Who is zachary taylor

General Winfield Scott, commander of all U. Mexican General Santa Anna, intercepting a letter from Scott to Taylor, knew that "Old Zack" another nickname would be left with just 6, men—most of whom were nonregulars.

The word of how Old Zack had fought alongside his troops in hand-to-hand combat at both Monterey and Buena Vista spread like a prairie fire across the nation. Taylor was compared to American war heroes George Washington and Andrew Jackson in the popular press. Stories were told about his informal dress, the tattered straw hat on his head, and the casual way he always sat atop his beloved horse, "Old Whitey," while shots buzzed around his head.

The criticism that he had allowed the Mexican army at Monterrey to surrender without disbanding held no sway in the popular mind.

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Zachary Taylor: Life Before the Presidency. Breadcrumb U. University of Virginia Miller Center. Main navigation Administration Key Events. Inaugural Address. Birth Date November 24, Death Date July 9, Birth Place near Barboursville, Virginia.

Nickname "Old Rough and Ready". Marriage June 21, , to Margaret Mackall Smith — Inauguration Date March 5, Date Ended July 9, President Number Baker and David Herb…. In , his first official commission was as the commander of the garrison at Fort Pickering present-day Memphis.

After marrying in , he and his wife and children settled down in Louisiana, where Taylor commanded the Baton Rouge fort. Though Taylor was a military man, he was also known as a slave owner from a wealthy family with estates in Louisiana, Kentucky and Mississippi.

Though he fought Native Americans, he also wanted to protect their lands from white settlers and believed a strong military presence was the solution to coexistence.

He gained national-hero status during the Mexican War when he won significant battles at Monterrey and Buena Vista. Supporters eyed him as a presidential candidate. Though Taylor was a member of the Whig Party, he identified himself more as an independent or nationalist.

He appealed to Northerners for his long military record and was popular with Southerners for owning slaves. The Whig Party positioned him as a war hero, a platform that allowed him more leeway when it came to sidestepping controversial issues. Thrown into the middle of the slavery debate, Taylor took on an anti-slavery slant. He urged California and New Mexico residents to write constitutions and apply for statehood, knowing that both would likely bar slavery.

He was correct in his assumptions, and in doing so angered Southerners who viewed his actions as a betrayal.