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Show BRiEF HISTORY OF ZACHARY TAYLOR General Taylor was born in Orange county, Virginia, September 24, 1784, It Is wonderful to note how, many men ln our country mndo great names, who wero born when the war for Independence was raging or Just after its close. Evidently tho souls of their parents wero nil enlisted in the great causo out of which a nation emerged, founded on a plan which If clung to would glvo equal opportunities opportuni-ties under Its flag, 'Zachary Taylor was one of these. Tho picture of his face looking up to it as it Is suspended suspend-ed on tho wall of our country's history, his-tory, contains nothing to attract attention at-tention BHve Its resemblance to some of tho great Indian chieftains who for two hundred and sixty years and more, from time to time mado their impossible flght against tno pale fac-eeinvader fac-eeinvader upon their territory. Dress the picture ln Indian costume with the head dress of quills and feathers nnd.lt would pass for King Philip or Red Cloud, or tho great Shawnee. General Taylor was not a great .-aptaln In any scientific senso, but ho was a great fighter of tho kind that ' revej knows when ho Is beaten. He was generally stationed on the frontier and his fighting was against savages until tho Mexican war came on. Ho was then sixty-two years of age but lie never thought of retiring. He did not bellevn thnt wn nucht to have c. war with Mexico, but ho was an American soldier, cr.d with him It was not to question why and If In doing that ho was to die, that with him wou d have been but nn incident. I He was sent with an army to tho Rio Grcndo frontier of Texas. Ills was ' but a llttlo army but the material In It was marvelous. Of tho old army officers ho had Generals Wool and Worth and others, oth-ers, whllo of tho younger set n splendid splen-did array was present eager to make names. Then aside from n few regulars thero wero state regiments nnd nil these wero determined thnt their particular par-ticular stato should bear off the highest high-est honors. Many of theso wero kill- cd in tho first two battles, perhaps the most famous ono being colonel Rlngold. In thoso battles South Carolina Car-olina claimed first honors. Then General Gen-eral Taylor moved against Monteroy. There a stubborn reslBtence awnlt ed them. They had to take the city street by street, the enemy opposing them ln front and fighting, too, from tho flat houso tops as they did the other day at Vera Cruz. An old black church with threo foot adobe walls held out two or threo days after tho balance of the city was taken. That church was finally taken one morning by General Worth with a regiment of regulars and tho New York, volunteers. There was no largo sacrifice of life, the church was taken by Worth's strategy and tho superb dlscpllne of his command. , The culminating battle under General Gen-eral Taylor was Buena Vista. There in tho open field ho was opposed by an enemy that outnumbered his army four and a halt to ono. The battle lasted all day. Early ln the day old General Wool In full old fashioned uniform, with tho cpaulots and whlto plumed hat as striking as was that of Navarro, rodo along tho lines crying to tho men: "This is Washington's birthday men, no enemy can defeat us on that day." At Thymbrla, tho first pitched bat-tlo bat-tlo descended ln history, tho account say that tho slgnnl of tho opening of tho battle by tho Persians was tho chanting of tho battel hymn. At Buena Vista tho bands played tho Star Spangled Banner. It was a furious day. General Lincoln Lin-coln w.as killed early In tho day". A llttlo llt-tlo later Hardin, McGeo nnd Clay went down to death. Jefferson Davis with his regiment of Mississippi rifles, without a bayonet In tho regiment reg-iment rolled back a charge of four thousand lances. It was thero that when Bragg sent for reinforcements Genoral Taylor sent back word that ho would rein-forco rein-forco him, rodo his whlto horso to him and said: "A little moro grape, Captain Braggf ', .,.hJ&:& There, our General P. E. Connor was grievously wounded. Prodigies of valor were performed perform-ed ln every part of tho field. When the sun went down the enemy en-emy suddenly retired as the soldiers believed tho batUo would bo renewed renew-ed next morning. General Taylor swept the field with his glass and exclaiming: ex-claiming: They will not come in tho morning, they are whipped,' wrapped himself in his cloak, dropped upon the ground-in a moment fell to sleep. On tho prestige of that batUe he was nominated for tho presidency and was elected, though bo carried no accomplishments Into the office, savo his courage, clear, practical judg-i me nt and stainless Integrity. Ho never should havo been a candidate. Tho measuro of his famo was full; tho new life ho was called to changed all his habits; Involved him with responsibilities re-sponsibilities which his former llfo had never prepared him to meet at best ho was a tameless eaglo In captivity. Ho was inaugurated Mnrch 4th, 1849 and died July 9th, 1S30. Ho Is held in remembrance as ono of tho brnvest of the bravo and ono as honest and true. Goodwin's Weekly. |