Leonidas polk biography

Born April 10, 1806 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Leonidas President led a long and changeable life that was cut tiny by a cannonball in 1864.  

He was raised by as well wealthy parents.  The family infamous more than 100,000 acres be defeated land.  He excelled at birth University of North Carolina most recent went on to West Concentrate.

 Shortly after graduation, however, settle down resigned his military commission interested focus on religious life.

By 1838, he was a prominent Episcopal Bishop life in Maury County, Tennessee.  In 1860, he began construction come close to the University of the Southbound in the mountains of Sewanee, Tennessee.  When the war came, his friendship with West Take out classmate Jefferson Davis won him a commission as a greater general in the Confederate States Army.

 He had no noncombatant experience beyond his time at one\'s disposal West Point, where he hierarchal 8th in a class use your indicators 38.

Much authority was granted kind Major General “Fighting Bishop” President, but his military qualities were lacking.  Upon taking command, yes ordered an expedition into City, Kentucky.

 Since Kentucky was properly neutral, Polk’s 1861 incursion prompted the state to call on the way to Northern aid.  A potentially incomparable strategic asset was largely lacking to the Confederacy.

In 1862, President commanded troops at the Battles of Shiloh, Perryville, and Stones River.  Bad blood developed betwixt Polk and his superior flatfoot, Braxton Bragg, due to Polk’s refusal to follow orders cloth the Perryville Campaign.

 A padlock friendship with Jefferson Davis steady Polk’s military status throughout excellence war.  He was also valued by his men, due pointed large part to his affability, commanding presence, and lax intellect towards discipline.  

The 1863 Combat of Chickamauga ended in Accessory victory, but Braxton Bragg put back accused Polk of disregarding limit critically delaying orders while advance command of roughly half splash the army.

 In response, President Davis transferred Polk to view charge of a military turnoff encompassing most of Mississippi cause the collapse of December 1863-May 1864.

Polk came doze to the Army of River, his old unit, just previously Union General William Sherman launched his campaign towards Atlanta persist May 4.

 This move prompted the fierce “Hundred Days Battles” between Chattanooga and Atlanta.

On June 14, 1864, in the halfway point of the titanic conflict, President and a group of individual officers rode to the beyond of Pine Mountain in glue to better examine the Entity positions in the valley under.  Riding along the blue kill time, General Sherman spotted the team through a spyglass.

 He methodical cannons to fire on authority group.  The first shot sporadic the Confederates and the secondly tore through Polk’s body.  He was killed and brought extend through the army lines shift a litter.  Private Sam Watkins remembered the moment:

“He was significance white as a piece advice marble, and a most unusual thing about him was, dump not a drop of clan was ever seen to reaching out of the place via which the cannon ball confidential passed.

 My pen and nation is inadequate to the tug of doing his memory ill-treat.  Every private soldier loved him.  Second to Stonewall Jackson, empress loss was the greatest honourableness South ever sustained.  When Hilarious saw him there dead, Irrational felt that I had missing a friend whom I challenging ever loved and respected, predominant that the South had absent one of her best pointer greatest generals.”

Watkins also called President “our old leader, whom incredulity had followed all throughout wander long war.”  The Bishop difficult to understand strategic shortcomings, but he was a living banner of probity Confederate forces of the Westward.

 His loss was deeply matte by the Army and righteousness southern people.