Mark Perrin Lowrey
Encyclopedia
Mark Perrin Lowrey was a Southern Baptist preacher otherwise known as the "Preacher General". He is known for being a Confederate
brigadier general during the Civil War
, for his works in the Mississippi Southern Baptist Convention, and for founding the Blue Mountain College
.
and Ireland
, and Lowrey received no formal education. His father was killed in an accident in New Orleans when Lowrey was young. In 1843 he moved with his family to Mississippi
, where he became a bricklayer. During the Mexican War Lowrey enlisted as a private
in the 2nd Mississippi Volunteers in 1847. Neither he or his regiment ever saw action in the conflict, and Lowrey was mustered out in July 1848.
After the war with Mexico ended, Lowrey married Sarah R. Holmes in 1849. Beginning in 1853 he became a Southern Baptist preacher, serving primarily around the village of Kossuth, Mississippi
. After preaching for eight years the American Civil War
broke out and his congregation urged him to join the Confederacy
. Lowrey also served as a captain in the Mississippi State Militia in 1861.
of the 4th Mississippi Militia. On December 6, 1861, Lowrey was appointed colonel of the 4th Mississippi Infantry, and on April 3, 1862, he became commander of the 32nd Mississippi Infantry. He fought in and was praised at the Battle of Shiloh
, Battle of Perryville
, the Kentucky Campaign, and the Battle of Chickamauga
. At the Battle of Perryville
in October 1862 Lowrey was shot in the left arm but stayed on the battlefield. During the retreat which began the next day he had great difficulty keeping up with the army. He then obtained leave and traveled to his brother's house for safety. After six weeks of recuperation Lowrey joined back with his forces and fought at the Battle of Murfreesboro on January 1, 1863.
On October 4, 1863 at the age of 35 Mark Lowrey was promoted to a Brigadier General. It was because of his evangelistic ties and preaching that he came to be known as the "Preacher General". In December 1864 during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign
an officer saw the flash of an enemy gun and yelled to Lowrey, who quickly lowered himself and the bullet stuck and killed a man behind him. Years of bad health and other reasons caused Lowrey to resign his commission as a brigadier general on March 14, 1865, almost one month before the Confederate forces
surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse. Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne
, Lowrey's divisional commander during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, pronounced Lowrey "the bravest man in the Confederate Army."
and focused on his studies. Then in 1873 he founded the Blue Mountain Female Institute
which later became known as the Blue Mountain College
. Lowrey would also serve as president of the Mississippi Baptist convention from 1868 to 1877.
Lowrey then persuaded a friend, Colonel William C. Falkner, to run his railroad near the college. Since he was a major shareholder of Falkner's Railroad the plan was soon carried out. The school became quite a success and 3 generations of Lowrey's became presidents of the school himself, two of his sons and a grandson. Following several years of teaching at the Blue Mountain College
Lowrey became very sick and in 1882 his doctors alerted him that his heart was very weak. Then on February 27, 1885, while buying a train ticket at Middleton, Tennessee, he turned, gasped, and fell to the floor dead.
began and the descendants became preoccupied with other matters. At the war's end Lowrey once again tried to claim his share of the English estate left behind by his ancestor, but it was discovered that the papers pertaining to the money and estate were lost or destroyed.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
brigadier general during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, for his works in the Mississippi Southern Baptist Convention, and for founding the Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College is a private liberal arts college, supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, located in the northeastern Mississippi town of Blue Mountain not far from Tupelo, Miss. In 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the college to go fully...
.
Early life and career
Mark Perrin Lowrey was born in 1828, in McNairy County, Tennessee, to Adam and Marguerite (Doss) Lowrey. His parents had emigrated to America from EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and Lowrey received no formal education. His father was killed in an accident in New Orleans when Lowrey was young. In 1843 he moved with his family to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, where he became a bricklayer. During the Mexican War Lowrey enlisted as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 2nd Mississippi Volunteers in 1847. Neither he or his regiment ever saw action in the conflict, and Lowrey was mustered out in July 1848.
After the war with Mexico ended, Lowrey married Sarah R. Holmes in 1849. Beginning in 1853 he became a Southern Baptist preacher, serving primarily around the village of Kossuth, Mississippi
Kossuth, Mississippi
Kossuth is a village in Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 170 at the 2000 census. Its zip code is 38834.-History:...
. After preaching for eight years the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
broke out and his congregation urged him to join the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. Lowrey also served as a captain in the Mississippi State Militia in 1861.
Civil War service
Lowrey entered the Confederate service in 1861 as the colonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
of the 4th Mississippi Militia. On December 6, 1861, Lowrey was appointed colonel of the 4th Mississippi Infantry, and on April 3, 1862, he became commander of the 32nd Mississippi Infantry. He fought in and was praised at 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, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
, the Kentucky Campaign, and the Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
. At the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
in October 1862 Lowrey was shot in the left arm but stayed on the battlefield. During the retreat which began the next day he had great difficulty keeping up with the army. He then obtained leave and traveled to his brother's house for safety. After six weeks of recuperation Lowrey joined back with his forces and fought at the Battle of Murfreesboro on January 1, 1863.
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
an officer saw the flash of an enemy gun and yelled to Lowrey, who quickly lowered himself and the bullet stuck and killed a man behind him. Years of bad health and other reasons caused Lowrey to resign his commission as a brigadier general on March 14, 1865, almost one month before the Confederate forces
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse. Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
, Lowrey's divisional commander during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign, pronounced Lowrey "the bravest man in the Confederate Army."
Postbellum career and death
After the war Lowrey moved back to MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
and focused on his studies. Then in 1873 he founded the Blue Mountain Female Institute
Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College is a private liberal arts college, supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, located in the northeastern Mississippi town of Blue Mountain not far from Tupelo, Miss. In 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the college to go fully...
which later became known as the Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College is a private liberal arts college, supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, located in the northeastern Mississippi town of Blue Mountain not far from Tupelo, Miss. In 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the college to go fully...
. Lowrey would also serve as president of the Mississippi Baptist convention from 1868 to 1877.
Lowrey then persuaded a friend, Colonel William C. Falkner, to run his railroad near the college. Since he was a major shareholder of Falkner's Railroad the plan was soon carried out. The school became quite a success and 3 generations of Lowrey's became presidents of the school himself, two of his sons and a grandson. Following several years of teaching at the Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College
Blue Mountain College is a private liberal arts college, supported by the Mississippi Baptist Convention, located in the northeastern Mississippi town of Blue Mountain not far from Tupelo, Miss. In 2005, the College's Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the college to go fully...
Lowrey became very sick and in 1882 his doctors alerted him that his heart was very weak. Then on February 27, 1885, while buying a train ticket at Middleton, Tennessee, he turned, gasped, and fell to the floor dead.
Possible family wealth
Lowrey lore states that sometime after Mark and Sarah were married an English grandfather of Lowrey's mother Margaret (Doss) Lowrey died leaving a six million dollar fortune to his descendants. Before the arrangements could be made for the family to get the money the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began and the descendants became preoccupied with other matters. At the war's end Lowrey once again tried to claim his share of the English estate left behind by his ancestor, but it was discovered that the papers pertaining to the money and estate were lost or destroyed.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals