The author at the burial place of President Zachary Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky
President Zachary Taylor
12. Zachary Taylor (1849-1850): He never held a public office before presidency, nor he ever voted in any elections. He was the last US President to own slaves while in office. He was one of the eight US presidents who had died in office*. He is one of the four presidents who didn’t appoint any Supreme Court Justice**. He was a distant cousin of President James Madison and General Robert E. Lee.
He was first buried in a vault on his family property. His body was moved to the new mausoleum in 1926. The old vault still stands near the mausoleum. He was suspected of being poisoned by arsenic. His body was exhumed on June 17, 1991, and tissues examined. No trace of excessive arsenic was found. The tissues were re-examined in 2010 as the initial tests were considered flawed. This time no definite conclusion regarding assassination was established. His nickname was Old Rough and Ready.
* William Harrison; Taylor; Lincoln; Garfield; McKinley; Harding; Franklin Roosevelt & Kennedy
** William Harrison; Andrew Johnson; Taylor & Carter Jr.
