TAYLOR 



5719 



TAYLOR 



the government was planning a further inva- 

 sion of Mexico, General Taylor made prepara- 

 tions to that end, and was all but ready to ad- 

 vance, when he learned that General Scott had 

 arrived at Vera Cruz with orders to take such 

 troops and supplies as he needed from Taylor's 

 army. This was in the spring of 1847. Scott 

 left Taylor only 5,000 unseasoned troops to 

 oppose General Santa Anna's army of 20,000. 

 Santa Anna saw his opportunity, advanced to 

 the attack, and met Taylor at Buena Vista, to 

 which the Americans had withdrawn. There 

 General Taylor's army won a brilliant victory 

 over a vastly superior force, a victory which 

 .aroused great enthusiasm and made Taylor a' 

 national hero. 



As a soldier, General Taylor ranks high. In 

 the words of one who knew him well and un- 

 derstood him thoroughly: 



Unpretending, meditative, observant and con- 

 clusive, he was best understood and most appre- 

 ciated by those who had known him long and 

 intimately. In a campaign he gathered informa- 

 tion from all who approached him, however sin- 

 ister their motive might be. By comparison and 

 elimination he gained a knowledge that was 

 often surprising as to the position and designs 

 of the enemy. In battle he was vigilantly active, 

 though quiet in bearing; calm and considerate, 

 though stern and inflexible ; but when the excite- 

 ment of danger and strife had subsided, he had 

 a father's tenderness for the wounded, and none 

 more .sincerely mourned for those who had bravely 

 fallen in the line of their duty. 



When the Mexican War was over it seemed 

 to General Taylor that the time had come to 

 realize his dream of living again on a farm. 

 In 1842, when he took command of the South- 

 ern division, he purchased a plantation near 

 Baton Rouge, La., and later he planned to 

 conduct a stock farm in the hills of Jefferson 

 County. He had never felt any longing for 

 political life, and he was always waiting for the 

 day to come when he should be free to manage 

 his private affairs. But his dream was not to 

 be realized. His military career had made him 

 a hero "Old Rough and Ready," he was called. 

 His popularity was seized by the Whigs to 

 help preserve the party. As the Presidential 

 campaign of 1848 approached the Whigs had 

 three possible candidates Clay, Scott, and 

 Taylor. Clay was still the party leader, but 

 he had already been defeated three times. 

 Scott had been a Presidential possibility for a 

 quarter of a century, and there were good ar- 

 guments against him. 



There remained Taylor, who easily outshone 

 Scott as the popular hero of the war. He was 

 not the fittest candidate the Whigs might have 



THE ADMINISTRATION 



1849 OF 1850 



ZACHAKY TAYLOR 



"he Overland Route to ~- 

 California 



Admitted 

 to the 



Union, 



1850 



J.C.Calhoun 

 Died, March, 1850 



Taylors 

 Tomb 

 nea r 

 _ouisville 



