“It’s that magical time again where I pay tribute to another American President in this ‘Hail to the Chief’ blog post.”
“Even though our 12th President was the second to die in office, he was not part of the Tecumseh Cursewhich started with William Henry Harrison.”
“Welcome to my post dedicated to the life and times of President Zachary Taylor.”
MONTEBELLO – Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784; likely in a log cabin that was on the property of Montebello near Barboursville, Virginia.“The actual birth cabin of Taylor, which was located on the Montebello Plantation, was demolished long ago. Unfortunately, the exact site is unknown today.”
“For me to be photographed at Montebello, I was carried past the open front gate and into the front yard of the house. I didn’t want to settle for posing out at the road alongside the historical marker.”
ZACHARY TAYLOR BOYHOOD CABIN SITE – “This site was where Richard Taylor had built his cabin in 1785 on the Muddy Fork of Beargrass Creek just east of the village of Louisville, Kentucky. Taylor had purchased 400 acres of land on the edge of the Western frontier.”
“Zachary Taylor moved to this site from Virginia with his family when he was eight months old, and he lived here for the first six years of his life.Young Zachary first learned to read and write from his mother, Sarah, while they lived in the cabin that once graced this site. He also learned to walk here as well.”
“While Zachary was a patient and quick learner, he wasn’t good at spelling, and he had poor grammar and penmanship. He also didn’t know how to comb his hair.”
SPRINGFIELD – “This was the boyhood home of Zachary Taylor from 1790 to 1808. Taylor was married in the house, which was located in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 18, 1810, and he visited the home periodically until his father died in 1829.”
”Richard Taylor, along with the enslaved people he owned, constructed a 2 1/2-story red brick home he dubbed ‘Springfield’ on the highest point on his property, which had grown to 700 acres by 1800.As a child, Zachary lived in a battleground of the American Indian Wars, later claiming he had seen Native Americans abduct and scalp his classmates while they were walking down the road together.”
MARGARET SMITH – Known as “Peggy”, the 21-year-old married Lieutenant Zachary Taylor, 25, on June 21, 1810 in his childhood home, Springfield. As a devout Episcopalian, Mrs. Taylor prayed regularly and became somewhat reclusive because Peggy had promised God she’d give up the pleasures of society if her husband returned safely from the war.
“As I stood in front of the home, which I originally thought was the back, I thought about the fact that five of Zachary and Peggy’s six children were born in this house.”
“For twenty years Zachary lived at Springfield, and it was the longest period he ever stayed in one place. As a military officer in the United States Army, Taylor moved often.”
“Zachary Taylor was in the United States military for nearly 40 years of his adult life. In the War of 1812, he was a Major. He was a Colonel in the Black Hawk War, which was when his daughter Sarah met and fell in love with Jefferson Davis. Finally, in the Mexican American War, Taylor rose to the ranks of Major General and then General.”
UNITED STATES CAPITOL – “After Whig nominee Zachary Taylor defeated Democrat Lewis Cass and Free-Soil Party nominee Martin Van Buren in the 1848 election, Taylor recited the Presidential Oath of Office on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol at noon on Monday March 5, 1849.”
THE WHITE HOUSE – “By the time Taylor became President, his wife Peggy had become a semi-invalid and hardly left the second floor of the White House. Taylor’s daughter Mary Elizabeth carried out the duties of White House Hostess.”
MARY ELIZABETH BLISS – “The youngest surviving daughter of President Taylor, “Miss Betty” served as White House hostess during her father’s term in office when her mother had no desire to fulfill the role.”
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT – “On July 4, 1850, President Taylor was attending a fund-raising celebration at the monument, which was under construction at the time.The weather was extremely hot and humid, which is normal for D.C. in July. President Taylor decided to eat a bowl of cherries and raw fruit, then he washed them down with iced milk.”
“Over the course of the next several days, Taylor became very ill with an unknown digestive ailment. His doctor eventually diagnosed his condition as cholera morbus. At 10:35pm on July 9, 1850, the 65-year-old Taylor died inside the White House just 16 months into his Presidency.”
Taylor’s last words before he passed were: “I am about to die. I expect the summons very soon. I have tried to discharge all my duties faithfully. I regret nothing, but I am sorry that I am about to leave my friends.”
CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY – “After lying in state in the East Room of the White House, Zachary Taylor was interred in the Public Vault at Congressional Cemetery from July 13th until October 25, 1850.”
“Dolley Madison had died on July 12, 1849 and her body was inside this tomb when Taylor was placed here. They were together, inside this public vault, for a little over three months.”
ZACHARY TAYLOR NATIONAL CEMETERY – After his body was transported from Washington to Louisville, Kentucky, President Taylor was interred in a temporary family vault in what’s now known as the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery located near his family’s home ‘Springfield’.
“Zachary Taylor’s remains were entombed in this vault for over 75 years before a new mausoleum was constructed nearby.”
“I’m standing above the vault’s doorway and thankfully the door was locked.”
“I’m standing in front of the Zachary Taylor mausoleum, which was constructed of limestone with a granite base and a marble interior. On May 6, 1926, the bodies of President Taylor and his wife Peggy were reinterred in the Taylor mausoleum.The mausoleum and adjacent Taylor family graves lie within the boundaries of the national cemetery but are not owned by the United States government.”
“An impressive statue of our 12th President stands guard over Zachary Taylor’s final resting place. Or was it a final resting place?”
“On June 17, 1991, the doors behind me were opened and Taylor’s body was removed. Samples of hair, fingernails, and other tissues were tested for evidence of poisoning. No evidence was found, and the President was reunited with his wife Peggy.”
“As I looked through the small window at the rear of the mausoleum, I saw the sarcophagi of Zachary and Peggy Taylor.President Taylor’s remains lie in the sarcophagus on the left side of this image.”
“That’s my photographer as he attempted to open the door to the mausoleum. Once again, I was thankful the door was locked.”
“When my photographer and I made our first trip together to Louisville on July 6, 2014 and visited the tomb of President Zachary Taylor, it was only the seventh Presidential gravesite I had ever visited.”
“When I returned nearly eight years later, on May 10, 2022, I noticed the gravel around the mausoleum had been replaced with landscaping chips.”
“Did you enjoy the post about Zachary Taylor? Well, there’s more fun and excitement coming your way with the next post that’s dedicated to Millard Fillmore.”
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
