MAJOR-GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR.

[Victories on the Rio Grande.]

MAJOR GENERAL ZACHARY TAYLOR. Bust of General Taylor, in uniform, facing the right.

Within a wreath of laurel and palm inclosing a serpent biting its tail—emblem of immortality through glory and victory: RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS JULY 16^th 1846. PALO ALTO MAY 8^th 1846 RESACA DE LA PALMA MAY 9^th 1846.[114]

Zachary Taylor was born in Orange County, Virginia, September 24, 1784. His father soon after removed to a plantation near Louisville, Kentucky, where young Taylor passed the early years of his life. He entered the army as first lieutenant of infantry, 1808; was captain, 1810; distinguished himself by his defence of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash river, against the Indians led by Tecumseh, September 5, 1812, for which he was breveted major; full major, 1814; lieutenant-colonel, 1819; colonel, 1832. He served during all this period against the Indians on the north-west frontier; he was ordered to Florida in 1836, and won the battle of Okechobee against the Seminoles, December 25, 1837, for which he was made brigadier-general by brevet and commander-in-chief in Florida, 1838; commander of the first division in the south-west in 1840, in which year he removed from Kentucky to Louisiana, where he bought a plantation near Baton Rouge. Appointed commander of the army of occupation in Texas, July, 1845, he defeated the Mexican armies in battle at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, May 8 and 9, 1846; at Monterey, September 24, same year; and at Buena Vista, February 22 and 23, 1847. For these victories Congress gave him a vote of thanks and three gold medals.[115] He was made major-general, June 29, 1846; became President of the United States, March 5, 1849, and died at the White House in Washington, July 9, 1850. His soldiers gave him the sobriquet of "Old Rough and Ready."