Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-02-21
Marriage Of Jefferson Davis
and Zachary Taylor's
Daughter.

Mrs, J. II. Rabb, wealthy widow
and an old resident of vincennes, is
preparing to commemorate In
unique manner the courtshlp of Jeffer-
son Davis, then Lieutenant in the
United States Army. but afterwards
President of the Confederate States,
and Miss Mary Knox Taylor, second
daughter of Colonel Zachary Taylor,
afterward President of the United
States According to the local tradl-
tion Taylor was in command of the
fort near Vincennes at the opening OF
the Black Hawk War in 1882, and Da-
Wis was a Lieutenant under his COM
mand. Near the fort, and on what is
now farm belonging to James Wyatt,
was large stone, which lay partly
above and partly buried in the ground.
The young Lieutenant and Miss Tay-
lor formed a deep attachment for each
other, and often walked out on the
prairie surrounding the fort, and fire.
quently seated themselves ON this
stone.
On one of these occasions. while
seated on this stone, Davis proposed to
Miss Taylor and was accepted. 1t is
said that Colonel Taylor said to a
friend at the fort, when the engage
ment became known, that he hadno OBJ
jections to his daughters suitor, ex-
cept that he was a soldier and that he
himself knew the privations Of a SOL
dier's family and would save his
daughter from such a fate. When Da-
Wis asked the hand of his daughter,
however, this objection was waived
and consent was given.
Among their acqraintances at Vim
cennes, both Davis and Miss Taylor
spoke of the pleasant hours they had
passed seated on the old stone. and in
one of these references to their even
ing walks Davis told of proposing to
Miss Taylor while seated on it. 1t was
shortly after this that Taylor and his
prospective son-in-law found them
selves of opposing opinions in respect
to the appearance Of an officer at a
court martial without his uniform, the
young Lieutenant voting with an Of
ficer named Smith, between whom and
| Taylcr there was a bitter enmity. Fol-
lowing this episode Colonel Taylor
withdrew his consent to the marriage
but Davis and Miss Taylor continued
their association, which was now con-
fined to walks upon the prairie, where
the old stone became their favorite
uysting place, and which resulted in
a determination to marry without the
consent of her father Davis soon af-
ter resigned from the army and ne and
Miss Taylor were married at the home
Of an aunt of the bride in Kentucky.
1t is this series OF events that Mrs.
Rabb proposes to commemorate, and
the stone has been brought from
the Wyatt farm, and is now lying near
the front door of her home. She is en-
gagged in securing The exact dates of
Lieutenant Davis's stay at the fort and
his first meeting with Miss Taylor, and,
If possible, of the day on which he
proposed TO her AS soon as the data
can be secured, this stone will be
smoothed and polished and the events
will be recorded upon it in the order
in which they occurred. The local
historical society of Vlncennes is in
terested in the work also, and when
the record is complete and placed on
the stone it will be turned over to the
city with appropriate ceremonies
Indianapolis Spe New York Tribune.