The Cypress Grove Plantation was a Southern plantation owned by President Zachary Taylor near Rodney, Mississippi. Later, it was also known as Buena Vista Plantation. [1]
The Cypress Grove Plantation was a Southern plantation owned by President Zachary Taylor near Rodney, Mississippi. Later, it was also known as Buena Vista Plantation. [1]
The plantation bordered Ashland Plantation and the Mississippi River. [1] It was near the Ashland community, and Ashland's port was sometimes used by Cypress Grove Plantation. [2] The plantation was also located on the Mississippi River ten miles below Rodney, [1] a small town on the Mississippi River in Jefferson County, Mississippi. [3] [4] It was north of Natchez. [5]
The plantation was purchased by General Zachary Taylor in 1840. [3] The land spanned 1,923 acres. [3] [5] Previously, it was purchased from David Hunt and others by John Hagan of New Orleans, and then sold to Taylor for $95,000. [1] The property came with eighty-one enslaved African or African-Americans - "servants," as Taylor called them, and with horses, mules, cattle and equipment. [3] [1] Taylor and his wife, Margaret Taylor, often visited the plantation until he was elected President of the United States in 1848. [3] Indeed, she spent most of her time at the plantation while he was serving in the Mexican–American War. [3] [5] Though Taylor won many battles in the war, the Battle of Buena Vista was his last victory in 1847. [1] The plantation became known as Buena Vista when Taylor returned from the war. [1]
Taylor's parents, Colonel Richard and Sara Strother Taylor, raised him on their plantation, so he had experience running a plantation. [1] Cotton, tobacco, corn and wheat were grown, and hogs, sheep, cattle and poultry were raised on his plantation. [3] He grew potatoes and peas in his garden. [3] His home on the plantation was made of timber and included a large library. [3] [5] He also had a sawmill on this plantation. [3]
Taylor first hired a cousin of his wife, Damascus Thornton, as the first overseer. [6] He later hired another cousin, James Thornton, until the latter resigned in 1845. [5] The third overseer was Thomas W. Ringgold. [3] Taylor corresponded with Ringgold from Corpus Christi, Texas and Mexico during the Mexican-American War. [7] According to biographer K. Jack Bauer, his slaves were treated well, well-fed and even received Christmas presents each year. [3] [5] On top of picking cotton and other crops, they built levees on the Mississippi River and on an adjacent creek. [3] Later, Taylor's son, General Richard Taylor, helped manage the plantation. [3]
Mississippi River travelers could cut ten miles from their trip by going through Gillam's Shute which flowed between Buena Vista Island and Taylor's plantation. [1] Thus, the plantation was well known to river travelers. [1] Taylor died on July 9, 1850. [1] Taylor's widow, Margaret, and the other heirs sold the plantation land in 1850 to Charles B. New for $20,000. [1] Most of the land has since eroded away into the Mississippi River. [1]
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