mill ▁on ▁this ▁plant ation . ▁ ▁Taylor ▁first ▁h ired ▁a ▁cousin ▁of ▁his ▁wife , ▁Dam asc us ▁Thor nt on , ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁over se er . ▁He ▁later ▁h ired ▁another ▁cousin , ▁James ▁Thor nt on , ▁until ▁the ▁latter ▁res igned ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 . ▁The ▁third ▁over se er ▁was ▁Thomas ▁W . ▁Ring g old . ▁Taylor ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁Ring g old ▁from ▁Cor pus ▁Christ i , ▁Texas ▁and ▁Mexico ▁during ▁the ▁Mexican - American ▁War . ▁According ▁to ▁bi ograph er ▁K . ▁Jack ▁B auer , ▁his ▁slaves ▁were ▁treated ▁well , ▁well - f ed ▁and ▁even ▁received ▁Christmas ▁presents ▁each ▁year . ▁On ▁top ▁of ▁pick ing ▁cot ton ▁and ▁other ▁cro ps , ▁they ▁built ▁le ve es ▁on ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁and ▁on ▁an ▁adjacent ▁cre ek . ▁Later , ▁Taylor ' s ▁son , ▁General ▁Richard ▁Taylor , ▁helped ▁manage ▁the ▁plant ation . ▁ ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁travel ers ▁could ▁cut ▁ten ▁miles ▁from ▁their ▁trip ▁by ▁going ▁through ▁Gill am ' s ▁Sh ute ▁which ▁flow ed ▁between ▁Bu ena ▁V ista ▁Island ▁and ▁Taylor ' s ▁plant ation . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁the ▁plant ation ▁was ▁well ▁known ▁to ▁river ▁travel ers . ▁Taylor ▁died ▁on ▁July ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁Taylor ' s ▁wid ow , ▁Margaret , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁he irs ▁sold ▁the ▁plant ation ▁land ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0