Leonidas Polk was one of the most unusual generals of the Civil War. An Episcopal bishop and Confederate general, Polk was denounced by northern newspapers for leaving the pulpit to take up the sword. On the battlefield, Polk’s divinely inspired confidence bordered on arrogance. He sometimes ignored the orders of his superiors and the results were predictably flawed. Criticized by contemporaries and historians, it has been a long-held tradition that Polk’s life was molded, in part, by the year that he attended school in Seaford.
Polk was born in 1806 in Raleigh, N.C., where his father and grandfather had been heroes during the American Revolution. The Polk family was blessed with military and political connections, and Polk appeared to be headed for a career in the United States until he found a “higher calling….”
“Criticized by contemporaries and historians, it has been a long-held tradition that Polk’s life was molded….”
Someone send this writer a textbook in basic grammar!
Other histories paint a different picture. Polk was a West Pointer, but never served until the Recent Unpleasantness. He was acutely aware he had a good education, some organizational skills, but no battlefield experience. On multiple occasions he asked to be relieved of his very senior position to serve under a more experienced officer. As always, the truth is somewhere between the hagiographies and the hatchet jobs.
Since this (T19) is a blog of Episcopal/Anglican issues, I would be remiss if I did not point out that Bishop Polk was one of the founding Bishops of The University of the South (Sewanee) THE Episcopal University.
(Having said that, with some of the things which have been going on down at Sewanee, Bishop Polk would not be happy with the way his “baby” has grown up!)
Much could be said about Bishop General Polk. One of the more interesting things (perhaps not to him) is the manner of his death. He was with Generals Johnston and Hardee on a reconnaissance and came within line of sight (at a distance of around a half mile) of not only Union forces, but General Sherman himself. Sherman, although he had no idea that the entourage contained three enemy generals, was irritated at the impudent bravery of the Confederate party (calling them “saucy fellows” and ordered a nearby battery to lob a few shots at them to clear them off the hill. It probably wouldn’t have meant too much had it been a run of the mill union artillery battery, but the battery near at hand was commanded by the amazing Hugo Dilger, a German volunteer from the Prussian army, and a crack artillerist who had seen action at Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and practically everywhere else of any import during the War. Dilbert (known as “Leather Britches” because of his attire) told his artillerists to “reach out and tickle them fellers a bit” and sighted the guns. They fired three rounds. The second went right through General Polk. He was killed instantly. It was the only instance I’m aware of of a sniper hit with a muzzle loading cannon. There has been some later scholarship that disputes whether it was indeed Dilger who fired the rounds. But the story is still regarded as authentic by many, and I find it too good to give up on mere speculation.
In the weeks before his death, General Polk baptised both General Hood and General Johnston. He was not a great Corps commander, but he seemed to be a powerful spiritual guide.
Dilger was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role in stalling General T.J. Jackson’s flank attack at Chancellorsville. He settled in Virginia after the War (although he was from Baden by way of Cincinnati and was a friend of my Great Grandfather, a Union General who was also from Baden). Ironically, Dilger’s son studied medicine in Germany, but, as a US citizen, returned to the US, lived in the Washington DC area during WWI and served as a secret agent who attempted to ruin the horse stock of the United States army through germ warfare before it could be exported to Europe to supply the allies. Dilger’s son was awarded the Iron Cross for his efforts. Surely the only father/son team to hold the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Iron Cross.
Re #4
A fascinating tale. Thanks for posting that.
I join Ad Orientem in thanking No. 4, No. Virginia Scout, for a fascinating post!