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Leonidas Polk

 
Leonidas Polk

 
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Leonidas Polk
 
 
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Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 general who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee
Maury County, Tennessee

Maury County is a County located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 69,498. Its county seat is Columbia, Tennessee....
, and a second cousin of President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 James K. Polk
James K. Polk

James Knox Polk was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. He was 49 years old at the time of his inauguration, making him the youngest President up to that time....
. He also served as bishop
Bishop

A bishop is an ordination or consecration member of the Clergy#Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight....
 of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the eastern part of the state of Louisiana....
 and was for that reason known as The Fighting Bishop. Polk was killed in action in 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War....
 of the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

was born in 1806 in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the Capital of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats of Wake County, North Carolina. Raleigh is known as the ?City of Oaks? for its many oaks....
, to Sarah (Hawkins) Polk and Colonel William Polk
William Polk (colonel)

Colonel William Polk was a soldier from North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Colonel Thomas Polk and Susan Polk, and was a distant relative of James K....
, a Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 veteran and prosperous planter.






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Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
 general who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee
Maury County, Tennessee

Maury County is a County located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 69,498. Its county seat is Columbia, Tennessee....
, and a second cousin of President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 James K. Polk
James K. Polk

James Knox Polk was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. He was 49 years old at the time of his inauguration, making him the youngest President up to that time....
. He also served as bishop
Bishop

A bishop is an ordination or consecration member of the Clergy#Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight....
 of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana

The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the eastern part of the state of Louisiana....
 and was for that reason known as The Fighting Bishop. Polk was killed in action in 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War....
 of the American Civil War
American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
.

Early life

Polk was born in 1806 in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the Capital of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats of Wake County, North Carolina. Raleigh is known as the ?City of Oaks? for its many oaks....
, to Sarah (Hawkins) Polk and Colonel William Polk
William Polk (colonel)

Colonel William Polk was a soldier from North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. He was the son of Colonel Thomas Polk and Susan Polk, and was a distant relative of James K....
, a Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
 veteran and prosperous planter. Polk attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public university research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, North Carolina, United States....
 briefly before entering the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational United States Service academies located at West Point, New York, New York....
 at West Point
West Point, New York

West Point is a federal military reservation located North of the Highland Falls, New York in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census....
. During his senior year, he joined the Episcopal Church. Polk graduated eighth of 38 cadets on July 1, 1827, and was appointed a brevet
Brevet (military)

In the U.K. and U.S. military, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher Military rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank....
 second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant is the lowest Officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /l?f't?n?nt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu't?n?nt/ ....
 in the artillery. He resigned his commission on December 1, 1827 so that he could enter the Virginia Theological Seminary
Virginia Theological Seminary

Virginia Theological Seminary , formally called the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is the largest accredited Episcopal Church in the United States of America seminary in the United States....
. He was ordained as a deacon
Deacon

Deacon is a role in the Christianity that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions....
 in April 1830 and made priest the following year. Also in 1830 Polk married Frances Ann Deveraux and became assistant to Bishop Richard Channing Moore in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
.

In 1832, Polk moved his family to the vast Polk "Rattle and Snap" tract in Maury County, Tennessee, and constructed a massive Greek Revival home he called "Ashwood Hall." With his four brothers in Maury County, he built a family chapel, St. John's Church, at Ashwood. He also served as priest
Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities....
 of St. Peter's Church in Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The population was 33,055 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Maury County, Tennessee....
.

He was appointed Missionary Bishop of the Southwest in September 1838 and was elected Bishop of Louisiana in October 1841.

Bishop Polk was the leading founder of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee, Tennessee

Sewanee is an unincorporated town in Franklin County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place ....
 on October 9, 1860, which he envisioned as a national university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 for the South
Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States....
 and a New World
New World

The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and Australasia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia, and Africa ....
 equivalent to Oxford and Cambridge
University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge , located in Cambridge, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in the Anglosphere....
, both in England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. (In his August 1856 letter to Bishop Elliott, he expounded on the secessionist motives for his university.) Polk's foundational legacy at Sewanee is remembered always through his portrait Sword Over the Gown, painted by Eliphalet F. Andrews in 1900. After the original was vandalized in 1998, a copy by Connie Erickson was unveiled on June 1, 2003.

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Polk pulled the Louisiana Convention out of the Episcopal Church of the United States. His friend and former roommate at West Point, Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Finis Davis was an United States politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history, 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War....
, prevailed upon Polk to accept a commission in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
. Polk agreed and was commissioned major general on June 25, 1861, and ordered to command Department No. 2 (roughly, the area between the Mississippi River
Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
 and the Tennessee River
Tennessee River

The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the Southern United States in the Tennessee Valley....
). He committed one of the great blunders of the Civil War by dispatching troops to occupy Columbus, Kentucky
Columbus, Kentucky

Columbus is a city in Hickman County, Kentucky, Kentucky, United States. The population was 229 at the 2000 United States Census....
, in September 1861; the Commonwealth of Kentucky had declared its neutrality
Neutral country

For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality, see NeutralA neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties. A neutralist policy aims at neutrality in case of an armed conflict that could involve the party in question....
, but Polk's action ended that neutrality and the state quickly fell under Union
Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the Federal government of the United States of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that formed the Confederate States of America....
 control.

He organized the Army of Mississippi
Army of Mississippi

There were three organizations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ...
 and the First Corps (known as "Polk's Corps") of the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee

The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate States Army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War....
. Polk designed his own distinctive battle flag for his brigades; a blue field with a red St. George's cross, emblazoned with eleven stars, representing each of the Confederate states.

Polk led the First Corps of Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston

Albert Sidney Johnston was a career United States Army officer, a Republic of Texas General officer, and a Confederate States Army General . He saw extensive combat during his military career, fighting actions in the Texas War of Independence, the Mexican-American War, the Utah War, as well as the American Civil War....
's army during the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War, fought on April 6 and April 7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee....
. He was promoted to lieutenant general on October 10, 1862.

Following disagreements with the army's new commanding general, Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg

Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a General officer in the Confederate States Army, a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, Polk was transferred to Mississippi
Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Deep South of the United States. Jackson, Mississippi is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Anishinaabe language word misi-ziibi ....
 and later took charge of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. Bragg's successor, Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, ordered Polk to join his forces with the Army of Tennessee in the Atlanta campaign
Atlanta Campaign

The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 1864, leading to the eventual fall of Atlanta and hastening the end of the American Civil War....
.

Death and legacy

Polk was scouting enemy positions with his staff when he was killed in action by a Federal 3-inch Hotchkiss shell
Shell (projectile)

A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to Round shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage includes large solid projectiles previously termed shot ....
 at Pine Mountain near Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia

Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, and is its county seat.As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,748, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs....
, on June 14, 1864. The artillery fire was initiated when Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman spotted the cluster of Confederate officers—Polk, Hardee, Johnston, and their staffs—in an exposed area. He pointed them out to Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard
Oliver O. Howard

Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a corps commander noted for suffering two humiliating defeats, at Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg, but he recovered from the setbacks while posted in the Western Theater of the American Civil War,...
, commander of the IV Corps
IV Corps (ACW)

There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–1863, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater, 1863–1865....
, and ordered him to fire on them. The 5th Indiana Battery, commanded by Capt. Peter Simonson, obeyed the order within minutes. The first round came close and a second even closer, causing the men to disperse. The third shell struck Polk's left arm, went through the chest, and exited hitting his right arm then exploded against a tree; it nearly cut Polk in two.

Although his record as a field commander was poor, Polk was immensely popular with his troops, and his death was deeply mourned in the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee

The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate States Army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War....
. Polk was buried in Augusta, Georgia, and in 1945, his remains and those of his wife were later reinterred at Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral is the name of many Anglican cathedrals around the world, and may refer to:...
 in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans metropolitan area metropolitan area, the largest metro area in the state....
.

Polk's nephew, Lucius E. Polk
Lucius E. Polk

Lucius Eugene Polk was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was the nephew of Leonidas Polk....
, was also a Confederate general.

Fort Polk
Fort Polk

Fort Polk is a United States Army base located near Leesville, Louisiana. Its primary ZIP code is 71459....
 in Louisiana is named in Bishop Polk's memory.

Polk's effects

Polk's sword, which was made in New Orleans and presented to Polk by Bishop Stephen Elliott
Stephen Elliott (bishop)

Stephen Elliott was the Succession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America ....
, was auctioned in Fairfield, Maine
Fairfield, Maine

Fairfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, Maine, United States. The population was 6,573 at the 2000 United States Census. The town includes Fairfield Center, Fairfield village and Hinckley....
, on October 4, 2005, along with personal letters and other items. The sword sold for $77,000 and the entire collection for $1.6 million. Another sword attributed to Polk and featuring many unique features including inset and engraved crosses in addition to typical adornment for Confederate Staff and Field Officer Swords, was sold at auction by Heritage Auction Gallery (Dallas, Texas) in December 2007. The Sword was attributed to Polk and featured by William Albaugh in his 1963 book, "A Photographic Supplement of Confederate Swords". The sword is thought to be manufactured by James Conning and Jacob Faser in Mobile, Alabama.

See also

  • Kentucky in the American Civil War
  • William Mecklenburg Polk
    William Mecklenburg Polk

    William Mecklenburg Polk was an United States physician, son of Leonidas Polk, born at Ashwood, Tennessee, Maury County, Tennessee, Tennessee He served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, advancing from the rank of cadet to captain....


External links

  • Bush, Bryan S., , NU XI Student Historical Journal, Phi Alpha Theta
    Phi Alpha Theta

    Phi Alpha Theta is an United States honor society for Undergraduate education and Postgraduate education students and professors of history. The society is a charter member of the Association of College Honor Societies and has over 350,000 members, with about 9,500 new members joining each year through 860 local chapters....
     History Honor Society, University of Louisville
    University of Louisville

    The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky, Kentucky, United States. It is one of the oldest chartered universities west of the Allegheny Mountains and is mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly to be a "Preeminent Metropolitan Research University"....
     chapter, Fall 2004.
  • , June 3, 2005
  • — Historical marker, monument and article