The Bishop Polk

[Nathan Stuart]

There are a few facts that I found interesting regarding Leonidas B. Polk. According to some period newspaper articles, both his father and grandfather fought during the American Revolution. His Father, a Colonel in the Continental Army, commanded the 4th North Carolina Infantry at Valley Forge. Leonidas B. Polk was the second cousin of James K. Polk, the eleventh President of the United States. On the night of 11-12 May 1864, General John Bell Hood had requested to be baptized and received into the Communion of the Episcopal Church by Bishop / Lt. General Leonidas B. Polk. This was performed that night at Dalton at General Joseph E. Johnston`s Headquarters at the Tibbs House. This being during the lead up to the Battle of Resaca and the initiation of the Atlanta Campaign.

Sounds like Polk came from a distinguished family.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

During the war, Polk performed dual military/religious roles as both a Confederate Lieutenant-General and a Southern Episcopalian Bishop.

In his clerical role, he performed many religious services, including some for significant Confederate Generals. These included performing the wedding service for the marriage of John Hunt Morgan at Murfreesboro, on December 14, 1862. He also baptized three leading Confederate Generals: John Bell Hood at Dalton, on May 12, 1864; Joseph E. Johnston at Cassville, six days later; and William J. Hardee sometime during this same period.

When Polk was killed horrifically on June 14, 1864, at Pine Mountain, four small bloodstained religious booklets were found in his pocket. Three copies were individually inscribed to Hood, Johnston and Hardee, and the fourth one contained Polk's own name.

 

[James N.]

He gets my vote for the most spectacular demise of a Civil War general.

It's really not very much different than that of John Sedgewick which happened at about the same time. (Although Sedgewick's was less messy, since he was hit by a sharpshooter's bullet rather than an artillery shell!)

 

[James N.]

... I attach an article below regarding a fascinating event that happened to Leonidas B. Polk at Perryville, KY during the fighting there in 1862. If it is true it is an amazing story indeed.

View attachment 434688

Location of the incident above in Perryville Battlefield State Park. Interestingly, although army commander Braxton Bragg had returned to his headquarters nearby from the State Capital at Lexington, he continued to leave Polk in command of the battle as it unfolded. Both men had a potentially disastrous conception of the overwhelming Federal force they confronted and Polk was directed to begin the assault on it which brought on the battle. It was only through unbelieveable luck and a poor and uncordinated Federal response that the army was saved.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

My favorite wartime photo of Polk is quite different from the usually seen photo of him wearing his Bishop's robes. There's an even better and very unflattering wartime watercolor showing him as a grizzled and pot-bellied old codger looking more like Jubal Early than the stately Bishop!

Thanks for that image.

I'd never seen that photo before this thread.
I would have never recognized Polk without your explanation.

 

[gjpratt]

Sir, some to choose from...

{⋆★⋆} LG - Polk, Leonidas | Biographic Profiles - We Will Remember

Leonidas Polk :CSA1stNat: Born: April 10, 1806 Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina Father: Colonel William Polk 1758 – 1834 (Buried: City Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina) Mother: Sarah Hawkins 1784 – 1843 (Buried: City Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina) Wife: Frances Ann Deveraux 1810 –...

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Cheers,
USS ALASKA

Thank you, @USS ALASKA

 

[John S. Carter]

Years ago, a friend was writing a romance novel set during the ACW, and Leonidas Polk was a side character. She told me, regarding his incompetence, that Polk was of more value to the Union alive than dead.

He and Bragg would be in a contest for the first and second position as to the worst command generals. Suggest a book " CONFEDERATE STRUGGLE for COMMAND, General James Longstreet and the first corps in the West- Alexander Mendoka. The western theater seems to have been more of a political war than a military war with all the commanders esp. Polk and Bragg showing who was Davis's favorite, with Longstreet rather to be under the command of neither, being in favor of Johnston. One last remark, just the fact that he was loved by his soldiers does not give cause to Polk's generalship, aka George Mcclean.