New-York tribune., 1893-12-31

A general was not accidental after oil. Dut this
wrathfui beginning was not followed By hasty
acts. The Bishop deberated long before TAX
In; up the sword; and when nc did take II up he
did 40 with the expressed determination OF
laying II down soon as possible. HIS
lctlcrs Of resignation to Jefferson Davis
were frequent especially In the early part
az the war. They were not accepted. but they
part Of military leader always has. They
RAISED a feeling Of distrust. II this was not
exemplific'l in words II certainly was IN the acts
o. the Confederate Government. so-callcd. Polk
was practically the creator Of what was styled
":he Army Of the Mississippi" One must suppose
when he named the men In succession under
whom he wished t. serve. or IN whose IaVor ne
Wished 10 retire from military service. that his
alternative was his own supremacy In the de-
partmcnt assigned to him. lie wanted Albert
sidney Johnston. and Davis s"nt him Bcanre-
gard. He urged the merits ~ Joseph f.. John.
s;on and was saddled with Bragg. B"auregard
care upon him as n sort Of calamity aiter the
dustriSisly fortified Columbus Ky It is easy
to read in Polks letter. rs given In these vol
umcs that his chagrin was deep when Column
bus was evacuated. But this was only the be-
ginning ~ his troubles az a division commander
An effort made 10 hold him responsible
for the result ~ the battle OF shiloh HIS hi-
ographer is convinced that the entire Union
Army could have bee captured at the end of
the first days fighting. He points out that
the battle should have been fought day earlier
than II was in any case. and that with becoming
taken utterly by surprise. The failure 10 nc
comp,sh these things az fully az was hoped: ne
attributes to the illness Of I'eaurcgard ana 10
the delays which Bragg experienced In g"ttinH
up troops WHO were unacCustomcd To marchihe.
Later came the campaign which eliminated
with the Battle 81 Pcrryville. All through this
campaign he maintains Bragg banded ms
army In accordance with his mental impressions
as To what Buell. III" Federal com.
.mandcr ought to hc doing: and not In
the light az information constantly pressed
upon him from the front. The result was that
Folk a. his biogrsrh-r estimates. had to fight
IS ooo with l6."oo. while Bragg gathered
&c 900 men in the direction ~ Frankfort. Ky" 10
oppose mere detachment of Buclrs ARM!
amounting to I:ooo men After the Eattlc -
ChlckanauCa Dr. Polk insists thar II took i'rarR
long 10 learn that his army WAS victorious
as t. make the triumph which had cis' IN" i'ss
Of one man out of every threc-ut"rly nstles'
Tho elder Polk himself Il, scr!h"1 l'r1Cg's con-
duct as weak AMI added an cp.rram-h h" had
taste for neat phrascsio Nh" ch"ct that th"re
were times when wrakness was W,kr , n','rs
Subsequently his wish for tn" appointment ~
Joseph r.. Johnston as commander was gra'iiieJ
I,ut the possibility ~ retrieving past errors ~
msforiuncs had gcne by. ard IN the last scene
Of all when Polk fell on kenesaw. the manner ~
his ,lea III such as h" m!Ehf have d"iera'e'y
sought. Cons ,iouslS ~ unconscions!y ne seems
I, have challenged IN" fate that came tn HIN
"Gcncral Polk" writes his son. walk II 10 the
cres, of the hill and en:lrcly exposed. turned
himself around as If t. tax" Il farewell view
Folding his arms across his breast ne Ht"'d IN
.ently gazing on the scene below Wh" ne mus
stood "A cannpn-shoi crashed through his breast
anil opening a wide door. let frc" that In
domi'able spirit. .
Polk will always be an Interesting figure IN
American history. not 40 much for wfat ne dib
as for the contrasts In his career. The volumes
in hand if not impartial. are AT leas; decorous IN
FORM harsh judgments being gen"ra!y tempere'
by some words of Kindness The ilus'rat"ns
comprise several portraits - Polk as bishop ana
general. and numerous charts or tracngs ~ me
battles and campaigns In when he was engaged