General Polk

 

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General Polk

Leonidas Polk

Biography (Written and Submitted by Mr. Gabe Weaver)

General Leonidas Polk was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 10, 1806. Leonidas Polk attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1827. Soon after he dropped out of the Army and joined the Episcopal Church. He became Bishop of Louisiana in 1841. His friend from West Point, Jefferson Davis, convinced Polk to join the Confederate Army in 1861. Polk was commissioned a Major General and was put in charge of securing the Mississippi River. While in Kentucky he moved his command around as his enemies required, he even ferried across the river to help repel Grant's move on Belmont, Missouri. General Polk had to pull out of Missouri when the Federals took over Number 10 and New Madrid, he would then take command of a Corps under General Albert Sidney Johnston. He fought during the Battles of Shiloh and Corinth, he was then promoted to command of the Army of Mississippi. Polk would lead the Army of Mississippi at Perryville, then General Polk led a Corps in 1863 at the Battles of Murfreesboro, the Tullahoma Campaign, and Chickamauga. General Polk was transferred to the quiet portions of

General Polk

 

Mississippi in late 1863. When the Union began to pressure Mississippi, Polk's small force, of only one Corps, was called up. Polk and his forces were moved to Georgia to help protect Atlanta. On June 14, 1864, while in a conference with Generals Joe Johnston and William Hardee,  Polk was killed by a cannon ball.

Many thanks to Mr. Gabe Weaver for Writing and Submitting this Biography.

 

 

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