"Although I have never had the pleasure of a personal acquaintance, nor can I flatter myself that you have ever heard of me before the late convention, yet as I feel quite acquainted with you from a general knowledge of your widely extended reputation, and as our fellow citizens have seen fit to associate our names for the next Presidential contest, I take the liberty by introduction of enclosing a copy of my acceptance of the nomination...I should be happy to hear from you."
-- Millard Fillmore, writing to General Zachary Taylor with his acceptance of the Whig Party's nomination to be Taylor's running mate in the 1848 election. Not only had Taylor and Fillmore never met before becoming running mates, but they'd never even corresponded prior to this message sent by Fillmore.
Suggesting that Taylor may not have heard of him before the 1848 Whig Party Convention that nominated them wasn't an act of false humility on Fillmore's part. Considering Taylor's complete lack of political involvement prior to his own nomination for the Presidency -- the General had never even voted prior to the 1848 election in which he was a candidate -- he genuinely probably had no clue who Fillmore was until the Whigs chose him to be Taylor's Vice President. In fact, the Whigs weren't entirely sure what political party Taylor supported (if any) when they nominated him as their Presidential candidate.
The first time that Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore actually met one another in-person was at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. in late-February 1849, just a week before they were to be inaugurated -- and nearly four months after they had been elected President and Vice President.
