Zachary Taylor

K. Jack Bauer:  Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest
Zachary Taylor:  12th President (1849-1850); b. 1784; d. 1850

Zachary Taylor might be one of the least interesting men to become president, up until the Mexican American war.  The biography of his early years is simply the story of a soldier of the old U.S. Army.  Promotion was based almost entirely on the basis of seniority.  When a spot opened up for a major, the senior-most captain was promoted.  For decades, Taylor ascended the ranks.  He served in the war of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Second Seminole War, etc, etc.  His service was solid, but not exciting or remarkable.

Everything changed at the outset of the Mexican-American war.  Taylor became commander of the American forces and commanded the army in some of the most dynamic and successful military engagements of the early Republic.  Palo Alto was a huge victory, and his victory at Monterrey was a spectacular result that showed his command abilities and the determination of his men in some rather brutal street fighting.  His persona during the war was just as interesting.  Eschewing a dress uniform, he wore a worn-out cloth duster and was often mistaken by visiting officers for a servant.  "Old Rough and Ready" was very popular with his troops, and his commitment to and familiarity with them was a hallmark of his leadership (showing that no one style is better than another, Winfred Scott, known as "Old Fuss and Feathers" for his overly polished boots and decorated uniform, took over command of the Mexican War from Taylor and was even more successful than Taylor).  U.S. Grant--who served under and greatly admired Taylor--largely adopted Taylor's casual style when commanding Union forces in the Civil War.



It's rather disappointing that there isn't more popular culture focusing on the Mexican-American War.  This was one of the most important events in U.S. history, an expansion in territory second only to the Louisiana Purchase.  The fact that we gained this territory by conquest is not, I think, something that the nation should forget or be ashamed of.  This was the story of a few great figures in American history--including Polk and Taylor--taking the nation's destiny into their own hands and making great events happen.  Moreover, the battles themselves were exciting, bite-sized, and tremendous victories for the U.S.  These things practically write themselves as screenplays.

The Battle of Monterrey

Zachary Taylor rode this wave of popularity to a presidential nomination from the Whigs.  As Polk had stepped down rather than serve a second term, it was a golden opportunity for the party--the Democracy lacked a dynamic candidate to run in Polk's place.  Unfortunately for Henry Clay--the most important and prominent Whig--the party worried that he had made too many enemies, and turned to someone else.

Taylor's nomination was more than a little surprising.  The Whigs knew almost nothing about Taylor, except that he was popular, and nominated him without even ensuring that he stood in favor of Whig principles.  His presidency was brief--16 months--and remarkable only for his opposition to slavery in newly-acquired territory (made more surprising by the fact that he was the last president to own slaves while president).  When he died, the even less remarkable Millard Fillmore, a minor politician from Buffalo, became president.

Bauer's book isn't an overly psychological look at Taylor.  He rightly focuses much of his attention on the Mexican War, and his descriptions of the various military encounters are excellent (I think he's a military historian).  I do wish there was more about Zachary Taylor the man, rather than just the general.