and my home the battlefield," an expression which was literally true. Notwithstanding this fact he had never lost his regard
for the proprieties and refinements of life. Mrs. Taylor had been his constant companion in all of his campaigns on the frontier! and during the Florida War. Her experience was really the most extensive in army life of that of any other army woman. She was known as a true American heroine. She had no fear and was never willing to be separated from her soldier husband. These experiences developed the true nobility of her character. She spent much of her time at Baton Rouge and in addition to the responsibilities of her household she devoted herself to plans for the I building of churches and establishing of schools, and exercised her influence to quiet the alarm of the people after the battle of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. It was during the war with Mexico that Lieutenant Jefferson Davis was under the command of General Taylor. It was noticed that they were not on friendly terms, and it was afterwards discovered that it was on account of General Taylor's opposition to his attention to his daughter Sarah. The General violently opposed the attentions of army officers to his daughters, on account of the fact that he considered the life of an army officer at that time, fraught with too many hardships for a woman. Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, however, succeeded in winning the affections of General Taylor's daughter and being unable to overcome the father's opposition, the young people^ ran away and were married, which General Taylor considered a dishonorable thing on the part of Jefferson Davis. Mrs. Davis died soon after her marriage, which sad event made a very deep impression upon the General's and Mrs. Taylor's lives.
General Taylor's brilliant triumphs in Mexico destined him to become the President of the United States, as much as Mrs. Taylor opposed his being a candidate for the Presidency. Upon
