Go see Zachary Taylor’s gravesite in Louisville, Kentucky. Old Rough and Ready is interred at a site that bears his name, Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. It’s just a short drive from Interstate 264, situated in a suburban neighborhood. We toured the cemetery at the end of a rainy afternoon, and here’s what we saw.
THE DEATH OF TAYLOR
Zachary Taylor died in 1850 of a stomach ailment, most likely caused from cholera or typhoid fever. Taylor was interred in the family burial grounds in Kentucky, on land that would eventually become Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
THE QUESTION REMAINS
What killed Zachary Taylor? Zachary Taylor died suddenly in 1850, and we’re still not quite sure what killed Old Rough and Ready.
It was a hot Fourth of July in the nation’s capital, and President Taylor attended celebrations, including the groundbreaking ceremony for the Washington Monument. When he returned to the White House, he consumed water, iced milk, and a lot of cherries.
Perhaps it was bad water. Maybe it was the cherries. We may never know. In any case, Taylor died on July 9, 1850 after his body would no longer accept fluids. His doctors said the cause of death was “cholera morbus.”
EXHUMING TAYLOR
They dug up Old Rough & Ready? In 1991, Zachary Taylor was exhumed to investigate potential arsenic poisoning. No conclusive evidence was found, but nevertheless, very interesting. Here’s an overly descriptive, yet informative C-SPAN video.
DIRECTIONS TO ZACHARY TAYLOR NATIONAL CEMETERY
4701 Brownsboro Rd, Louisville, KY 40207
FURTHER READING
ZACHARY TAYLOR NATIONAL CEMETERY
White House HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
© 2021 Periodic Presidents
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