never had the courage to resent it"
These conversations occurred on board
the ship, b. Gardner master. on our pas
sage from New York to Valparaiso. Mr..
McClung was on his way to Bolivia, as
Charge d. Affaires from the United States.
= DR.. Olmstead.