Leonidas Polk

[Student Name]
[Course Title]
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Introduction
Leonidas Polk was an influential Bishop and Major General of the Confederate states during the Civil War. The decision that he took as a general played an important role in shaping the war. He also did much community work and served as a missionary bishop in the South for many years. Polk is known as a confident and brave man who was destined to lead the soldiers. His family background also played an important role in shaping his life as he enjoyed great status and family connections in the society. This paper discusses the life of Leonidas Polk both as a Bishop and a General. His religion career is discussed in the first part and the second part deals with his military career. The conclusion is given in the end.
Leonidas Polk and Religion
Leonidas Polk was born in on April 10, 1806, in Raleigh, in a wealthy and successful family. His father, Colonel William Polk, was a Revolutionary War Veteran and an influential member of the General Assembly of North Carolina CITATION Bon06 \l 1033 (Bonds). He graduated with Jefferson Davis and Albert Sidney from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1827. All three of these individuals would later on play an important role in the history of American Civil War.
Polk had always been a very good student and came out 8th in his class of 38 students CITATION Wil06 \l 1033 (Jones). The main reason why he joined the United States Military academy at West Point was to keep up with the family image and tradition of being part of the military. However, his overall experience in New York was rather spiritual as there was a religious revival going on during that period which helped him rediscover his faith in Christianity. This new found love for religion shaped his career life for many coming years.
During his senior, Polk answered to his spiritual calling and was baptized to enter the ministry in 1826 CITATION Rob06 \l 1033 (Robins). He did not only embrace Christianity as his religion, but also decided to make it a part of his career after graduating by entering the ministry. He did this against all odds as his father was against him joining and ministry and wanted him to keep u with the family military tradition.
Soon Polk joined the Virginia Theological Seminary when he went to study Hebrew in New York but had to return to the United States due to some health issues CITATION Wil08 \l 1033 (Polk). However, a much greater responsibility was waiting for him and on his return he was elected as the missionary Bishop by the Episcopal Church and eventually became the first Bishop of Louisiana in 1841 CITATION Rob06 \l 1033 (Robins). He dedicated the following years of his life to church and plantation.
Even though Polk was not very successful as a planter, he did a lot for the community as a Bishop and educationist. He was also one of the seventeen clergymen in South holding large number of slaves with 200 slaves looking after his sugar plantation in Louisiana. However, due to high debt caused by the damage done to the plantation during a tornado in 1851, Polk abandoned his life as a planter and dedicated himself entirely to the church CITATION Wil08 \l 1033 (Polk). He also co-founded the University of South in Sewanee which could easily be compared to the best universities in England CITATION Bon06 \l 1033 (Bonds).
Military Career
His life as a Bishop and educationists was soon interrupted as the Civil War broke in 1861. Even though Polk had been away from the military life for many years, it did not stop him from advising his West Point friend, and now the President, Jefferson Davis, on matters of state and military. Impressed by his ideas and ability to develop solutions, Davis offered him the rank of a Major General which Polk refused. He eventually accepted the offer the third time giving him command over the Western states in which he had already spent much time as a Bishop CITATION Wil06 \l 1033 (Jones). He was given the responsibility of the Mississippi Valley Defenses and set up his headquarters in Memphis.
His first decision was to isolate and invade Kentucky, a state whi...