Taylor, Zachary
twelfth president of the United States, was born Sept. 24, 1784, in Orange county, Va. He received a very limited common school education. In 1808 he was appointed lieutenant in the United States infantry. Mr.
Taylor was married in 1810. He was promoted from time to time, and in 1840 attained the rank of brigadier general.
About this time he purchased a large estate in Louisiana. In 1845 he was ordered to Mexico, and commanded at the battles of Palo Alto, Matamoras, Monterey and Buena Vista. June 7, 1848, the whig national convention met at Philadelphia. June 8 the balloting commenced. On the first ballot Zachary Taylor received 111 votes; Henry Clay, 97; Winfield Scott, 46; Daniel Webster, 21, and John McLean, 2.
After another unsuccessful ballot the convention adjourned. On the first ballot, June 9, Taylor received 133 votes; Clay, 74; Scott, 53; Webster, 16, and John M.
Clayton, 1. The second ballot resulted in a choice, Taylor having received 171 votes; Scott, 63; Clay, 30; Webster, 12. Millard Fillmore was nominated for vice-president, Messrs. Taylor and Fillmore were elected the coming fall, and took the oath of office March 5, 1849, the fourth of March occurring on Sunday (inauguration day) the second time, and occurred again in 1877.
Mr. Taylor died July 9, 1850. Taylor never held a political office or cast a vote until he was elected to the presidency.
He left an estate worth about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.