Octavia Taylor

Octavia Taylor
Born Octavia Pannell Taylor
August 15, 1816
Louisville, Kentucky
Died September 1820 (aged 4)
Bayou Sara, Louisiana
Cause of death Malaria[1] or yellow fever[2]
Parent(s) Zachary Taylor
Margaret Mackall Smith

Octavia Pannell Taylor (15 August 1816 – September 1820) was the third child and third daughter of Zachary Taylor and his wife Margaret Mackall Smith.

Life

The third child of the couple, Octavia Pannell Taylor was born on August 15, 1816, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her siblings were: Anne Margaret Mackall Taylor Wood (April 9, 1811 – December 2, 1875), Sarah Knox "Knoxie" Taylor (1813 – September 15, 1835), Margaret Smith Taylor (July 17, 1819 – October 1820), Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Taylor Bliss Dandridge (April 20, 1824 – July 25, 1909) and Richard "Dick" Taylor (January 27, 1826 – April 17, 1879).[3]

In 1820, Zachary Taylor took his family to Bayou Sara, Louisiana. Soon after their arrival, Octavia, her younger sister Margaret, and her older sister Knoxie became ill with what their parents called a "bilious fever", which was most likely of malaria,[1] but some sources claim that it was yellow fever.[2] On September 1820, Octavia, at four years old, died from her illness. That October, Margaret, at one year old, died of it as well.

Impact of death on Zachary and Margaret Taylor

The death of Octavia Taylor left a deep impact on her parents. Wead notes that the Taylors were "forever traumatized by the experience"[4], and were pleased to leave Louisiana behind. Eisenhower suggests that Zachary Taylor may have been convinced that "military life, with its long separations, was unsuitable for families"[5] as a result of Octavia's death.

Name spelling

Although her name was most likely Octavia Pannell Taylor because her uncle's full name was Joseph Pannell Taylor[6], her name is also spelled Octavia Pannel Taylor[1] or Octavia Pannill Taylor[7] depending on the source.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Wead, Doug (2004). All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families. p. 342.
  2. 1 2 Quinn, Sandra L.; Kanter, Sanford (1995). America's Royalty: All the Presidents' Children. Greenwood Publishing. p. 75.
  3. ↑ "Margaret Taylor Biography :: National First Ladies' Library". www.firstladies.org. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  4. ↑ Wead, Doug (2004). All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families. p. 79.
  5. ↑ Eisenhower, John S.D. (2008). Zachary Taylor: The American Presidents Series: The 12th President, 1849-1850. p. 19.
  6. ↑ Tucker, Spencer C. (editor) (2013). American Civil War: The Definitive Encyclopedia and Document Collection. p. 1926.
  7. ↑ "Octavia Pannill Taylor". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
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