Mark Perrin Lowrey Mark Perrin Lowrey ( December 30 , 1828 – February 27 , 1885 ) was a Southern Baptist preacher otherwise known as the " Preacher General " . He is known for being a Confederate brigadier general during the Civil War , for his works in the Mississippi Southern Baptist Convention , and for founding the Blue Mountain College . Early life and career . Mark Perrin Lowrey was born in 1828 , in McNairy County , Tennessee , to Adam and Marguerite ( Doss ) Lowrey . His parents had emigrated to America from England and Ireland , and Lowrey received no formal education . His father was killed in an accident in New Orleans when Lowrey was young . In 1843 he moved with his family to Mississippi , where he became a bricklayer . During the Mexican War Lowrey enlisted as a private in the 2nd Mississippi Volunteers in 1847 . Neither he or his regiment ever saw action in the conflict , and Lowrey was mustered out in July 1848 . After the war with Mexico ended , Lowrey married Sarah R . Holmes in 1849 . Beginning in 1853 he became a Southern Baptist preacher , serving primarily around the village of Kossuth , Mississippi . After preaching for eight years the American Civil War broke out and his congregation urged him to join the Confederacy . Lowrey also served as a captain in the Mississippi State Militia in 1861 . Civil War service . Lowrey entered the Confederate service in 1861 as the colonel of the 4th Mississippi Militia . On December 6 , 1861 , Lowrey was appointed colonel of the 4th Mississippi Infantry , and on April 3 , 1862 , he became commander of the 32nd Mississippi Infantry . He fought in and was praised at the Battle of Shiloh , Battle of Perryville , the Kentucky Campaign , and the Battle of Chickamauga . At the Battle of Perryville in October 1862 Lowrey was shot in the left arm but stayed on the battlefield . During the retreat which began the next day he had great difficulty keeping up with the army . He then obtained leave and traveled to his brother ' s house for safety . After six weeks of recuperation Lowrey joined back with his forces and fought at the Battle of Murfreesboro on January 1 , 1863 . On October 4 , 1863 at the age of 35 Mark Lowrey was promoted to a Brigadier General . It was because of his evangelistic ties and preaching that he came to be known as the " Preacher General " . In December 1864 during the Franklin - Nashville Campaign an officer saw the flash of an enemy gun and yelled to Lowrey , who quickly lowered himself and the bullet stuck and killed a man behind him . Years of bad health and other reasons caused Lowrey to resign his commission as a brigadier general on March 14 , 1865 , almost one month before the Confederate forces surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse . Maj . Gen . Patrick Cleburne , Lowrey ' s divisional commander during the Franklin - Nashville Campaign , pronounced Lowrey " the bravest man in the Confederate Army . " Postbellum career and death . After the war Lowrey moved back to Mississippi and focused on his studies . Then in 1873 he founded the Blue Mountain Female Institute which later became known as the Blue Mountain College . Lowrey would also serve as president of the Mississippi Baptist convention from 1868 to 1877 . Lowrey then persuaded a friend , Colonel William C . Falkner , to run his railroad near the college . Since he was a major shareholder of Falkner ' s Railroad the plan was soon carried out . The school became quite a success and 3 generations of Lowrey ' s became presidents of the school himself , two of his sons and a grandson . Following several years of teaching at the Blue Mountain College Lowrey became very sick and in 1882 his doctors alerted him that his heart was very weak . Then on February 27 , 1885 , while buying a train ticket at Middleton , Tennessee , he turned , gasped , and fell to the floor dead . Possible family wealth . Lowrey lore states that sometime after Mark and Sarah were married an English grandfather of Lowrey ' s mother Margaret ( Doss ) Lowrey died leaving a six million dollar fortune to his descendants . Before the arrangements could be made for the family to get the money the Civil War began and the descendants became preoccupied with other matters . At the war ' s end Lowrey once again tried to claim his share of the English estate left behind by his ancestor , but it was discovered that the papers pertaining to the money and estate were lost or destroyed .