The Zachary Taylor National Cemetery can surely bring ones own mortality to the forefront of thought. This was the case for me when coming down the long driveway toward the tomb of Zachary Taylor, our 12th President. To see all the headstones for the military men who have died and then get to

the generals tomb. Well it is a sobering and reflective experience. This National Cemetery honors our veterans, many of them fallen. The long driveway leads to the memorial statue and mausoleum. Although Zachary Taylor was initially buried in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC.  Now, if you note the sort of lump in the grass behind the current tomb,  it was the second resting place for Zachery, later updated to the stone above ground memorial, his third and hopefully final resting place. Well it seems that people could not leave well enough alone. Letting the dead rest came in second to new forensic cause of death investigation. So here is the story as I understand it. Zachary Taylor died in office of what was called undetermined stomach problems. There  was immediate speculation that he had been poisoned  by the pro-slavery factions. Tests were run to see if he was assassinated. As far as could be determined in 1850 he was not assassinated. Fast forward now to 1991.

A Florida Professor convinces the Taylor Family to once again disturb the dead. Zachary Taylor is again exhumed and taken to Oak Ridge National Laboratory to use Neutron Activation Analysis to again see if he was poisoned.  Well it was determined that he was not poisoned. The remains were returned and re-interred with appropriate honors. A forth funeral hopefully the last.  The 2010 report determined that there was not definitive proof that he was assassinated nor would it appear that there is definitive proof he was not. Another cold case that will be speculated about and probably never be conclusively closed.

Now back to the cemetery. To the left and behind the memorial are many of the early tombstones, that are not of the uniform later standard issue military tombstones across the expanse of the facility.

Over 12,000 are buried here. The stories that are hidden beneath the lawn are mind boggling. The tales of heroes of joy and of suffering will never all be told.

Zachary Taylor –  Born November 24th, 1784 –  Died July 9th 1850