Remembering Old Rough and Ready
On July 9, 1850 (162 years ago today) Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States, became the second President to die in office. He died in Washington, D.C. of gastroenteritis.
Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, on a plantation in Orange County, Virginia, to a prominent family of planters. He was the third of five surviving sons in his family (a sixth died in infancy), and had three younger sisters. His father, Richard Taylor, had served as a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolution. Taylor was a descendant of Elder William Brewster, who came to the United States on the Mayflower. He and his wife Margaret had six children. His second daughter Sarah Knox was married to Jefferson Davis, but died at the age of 19 of malaria.
Taylor joined the army in 1808. During the War of 1812, Taylor successfully defended Fort Harrison in Indiana Territory from an attack by native Americans under the command of their Chief Tecumseh. He later fought in the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War. But it was as a General in the Mexican War where he gained his reputation as a military leader. In 1845 President James K. Polk ordered him to lean his troops into disputed territory in Texas, "on or near the Rio Grande" near Mexico. Taylor chose a spot at Corpus Christi, advancing to the Rio Grande in March 1846. Conflict broke out several weeks later, when some of Captain Seth B. Thornton's men were attacked by Mexican forces near the river. Polk, learning of the Thornton Affair, told Congress in May that a war between Mexico and the United States had begun. Taylor commanded American forces at the Battle of Palo Alto and the nearby Battle of Resaca de la Palma, defeating the Mexican forces, despite being greatly outnumbered.
These victories made him a popular hero, and the national press compared him to George Washington and Andrew Jackson, and promoted him for the presidency. Taylor denied any interest in running for office. "Such an idea never entered my head," he remarked in a letter, "nor is it likely to enter the head of any sane person."
In September, Taylor inflicted heavy casualties upon the Mexican defenders at the Battle of Monterrey. The city of Monterrey had been considered "impregnable", but was captured in three days, forcing Mexican forces to retreat. Taylor was criticized by Polk for signing a generous truce, rather than pressing for a large-scale surrender. Afterwards, half of Taylor's army was ordered to join General Winfield Scott's soldiers as they besieged Veracruz.
Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna intercepted a letter from Scott and learned that Taylor was left with just 6,000 men. Santa Anna attacked Taylor with 20,000 men at the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847, inflicting around 600 American casualties at a cost of over 1,800 of his own troops. The Mexican forces retreated, and Taylor remained at Monterrey until late November 1847. In December he received a hero's welcome in New Orleans.
Taylor received the Whig nomination for President in 1848. He defeated Lewis Cass, the Democratic candidate, and Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate. Taylor was the last Southerner to be elected president until Woodrow Wilson 64 years later in 1912.
As president, Taylor angered many Southerners by taking a moderate stance on the issue of slavery. He urged settlers in New Mexico and California to bypass the territorial stage and draft constitutions for statehood, setting the stage for the Compromise of 1850.
On July 4, 1850, Taylor was attending holiday ceremonies on a very hot day. He drank a lot of iced water and cold milk, and had eaten green apples, and cherries after attending the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. Several days later, he became severely ill with an unknown digestive ailment. Contemporary medical remedies only seemed to make him worse and at about 10 o'clock in the morning on July 9, Taylor called his wife Margaret to him and asked her not to weep, saying: "I have always done my duty, I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me." He was dead less than an hour later. Contemporary reports listed the cause of death as "bilious diarrhea, or a bilious cholera". Subsequent experts believe that it was a type of severe gastroenteritis.
Clara Rising, a former professor at University of Florida, believed that Taylor was poisoned and she was able to persuade Taylor's closest living relative, who was also the coroner of Jefferson County, Kentucky, to order an exhumation so that his remains could be tested. The remains were exhumed and transported to the Office of the Kentucky Chief Medical Examiner on June 17, 1991. Analysis conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed no evidence of poisoning, as arsenic levels were too low. The analysis concluded he had contracted "cholera morbus, or acute gastroenteritis". Any potential for recovery was thwarted by his doctors, who treated him with "ipecac, calomel, opium and quinine and bled and blistered him.
Taylor was the last President to own slaves while in office. He was the second and final Whig to be elected president, and the second-last Whig to serve as president (the last being his successor, Millard Fillmore).
Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, on a plantation in Orange County, Virginia, to a prominent family of planters. He was the third of five surviving sons in his family (a sixth died in infancy), and had three younger sisters. His father, Richard Taylor, had served as a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolution. Taylor was a descendant of Elder William Brewster, who came to the United States on the Mayflower. He and his wife Margaret had six children. His second daughter Sarah Knox was married to Jefferson Davis, but died at the age of 19 of malaria.
Taylor joined the army in 1808. During the War of 1812, Taylor successfully defended Fort Harrison in Indiana Territory from an attack by native Americans under the command of their Chief Tecumseh. He later fought in the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War. But it was as a General in the Mexican War where he gained his reputation as a military leader. In 1845 President James K. Polk ordered him to lean his troops into disputed territory in Texas, "on or near the Rio Grande" near Mexico. Taylor chose a spot at Corpus Christi, advancing to the Rio Grande in March 1846. Conflict broke out several weeks later, when some of Captain Seth B. Thornton's men were attacked by Mexican forces near the river. Polk, learning of the Thornton Affair, told Congress in May that a war between Mexico and the United States had begun. Taylor commanded American forces at the Battle of Palo Alto and the nearby Battle of Resaca de la Palma, defeating the Mexican forces, despite being greatly outnumbered.
These victories made him a popular hero, and the national press compared him to George Washington and Andrew Jackson, and promoted him for the presidency. Taylor denied any interest in running for office. "Such an idea never entered my head," he remarked in a letter, "nor is it likely to enter the head of any sane person."
In September, Taylor inflicted heavy casualties upon the Mexican defenders at the Battle of Monterrey. The city of Monterrey had been considered "impregnable", but was captured in three days, forcing Mexican forces to retreat. Taylor was criticized by Polk for signing a generous truce, rather than pressing for a large-scale surrender. Afterwards, half of Taylor's army was ordered to join General Winfield Scott's soldiers as they besieged Veracruz.
Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna intercepted a letter from Scott and learned that Taylor was left with just 6,000 men. Santa Anna attacked Taylor with 20,000 men at the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847, inflicting around 600 American casualties at a cost of over 1,800 of his own troops. The Mexican forces retreated, and Taylor remained at Monterrey until late November 1847. In December he received a hero's welcome in New Orleans.
Taylor received the Whig nomination for President in 1848. He defeated Lewis Cass, the Democratic candidate, and Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate. Taylor was the last Southerner to be elected president until Woodrow Wilson 64 years later in 1912.
As president, Taylor angered many Southerners by taking a moderate stance on the issue of slavery. He urged settlers in New Mexico and California to bypass the territorial stage and draft constitutions for statehood, setting the stage for the Compromise of 1850.
On July 4, 1850, Taylor was attending holiday ceremonies on a very hot day. He drank a lot of iced water and cold milk, and had eaten green apples, and cherries after attending the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. Several days later, he became severely ill with an unknown digestive ailment. Contemporary medical remedies only seemed to make him worse and at about 10 o'clock in the morning on July 9, Taylor called his wife Margaret to him and asked her not to weep, saying: "I have always done my duty, I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me." He was dead less than an hour later. Contemporary reports listed the cause of death as "bilious diarrhea, or a bilious cholera". Subsequent experts believe that it was a type of severe gastroenteritis.
Clara Rising, a former professor at University of Florida, believed that Taylor was poisoned and she was able to persuade Taylor's closest living relative, who was also the coroner of Jefferson County, Kentucky, to order an exhumation so that his remains could be tested. The remains were exhumed and transported to the Office of the Kentucky Chief Medical Examiner on June 17, 1991. Analysis conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory revealed no evidence of poisoning, as arsenic levels were too low. The analysis concluded he had contracted "cholera morbus, or acute gastroenteritis". Any potential for recovery was thwarted by his doctors, who treated him with "ipecac, calomel, opium and quinine and bled and blistered him.
Taylor was the last President to own slaves while in office. He was the second and final Whig to be elected president, and the second-last Whig to serve as president (the last being his successor, Millard Fillmore).