Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-06
'aaistsllaneous Rsadias.
JEFFERSON oAvIss ROMANCE.
His Runaway Match With General
TayIor's Daughter.

Jefferson Davis, which occurred whel
he was young second lieutenant Il
the army, and about which the friend
Of the Taylor family were as loath t.
speak as was himself, was his runawa!
match with Sarah Taylor, daughte
OF Gen. Zachary Taylor, afterwarc
president of the United States.
occurred while Gen. Taylor, then {
colonel in the United States army
and Lieut.. Davis were stationed a
Fort Crawford. Prairie du Chen, Wis.
Col Taylor being in command Of th'
garrison.
Lieut.. Davis was graduated from
West Point In 1928, and was assigned
to service in an infantry regiment ther
stationed at Fort Crawford. Prairie dl
Chien, one Of the oldest settlement.
in the United States. was at tina
time In the territory of Michigan, bu
was afterward Incorporated in the new
state OF Wyoming.
| Col Taylor when he went to com
mand at Fort Crawford had alread!
earned for himself the nickname o.
Old Rough and Ready for he hat
been engaged In frontier fighting al
most from the time he Joined th'
army after leaving West Point
Though noted throughout the coun
try as a soldier, he was a man Of do
mestic tastes and was deeply attached
to his family. Because Of the fact tina
since his own marriage he had had NJ
ornament abiding place, he was op'
posed to the idea Of his daughters mar
ying army officers.
Mrs. Taylor was also averse to tht
idea. A Maryland woman by birth
she was also extremely domestic II
her tastes, with no liking for displa.
Dr social prominence, and she wanted
her daughters when they married t
have settled homes. Her idea Of hap
mess was to be a southern matror
at the head Of home, Of which th'
master should be planter or states
| nan.
General Taylor, too, had great ad'
miration for business men, and though
great mistake for young men t.
enter the army IL they could follow {
business or professional career. There
fore, when. young Lieutenant Davi!
anne wooing Miss Taylor, he was giveI
to understand that her parents wert
lnalterably opposed to army officers a.
| hu sbands.s
The commandant's home was the
centre Of social life at Prairie du Chier
and both OF the daughters Of the house
were much admired. Sarah, the sec
md daughter, was still in her teen.
when she fell in love with Lieutenant
Davis Her sister Ann was afterwart
married to a Maryland gentleman
named Wood. -.
| Lieutenant Davis and Miss Sarai
Taylor became engaged, and as tradi'
tion affirms, they made a runaway mar
riage. seizing the opportunity for 81
doing when Col. Taylor was absen
from the post on military duty.
A man who afterward became widely
known In. Wisconsin, Daniel r. Burt
was pioneer Of that state, and at the
time that Col. Taylor was the com.
mandant at Fort Crawford lived on the
post road between Fort Crawford ant
iGalena, about midway between the
the two places.
| IL Of hn rttn W. Z
match, for 1t was at this house that the
couple passed the night after their de-
rarture from the fort. His story was
as follows:
winter night and was returning to the
house when I heard the sound Of bells
approaching from the direction Of For
Crawford. 1 stopped, with my foot or
the doorstep, and in moment out Of
the woods came rude sleigh drawn BY
one horse in which were seated a gen.
tleman and lady.
They pulled up before the house, ant
the gentleman In quick, sharp tone.
asked IL they could stay all night. The
latchstring was always out and I in
vited them to walk right In.
1.-The invitation was quickly accept.
ed, while took the horse. which show.
ed signs of having been driven fast ant
far, to the stables. After seeing tina
the animal was well cared for return.
ed to the house where Mrs. Burt hat
made the travellers at home.
"A traveller at any time was god
send. as but few people came out to the
backwoods in those days, and from the
bearing of this young traveller / tool
him to be a gentleman and soon came
to the conclusion that he was an army
officer. His companion was a young
and very pretty girl. Both seemed
somewhat nervous and constrained.
Contrary to usual custom, they
avoided conversation except to say
they were relatives en- route to Galena
To any and all my questions the young
officer replied briefly and in noncom-
initial way.
The couple retired early and were
up and off soon after daylight. From
few remarks dropped in my hearing
I arrived at the conclusion that II II
was not an elopement II was something
very like 1t. I knew there were nc
army posts nearer than Fort Crawford
and assumed that the pair came from
there.
II afterward learned that my sur
mise was correct and that the couple
were Lieut.. JEFF Davis and Miss Taylor
the daughter Of old Rough and Ready
So far as 1 could learn afterward, Col
Taylor was not sufficiently impressed
with Davis to desire him as a son-in-
law and refused his consent to the
marriage of the young couple. The
elopement followed.
THE pair had expected to reach
Galena the same night. Knowing Col
Taylor's energetic ways 1t was no won
der they were nervous over their delay
at my house. They were not followed
pursuit having been turned in another
direction"
The traditions of the army are thai
when Col. Taylor returned from his
trip and heard Of the elopement ne
expressed his disapprobation In un-
imeasured terms. He persisted in re.