Sarah Knox Taylor was born on March 6, 1814, in Vincennes, Indiana, to Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the U.S., and Margaret Taylor. She spent her early childhood on the frontier with her military family, but mostly lived with her grandparents near Louisville, Kentucky, where she had better opportunities for her education. Knox was amiable, spirited, and graceful, with brown hair which was wavy, gray eyes, and manners quite polished.
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Romance with Jefferson Davis
Knox met Jefferson Davis, a young Army lieutenant and future Confederate president, in 1832 at Fort Crawford during the Black Hawk War. Despite Zachary Taylor’s misgivings about Davis’ military career and its hardships, their love grew. The love-smitten Davis left the army in 1835 to secure a stable future and bought Brierfield Plantation with his brother’s help.
The couple married on June 17, 1835, after sorting out a minor legal issue over Knox’s age. Taylor did not even attend the wedding-an indication of his begrudging, still-disapproving attitude. Undeterred, Knox and Davis took a honeymoon aboard a steamboat, writing joyful letters to her parents.
Sarah Knox Taylor’s father: Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. He was born on November 24, 1784, in Orange County, Virginia. As a military officer, Taylor rose through the ranks of the U.S. Army to become a major general. His successes in the Mexican–American War catapulted him to national fame and enabled him to ascend to the presidency as a member of the Whig Party. Lacking political experience, Taylor was an appeal to the American public by virtue of his straightforward leadership. His presidency was about preserving the Union amidst growing tension over slavery; he died on July 9, 1850, at the age of 65. Taylor had strong family ties, especially with his daughter Sarah Knox Taylor, whose marriage to future Confederate president Jefferson Davis drove a wedge in his relations with her; she died of malaria in 1835. The other children of Taylor included Mary Elizabeth Bliss, who frequently took on the role of White House hostess. He earned the nickname “Old Rough and Ready” for hardiness on the battlefield, but Taylor’s military career merely made him a stalwart figure in American history for his work of attempting to preserve Union in a divided time.
Tragic Death and Lasting Grief
Joy was short-lived. By late summer, malaria plagued the swampy area of Davis Bend, Mississippi. Both Knox and Davis were bedridden and retreated to Locust Grove Plantation in Louisiana. Despite medical efforts, Knox’s condition deteriorated. On September 15, 1835, less than three months after their marriage, Knox died in Davis’ arms.
Her death devastated Davis, who was literally broken physically and emotionally. He retreated for more than seven years to Brierfield to manage his plantation as a recluse, burying himself among books. The death of Knox had brought about an abrupt turn in his life, giving way to that dispassionate and ascetic manner that so many thereafter viewed as coldness.
Reconciliation with Zachary Taylor
A decade after Knox’s death, Davis met her parents, on the eve of his second marriage to the educated, witty 17-year-old Varina Howell. Sharing their sorrow over Knox, Davis and Taylor made amends, and a mutual respect developed. As Taylor said later, “My daughter was a better judge of men than I.
Davis and Varina visited Knox’s grave at Locust Grove during their honeymoon and paid a silent tribute to the young bride whose memory still resonated in his life.
Legacy of Sarah Knox Taylor
The short life and tragic death of Knox left an indelible mark upon Jefferson Davis, changing his character and the trajectory of his life. Historians and biographers alike have commented on how her loss steeled his resolve, shaped his stoicism, and better prepared him for the trials he would later face as a political leader.
Knox’s bequest further survived through her family connections. Her story mingled with the lives of her husband and her family, reflecting a meaning of love, loss, and reconciliation during a turbulent era in American history.
Net Worth and Historic Value
While Sarah Knox Taylor did not amass any personal net worth, her life symbolized the meeting of sacrifice and national history. Being the first wife of Jefferson Davis shows a great deal about the human stories behind prominent historical figures.
Conclusion
If Sarah Knox Taylor’s life was short, its influence was powerful and impacting upon Jefferson Davis’ trajectory in life and the poignant legacy he would leave behind. Herein lies a story of love, tragedy, and remembrance that serves to remind one of the personal tragedies underlying historical events.
