Jefferson Davis - A Love Story

One of the most poignant love stories ever told involves President Zachary Taylor and future President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. They were in love with the same woman, and the fallout arising from that love would sever the two men’s relationship for years to come.

Jefferson Davis was a graduate of West Point, as were many of the future Confederate Generals, when he was stationed at Fort Crawford in Wisconsin. It was there that he met and fell in love with Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of the post commander and future President of the United States, Zachary Taylor. Davis was 23 and Sarah was 18 at the time. The General denied his permission for the young couple to wed based on his personal dislike for the young lieutenant, as well as his desire that his daughter not be subjected to the rigors of Army life.

But true love never dies, and after waiting for Sarah to attain the age of 21, Davis left the service and married her against her father’s wishes. They departed for Davis’s cotton plantation in Mississippi, stopping in Louisiana first to visit with Davis’s relations whom Sarah had not met. It was there that the couple both contracted malaria, with Davis making a full recovery. Sarah, however, did not fare so well, and after waiting over two years to be married, died in her husband’s arms only 3 months after their wedding. This marked the beginning of 8 years of self-imposed exile at his plantation.

By 1845 he had remarried and won a seat in Congress. The War with Mexico broke out soon after and Davis was chosen to lead a company of men from Mississippi in battle. Here, in one of life’s strangest twists, he found himself under the command of his ex-father in law. Davis fought a hard and bloody campaign, distinguishing himself and his men in several actions. Davis was wounded at Buena Vista.

The following morning, General Taylor arrived at the hospital tent where Davis was being treated. Looking at the wounded Captain Davis, the General told him, “My daughter was a better judge of men than I was.”

The two soldiers both went on to become Presidents; albeit of different countries. But, in spite of their differences over slavery and succession, the two remained close.  When elected President as a Whig in 1848, Taylor hosted Davis, and his second wife, at the White House on numerous occasions during his short term as the nation’s President. 

Cactus and Cotton

Cole Porter once composed a song called “Summertime”, in which he wrote; “the living is easy, the fish are jumping and the cotton is high….” Well, he was right on three out of the four; I don’t have any fish; but my cotton is getting higher. It’s a pity he didn’t mention the cactus though, because mine just keeps on blooming, rain or shine. As a matter of fact, the last two blooms have emerged in the middle of sultry, rainy nights, upending my previous belief that they only bloomed in the hot desert sun. The cactus was a gift from my daughter, and this is the 4^th time it has bloomed in the last several months.

Now; let me get back to the cotton. I have only had one previous experience in growing cotton. That was about 10 years ago on the back porch of the house we were living in at the time. I had quite a crop. There were about 6 plants in all, which is like a plantation to someone from Brooklyn. The seeds come up fast, in only a few days, then after a few more weeks the little pink flowers; which soon turn white; appear. These are the harbingers of the cotton bolls which will take their place, eventually becoming hard and wood like husks protecting the precious cotton growing within.

My crop is small. Mostly, I just take a certain joy out of the plant and its little white balls of fluff. It amazes me; as do most things; that there is a code embedded within these tiny seeds which never changes.  It’s eternal.

There is nothing quite like a field of cotton in bloom, it looks like snow has fallen. There are several cotton fields near my house, which is where I got the seeds last fall. I have given some of the cotton balls which I picked then; and contain the seeds; to some of the kids down the street. I hope that they will have success with them.

There is little that can be compared to watching a seed grow into something as majestic as fully grown cotton.  It’s like looking at the history of ancient Egypt; and also like peeking into our own American past, when cotton was king, and human beings were enslaved for the harvest. And, in spite of the beautiful view, if you look at the fields hard enough, you can almost imagine hearing the crack of the whip.

Brattonsville - Stepping Back In Time.

Sue and I took a trip to Brattonsville, South Carolina yesterday. We have been meaning to visit this 38 structure town for quite awhile, but never seem to have gotten around to it. The town is a unique collection of buildings, most of which once belonged to the Bratton family. The 5 Bratton brothers came to America from Ulster in Northern Ireland sometime around 1730, first settling in the Pennsylvania area and then Virginia, before William Bratton and his wife Matha, purchased these 770 acres in present day York County in 1766. They immediately began to build for their growing family, which would eventually number 14 children. Not to mention William's 4 brothers.

The first home reflected the urgency of building something for a dwelling. It is a simple log cabin with a hearth on the first floor and an upstairs loft area for the kids to sleep. The most unusual part of this building is the latch on the OUTSIDE of the doorway leading to the children's sleeping area in the loft. I suppose that when Momma and Papa wanted to have some time alone, they just latched the kids in upstairs. Not a bad system when you think about it!

Eventually William and Martha needed a larger home, and so, they built one right next door. When that one grew cramped, they built an annex to it. After awhile, with all of the outbuildings, and dwellings, along with a store run by the family, there were 38 structures in all!

Historically, the property is significant, in that it played a key role on the road to Yorktown and the British surrender there. Brattonsville was the site of what is known as the "Battle of Huck's Defeat", which was fought on July 12th, 1780. William Bratton's slave, Watt, chanced upon the British troops under Huck's command. He was able to get back to William Bratton in time to summom all the local militia and defeat Huck, who was on his way to re-inforce Cornwallis in Virginia. A victory for him at Brattonsville might have changed the outcome of the war. There is a marker to Watt erected on the site of the Visitor's Center.

The real pleasure of this visit was the unhurried, and unescorted, pace. There were no tour guides moving groups of people about. It was a relaxing way to tour an historical site, an approach which allows the visitor to really absorb the novelty of living in the woods, far from the main roads. The property is still home to some goats, and I heard some chickens roosting about in one of the outbuildings.

But, the lizards were the best. Sue spotted them first, and I was lucky enough to become friendly with this red headed lizard, who allowed me to take numerous photos of him. Of course, I expected him to speak in an Australian accent and sell me insurance, but I would be a liar if I were to tell you that is what happened.

This little village really was self sufficent. Along with the hen house, the pastures for the sheep and cattle, alongside of the vegetable and herb gardens, and the smokehouse, was the most important building of all- the gin house, which allowed them to gin their own cotton, resulting in a larger profit from the cotton crop, which was the mainstay of the village. They even had a loom house, where they spun their own cotton into cloth.

This is a wonderful place to visit for a look back at what life was really like in the last days of the 18th Century. With it's lack of regimentation, it is the perfect way to spend a spring afternoon in the past.

For more about this historical village visit the website at;

http://south-carolina-plantations.com/york/brattonsville.html