Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-06

larmy knew of the Fort Crawford elope.
ment, and Lieut.. Davis asked for g
transfer to another station. Shortly
afterward he resigned from the army
and returned to Mississippi to engage
in cotton farming.
Doubtless time would have softened
the anger of the parents and in the
end reconciliation and forgiveness
would have followed this, as 1t has
many another runaway match. But
Unexpectedly, a few short months af-
ter her marriage the young bride died
and their daughter, upon whom they
had lavished so much affection, passed
AWAY without having seen again eth
er Of her parents.
This incident made a great impress
sion upon Col Taylor, who, however
stern in manner. had a warm heart and
a forgiving nature, and he deplored the
sact that he had had no, opportunity
to be reconciled to his child.
Many years passed. and Colonel Tay-
lor had made ,a,;brilliant record for
himself In the Florida war-where he
had conquered and punished the Semi
noles of the Everglades.
Some Of the biographies Of Jefferson
Davis. in denying the story Of the run
AWAY marriage, assert that Col. Taylor
was widower, and for that reason the
young couple went to relative Of the
bride in Kentucky to have the ceremo-
~ performed. Mrs. Taylor lived to
accompany General Taylor through the
Florida war, and went to the White
House with him after hts election as
he twelfth president Of the United
States. She lived a short time after
his death, and died In East Pascagou-
la, La, in August, 1852.
Therefore Miss Taylor did not 60
from Fort Crawford to Kentucky to be
married for the reason stated, for both
her parents lived then at Fort Craw-
ford, where young Davis was also sta
toned. Under ordinary circumstances
the wedding would have occurred at
Gen. Taylor's house.
But be that as It may, none Of the
Taylor family ever saw Jefferson Davis
again until he and Gen. Taylor met
thirteen years afterward on the field
in Mexico.
Gen. Taylor's family were living al
Fort Jessup, near Baton Rouge. La,
when he was named by President
Polk as commander in chief Of the
army of occupation on the Texas
border. signs Of trouble with Mexico
were giving the country great ankle
ty, and there was a sigh Of relief when
LIT was known that Old Rough and
Ready was in command.
i Mrs. Taylor and Miss Betty, the
youngest daughter, remained In their
home at the, garrison while the war
continued. The eldest daughter had
married and was residing in Balh-
more. Both Gen. and Mrs. Taylor
still felt their loss in the death OF
their daughter, Sarah. and the inter-
vening years had not made them for
get that she had left them against
their wishes.
MIR, Davis had after the death OF
his wife lived on his cotton farm In
Mississippi, remaining widower until
1845, when he married Miss Varina
Howell, whose death occurred a few
days ago in this city. At the breaking
out of the Mexican war he was a mem
ber of Congress which office he re-
signed to become colonel Of the First
Mississippi regiment.
| At Monterey the First Mississippi
was stationed at one Of the forts In the
suburbs Of the city, and in the battle
that ended with the defeat Of Ampu-
Tia, its Mexican defender, Jefferson
Davis received a slight wound. Be-
fore this event, at the time and sub
,equently it was noticed that Col. Da-
Wis and Gen. Taylor never met, and II
was evident that this was by design
and not the result Of accident. The
cause of this was freely discussed and
It came to be known that a reconcil-
Iation had never taken place between
them.
So things remained until the close
of the three days struggle that ended
in triumph at Buena Vista.
'It was on this OCCASION" says
the author OF the Ladies Of the
White House." when victory seemed
hesitaring where she should bestow
her wreath when the men Of the north
and west had exhausted their ener-
gies, when Clay, Crittenden, Yell and
their brave compatriots slept in death
on the bloody feld-at this moment,
when Santa Anna believed and an
nounced himself the hero Of the field,
and when he concentrated his favorite
troops to make last charge upon
our dispirited and exhausted col
umns. Col. Davis, at the head Of his
Mississippi regiment, nobly sustained
the shock and sent the foe back dis
appointed and dismayed. Then II
was that old Jack seeing by whom
he, his gallant men and his country's
honor had been saved, had no place
in his heart but for gratitude. and
the long estranged embraced each
other and wept tears of reconciliation
upon the battlefield"
In his official report Of the battle
| Of Buena Vista Gen. Taylor compli-
| mented Col. Davis's regiment Of Mis-
sissippi rif1emen, whose bravery was
conspicuous and Of Davis himself he
said: "Col Davis. though severely
wounded, remained in the saddle until
the close Of the action. His distin-
guished GOODNESS and gallantry at the
head of his regiment on this day en-
title him to the particular notice of
the government.
They never met again. Gen. Tay-
lor, the nations hero, became the
Whig candidate for the president in
lS4S and Davis, who was then a
United States senator from Mississip-
pi, opposed his election, he being q
Democrat Gen. Taylor was elected
and for a year and four months was
president of the United States, dying
suddenly July 8. 1850.
The household Of President Taylor
Included his youngest daughter. Miss
Betty, who had in 1848 married Col.
| Rliss of the army She by q second