Fort polk

General polk death
Born April 10, 1806 near Raleigh, North Carolina, Leonidas Polk led a long and colorful life that was cut short by a cannonball in 1864.
Leonidas Polk was a U.S. bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church, founder of the University of the South, and lieutenant general in the Confederate Army.

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Leonidas Polk

Born April 10, 1806 near Raleigh, North Carolina, Leonidas Polk led a long and colorful life that was cut short by a cannonball in 1864.

He was raised by extremely wealthy parents. The family owned more than 100,000 acres of land. He excelled at the University of North Carolina and went on to West Point. Shortly after graduation, however, he resigned his military commission to focus on religious life.

By 1838, he was a prominent Episcopal Bishop living in Maury County, Tennessee. In 1860, he began construction of the University of the South in the mountains of Sewanee, Tennessee. When the war came, his friendship with West Point classmate Jefferson Davis won him a commission as a major general in the Confederate States Army. He had no military experience beyond his time at West Point, where he ranked 8th in a class of 38.

Much authority was granted to Major General “Fighting Bishop” Polk, but his military qualities were lacking. Upon taking command, he ordered an expedition into Columbus, Kentucky. Sin

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Leonidas L. Polk (1837 – 1892)

Agrarian leader, editor, and first North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, Leonidas L. Polk was born on April 24, 1837, in Anson County. He was the son of Andrew and Serena Autry Polk, successful farmers and owners of thirty-two slaves. By age fifteen, Leonidas lost his father and mother. Their estate was divided between him and three half-brothers, with young Polk’s share being 353 acres and seven slaves. Polk was educated in the local schools and at nearby Davidson College. In 1857, Polk married Sarah Pamela Gaddy of Anson County; they had six children.

In 1860, Polk was elected to the state House as a Whig Unionist. Like most Whigs, he only advocated secession after President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) in April 1861 issued a call for troops to quell the states that formed the Confederate States of America and bring them back into the Union. As a state representative, Polk chaired a joint committee that created the state militia that he soon led as a commissioned colonel. (He was known thereafter as Colonel Polk.) In May 1862, he joi

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Leonidas Polk

American Confederate general and bishop (1806–1864)

For the agrarian leader and North Carolina's first Commissioner of Agriculture, see Leonidas L. Polk.

Leonidas Polk
Polk in uniform, c. 1862
Nickname(s)	"Sewanee's Fighting Bishop", "Bishop Polk"
Born	(1806-04-10)April 10, 1806 Raleigh, North Carolina
Died	June 14, 1864(1864-06-14) (aged 58) Cobb County, Georgia
Place of burial	Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans
Allegiance	United States Confederate States
Service / branch	United States Army Confederate States Army
Years of service	1827 (U.S.) 1861–1864 (C.S.)
Rank	BrevetSecond Lieutenant (U.S.) Lieutenant-General (C.S.)
Commands	First Corps, Army of Tennessee Army of Mississippi Third Corps, Army of Tennessee
Battles / wars	American Civil War
Spouse(s)	Frances Devereux (m. 1830)
Children	10
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Lieutenant-GeneralLeonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate general, a bishop of the Episc