TAYLOR, Zachary, 12th President of the
United States: b. Orange County, Va., 24 Sept. 1784; d. 9 July 1850. His father, Col. Richard Taylor, served under Washington and be held a number of important offices in Kentucky where he migrated soon after the birth of Zachary. Young Taylor grew up in the vicinity of Louisville in the midst of its exciting frontier life. In 1808 aroused by the Chesapeake outrage, Taylor asked for a commission in the army and in May was commissioned first
lieutenant in the Seventh United States infantry, In 1812 he was made a captain and in the War of 1812 gained distinction in defeating an Indian attack on Fort Harrison, for which success he was breveted a major. In May 1814 he received a regular commission as major but left the service at the close of the war on being reduced to the rank of captain. He re-entered the army in 1816 and in 1819 was promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy. For the next few years he was stationed at different frontier posts but in 1832 during the Black Hawk War, as colonel, received the surrender of the Indian chieftain. In 1832 he was ordered to Florida in the Seminole campaign and at the battle of Okeechobee (25 Dec. 1837) won a decisive victory over the Indians, for which he was breveted a brigadier-general. Taylor spent the next four years in Florida and was then given command of the First Department of the army with headquarters at Fort Jessup, La. On 28 May 1845 Taylor, in command of the army of the Southwest, was ordered to hold himself in readiness to defend Texas from a possible invasion should the latter State accept the terms of annexation. On 30 July 1845 he was ordered to “occupy, protect and defend Texas,” and to approach the Rio Grande which was “claimed to be the boundary between the two countries” (Texas and Mexico). At the same time he was cautioned to keep away from the Mexican settlements and posts. In August, Taylor selected a position at Corpus Christi on the Nueces. Then followed a series of ambiguous orders from the War Department commanding him to check any Mexican army endeavoring to cross the Rio Grande or any attempt to do so. Taylor reported there was no concentration of Mexicans on the Rio Grande nor any signs of war; but, beginning to understand what the administration desired of him, asked for definite orders to advance. This the War Department refused to give and for a few months a delay ensued while the administration renewed its negotiations with the Mexican government. At last, in obedience to instructions from Washington, on 11 March 1846 Taylor began his advance from Corpus Christi to the Rio Grande. On the 28th he arrived opposite the Mexican town of Matamoras and began the construction of Fort Texas, afterward called Fort Brown, upon the present site of Brownsville. Taylor blocked the mouth of the Rio Grande with a view of cutting off all supplies from Matamoras and thus forcing the Mexican troops stationed there either to withdraw or to assume the offensive. On 12 April General Ampudia summoned him to retire beyond the Nueces, and with Taylor's refusal do so the first conflict occurred on 24 April when a party of dragoons were ambushed by the Mexicans. President Polk at once sent a message to Congress recommending a declaration of war, asserting that “Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil.”
The war on Mexico began with the advance
of Taylor's forces. On 8 and 9 May, Taylor
defeated the Mexicans at the battle of Palo
Alto and Resaca de la Palma and forced them
to cross the Rio Grande. Following in quick
pursuit, Taylor occupied Matamoras (18 May).