Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana (1806-1864). His West Point classmate, Jefferson Davis, urged him to accept an appointment as a Confederate general during the Civil War, despite having had no combat experience. His rank earned him the nickname “The Fighting Bishop.” Polk, a second cousin of James K. Polk, defeated Grant at Belmont and commanded large forces at Shiloh and Chickamauga. Gen. Braxton Bragg ordered him to be court-martialed for not following orders at Chickamauga, but Davis reinstated him. Polk was killed in action near Pine Mountain, Georgia, in June 1864, and although Davis lavished the highest praise on him as a military leader, most of his peers felt his real talents lay in his ministry. ALS, one page, 6 x 7.75, September 15, 1857. Letter to Dr. Francis looking for assistance for his niece. In part: “My brother…goes to New York to place a daughter at school. He may require for her a medical attendant. If you are still in practice he would be pleased to avail of your services if not you would oblige me by presenting him with the name of a pediatrician in whom he may have confidence.” Matted with a glossy portrait to an overall size of 18.5 x 13. In fine condition, with intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, and a touch of trivial soiling.
This correspondence was dispatched just two months after Polk founded Sewanee: The University of the South, atop Lookout Mountain. Here, Polk undoubtedly desired to use his influence as a religious leader and university founder to secure the best medical attention available for his niece. RRAuction COA.
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