Historical Hottie And A Ghost?

Leonidas Polk

1806-1864

 

Here are some photographs of the portrait of Leonidas Polk that

 I took on Tuesday, June 24, 2014.

I went to hear a speaker at the parish hall at St. Peter's Episcopal 

Church in Columbia, Tennessee.

After the discussion, I went for snacks and noticed this portrait. 

Such a handsome man, I thought. So, I took a photo on my way.

 Then, when I got close up, I took another. 

Nice, but I wanted a better one. A close up that didn't have 

a glare. And, I wanted to see his face better. So, another 

was taken...

Darn that glare! Wait, what is that?????

It looks like  a face behind him.

So, I took another one.

Now, I can definitely see a face behind him! And, it's

 

screaming with, what looks like blood coming from it! 

Aargh!!!!

So, I showed it to a couple of people. And, then I heard the 

story of Reverend Polk.

Apparently, he was the founder of Sewanee, University of 

the South. He was a Bishop in Louisiana, which apparently,

 is why the school is connected to the Episcopalian Church.

After graduating from West Point, he had no experience in 

the military. Yet, when the Civil War broke out, he was 

given a command position. (Another example of gentry 

being given an esteemed position without experience) 

Polk became a Lieutenant General after three years in the 

army. He was a very large man. Supposedly, he was over 

six feet tall, over two-hundred points, and most probably 

closer to three-hundred. (Could this be a romanticized ideal?

 Maybe.)

At a position just north of Atlanta, Polk and his men were on

 one side near a hill. The Union Army was on the other side.

 Polk stood on top of the hill (maybe to get a better view?) 

And the Union Officer told his men to load their cannons 

and to then said "Let's get that fat man!"

The cannons fired, and hit Leonidas Polk in the head! If this

 is all true, then is the face screaming that of Polk, himself? 

Is the red "from" the head, the blood from his wound? 

Yes, it is supposed to be the chair. And, yes, it is the glare 

of the lamp. 

But, isn't this a cool argument?????!!!!