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ing old man, with bi- heart in the
fray, and hi-be.-t faith on the result;
riding through -hot and shell from
point t > point, unconscious of danger,
directing the movement- of his line
with a quiet self-jio.-se—ion which be
spoke knowledge, an J cheering on the
men with an enthusiasm of a child.
At Shiloh, at Perryville, at Murfrees
boro, at Chickamauga, and at Resaca,
he was to be seen cm-tantly at the
front, at every part of his line, super
vising the progress of events with his
own presence.
The circumstances attending the fall
of General Polk are not yet known,
with all their details, but we learned
that the -ad event occurred about noon
on yesterday.
rito'l AOKTII GEORGIA.
* .
OUR ARMY LETTER.
A I- nil and Circumstantial Ac
count of the Fall of Lieu
tenant-General Polk.
From th*; AutrH'.' i nH’.iti.tiun-Jist, June 17, 1864.
Atlanta, June 15, 1864.
The bo<ly of Lieutenant-General
Polk now lies in bloody state in the
chamber of St. Lukes church of this
city.
It reached Atlanta at two o’clock
this morning. It had been encased in
a substantial wooden coflin at Marietta,
and was escorted by Lieutenants Polk
ami Gale, son and son-in-law of the
General, ami Major Douglass West,
one of his Adjutant-Generals. Ser
vices will be said by Dr. Quintard at
noon, and the lamented remains will
proceed on the afternoon train to Au
gusta, and thence to Asheville, in
North Carolina, where the bereaved
family arc at present residing.
The fall of General Polk is the sad
dest event which has occurred in the
army since the death of Albert Sidney
Johnston. “No event,” says the Co/i
--fcderac,!/, with great truth, “of a per
sonal description, saving the fate of
Stonewall Jackson, compares with it
for painful intere.-t and national calam
ity, these eighteen months ami more.”
The shock will be great upon the sol
diers, who loved him, and upon the
country which respected him. He was
a grand old man. As a commander
he was enterprising, vigilant and
brave ; as a churchman he was pious,
liberal and faithful ; as a man he was
the soul of honor, affection and up
right manliness.
The circumstances of his death have
just been related to me by one of the
party who was nearest him at the mo
ment. His story is as follows : Gen
erals Johnston, Polk and Hardee, ac
companied by General Jackson, of the
cavalry, and a small escort of staff
officers had ridden out in front of
General Bate’s line to examine a posi
tion, thought to be suitable for the
Washington Artillery. The horses
were made fast at the foot of the hill,
[Pine Mountain. —Editor.] and the
party ascended to the crown. Here
there wen* the initials to an abatis,
with several embrasures, rendering
the place very much exposed. The
enemy’s guns were less than eight
hundred yards in front. There had
been a little desultory firing during
the early hours of the day, but this
had ceased for some time before the
group of officers began its reconnais
sance. This was prolonged to a much
greater extent than usual, and glided
into a general and animated conversa
tion, all of the gentlemen being gath
ered in a knot, amt using their hands'
and glasses with marked freedom, be
speaking rank and interest. The
enemy could not fail to see them plain-'
ly, and whilst they were being ob
served, deliberately returned the ob
servation, with full time for calcula
tion and adjustment. The party
seemed to forget its exposed situation,
although some of the cannoniers who
bad been at work upon the little tier
of breastwork, pointed out to them the
accuracy of the enemy’s shots. Pres
ently a single spherical shell was dis
charged from the Yankee battery, and
exploded directly above the heads of
Generals Johnston, Hardee and Jack
son. All of them fell to the ground
to avoid the concussion or fragments.
It was then proposed to divide, and the
different gentlemen separated to such
courses as were at band. General
Polk selected a very secure shelter, but
becoming impatient and anxious to
scan the range of fire more accurately,
he stepped out upon the brow, and was
intently gazing out across the country,
his arms folded and his left side pre
sented, when a three-inch round shot
from a steel rifle cannon struck the
elbow, crushing both arms, and passing
through the heart, a portion of the
chest and stomach, and out, and on
its murderous course. The old man
fell lifeless and mangled to the ground.
General Johnston was bending over
him in an instant, with the rest of the
party. They lifted him in their arms
to an ambulance, and he was carried
to his quarters, where his bewildered
military family received it ■with the
mourning of men meeting the corpse
of a father.
Such is, in brief, the story of this
melancholy event, which has cast a
gloom over all hearts, and for the mo
ment depresses every mind.
Grape.
General Polk.
The following is General Johnston’s
beautiful and touching official an
nouncement, to his army, of General
Polk’s death:
Headq’rt’rs Army of Tennessee,
In the Field, June 14, 1864,
General Field Orders, No. 2.
Comrades: You are called to mourn
your first Captain, your oldest compan
ion-in-arms. Lieutenant-General Polk
fell to-day at the out-post of this ar
my —the army he raised and com
manded —in all of whose trials he has
shared —to all of whose victories he
contributed.
In this distinguished leader, we have
lost the most courteous gentleman, the
most gallant of soldiers.
This Christian, patriot, soldier, has
neither lived nor died in vain. His
example is before you —his mantle
rests with you.
J. E. Johnston,
General.
Official:
Kinloch Falconer, A. A. G.
From North Georgia.
OUR ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
From the Augusta Constitutionalist, June 21,1864.
* * * The death of Gen. Polk is
still the theme of conversation. It
was announced in the Yankee army
the day after it occurred. What a
beautiful order was that of Gen. Johns
ton! The finest production of the
kind on record, I think.
At Resaca Gen. Polk was more than
commonly subdued in spirit. At first
I attributed this to the fatigue of his
march from Demopolis, which had
been long,wearisome and exposed, but
his health and vigor seemed very ro
bust, and I began to be of the opinion
that was uneasy about the
situation. He afterwards told me that
he had been in the greatest suspense
on Sunday. “The enemy, sir,” said
he, “had it in their power at any mo-
THE KENNESAW GAZETTE.
ment after the loss of those hills on
Saturday night, to burn our bridges
and completely cut us off; and I was
racked by the thought that they would
improve the golden opportunity. But
God is with us, sir; God is with us.”
It was on Sunday night that we re
treated from Resaca. About noon
that day the General took out his
lunch (a bit of cold ham and hard
tack, and I believe a piece of mutton,)
and, as I happened to be near him,
offered to divide. I thanked him, but
declined. “Tut, tut,” said lie, “I see
from your hungry face that you have
had no breakfast, and I insist upon it;
there’s quite enough for both of us.”
“Very well, General; but suppose I
look us up a safer place.”
The old man looked about him, and
a brace of shells came screaming along
not far off. “Certainly, certainly that
will be more agreeable.” I found a
tree under the hill, came back and
reported, and we sought the shelter,
where we set-to over the luncheon with
lively appetite. Presently a schrapnel
tore the branches just above us from
the trunk, exploding and sending its
leaden entrails all about us. “Umph!”
exclaimed the General, shrugging his
shoulders, “You’re a nice fellow to
send out after a safe place. I guess
we’d as well move back to the front.”
The day before this he made a very
narrow escape from the enemy’s sharp
shooters. He went riding with Capt.
Hunt, of Hardee’s staff, and several of
his own military family at the time.
They were passing down Cheatham’s
line, and the Tennesseans, with whom
Gen. Polk had always been a great
favorite, were cheering him. The
party paused in front of a regiment,
and a group collected, which attracted
the Yankee fire. In an instant Hunt’s
horse fell dead on one side of the Gen
eral, and the horse of a courier directly
on the other.. “Hey! that is paying
pretty dear for hand-shaking,” said the
General. “Good day, Colonel. Pick
yourself up, Hunt, my dear fellow,
and let’s get out of this.”
The last time I ever saw him was at
New Hope. He was full of business
and talked a little. What a bereave
ment and breaking up to the most
charming military family in the army.
Grape.
Called Meeting of the City
Council.
From the Augusta Constitutionalist, June 29,1864.
The City Council met at 5 o’clock
yesterday afternoon. Present: Hon.
Robert H. May, Mayor. Members •
Messrs. Foster, Owens, Heard, Bryson,
Horton and Goodrich.
The reading of the minutes was, on
motion, dispensed with.
His Honor, the Mayor, made the
following remarks, stating the object of
the meeting:
Gentlemen of the City Council:
“ You have been assembled here to
day for the purpose of receiving and
responding to an invitation to unite in
the funeral services in honor of Gen
eral Polk, which will be read in your
hearing. That you will embrace the
opportunity to add another tribute to
those offered by a grateful people to the
remains of a gallant soldier, I am as
sured.
“A great light has been stricken
from the southern firmament; a noble
spirit has gone to join the army of mar
tyrs to the glorious cause of Southern
Independence. When the history of
this tremendous struggle comes to be
written in the future, by pens worthy
of their task, there will appear upon
its sacred pages no more brilliant name
than that of him whose obsequies we
are requested to attend. Time shall but
serve to brighten the reputation of the
Warrior-Bishop, who joined the cause I
of his country with the cause of his
God ; and who, wrapped in the sancti
ty of his character as a Christian
leader, went forth with his country
men to battle against those who would
trample upon his altars and defile the
the sanctuary of his forefathers. In
the by-gone ages of the world, no
more magnificent spectacle was pre
sented to the admiration of mankind
than of the meteor-like man who
emerged from the darkness of igno
rance, with the Cross in one hand and
the Word in the other, to force from
the unwilling lips of despotic power
the acknowledgment of right. Civili
zation has never ceased to do them
honor, and our posterity will not hesi
tate to award an equal place to him
who is now about to be laid away in
the tomb.
“ Let us, therefore, manifest, by
our acceptance of the invitation, and
attendance, as a public body, the high
estimation in which we hold the mili
tary services of Lieutenant-General
Polk, and our deep sorrow for the less
which his mourning South has sus
tained.”
The clerk then read the following
note of invitation from Bishop Elliott:
The Mayor and Aidermen of the
City of Augusta are respectfully in
vited to attend the funeral services of
the Rt. Rev. Leonidas Polk, D. D.,
on Wednesday next, the 29th inst., at
nine o’clock a. m. The procession will
move from the City Hall at half-past
nine o’clock. Stephen Elliott,
Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia.
Monday morning, June 27th, 1864.
Mr. Lewis entered and took his seat.
On motion of Mr. Heard the invita
tion was respectfully accepted, the
council to meet in the Council Cham
ber at nine o’clock a. m.
On motion, the Council then ad
journed.
The Soldier’s Burial.
From the Augusta Constitutionalist, June 30,1864.
When at the head of his gallant
corps —the army which in the language
of the President —“he created and
commanded,” it is right and proper to
call him Lieutenant-General.
But, as the glory of the citizen cul
minates where it begins, and the chief
magistrate is plain Mr. Davis, so, in
military honors, while we use names
to designate rank, yet glory records
on her eternal tablets, no prouder
name than Soldier.
Born of lineage which even repub
lics recognize as among the noble of
earth; inheriting a fortune which grew
princely in his hands —he was edu
cated in the great school of the old
Union, West Point, for the vocation
in which he died. It is little moment
to record how the living paid the last
honors to the ashes of the dead.
The time and manner of the proces
sion was much as it has been announced
in the morning papers, and the im
posing ceremonial was foreshadowed in
the previously announced convocation
of the Protestant Episcopal church,
and in the resolution of the City Coun
cil, prefaced by the eloquent tribute of
the Mayor, Hon. R. H. May.
The city regiment was in full strength,
commanded by Major I. P. Girardey,
and preceded by the fine Palmetto
band. Then the procession of citizens
and officers, among whom we recog
nized the manly form of the com
mander of the post, Colonel Rains,
and after all, its horses decked with
plumes, came the hearse draped with
the national flag. Is it not glorious to
be buried thus, with the flag he died
for, to wrap his dust, and with free
dom’s soil around him ?
On reaching the church of St. Paul,
in’whose|beautiful grounds the sacred
rest, till Louisiana shall arise