This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 50 items |
Abstract | James Hilliard Polk of Tennessee served as captain of the First Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Fort Worth, Tex., during the Civil War. He was captured 14 January 1864 and held at Camp Chase, Ohio. Polk was also one of the "Immortal 600," brought to Hilton Head, S.C., to be used as a human shield at the siege of Charleston, August-October 1864, and from which he survived. It is unclear if he was the nephew and or the second cousin, once removed of President James K. Polk. Polk attended the University of North Carolina, 1859-1860 and possibly longer. He was married to Mary Demoville Harding and died 27 November 1926. The collection includes a diary, 22 July 1859-8 January 1860, written while James Hilliard Polk was a student at the University of North Carolina; a journal, 1864, written while he was a prisoner of war at Camp Chase, Ohio; and an ambrotype of Polk as a student at UNC. In the student diary, Polk wrote of fraternity life, school, love, family, and politics. The prisoner of war journal has entries for several dates, including that of his capture; lists of accounts; and Confederate songs, poems, and political commentary. Also included is photocopied secondary material documenting Polk's military career. |
Creator | Polk, James Hilliard, 1842-1926. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Jodi Berkowitz, July 2006
Encoded by: Jodi Berkowitz, July 2006
Revised by: Dawne Howard Lucas, July 2021
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
James Hilliard Polk was born on 8 January 1842 in Tennessee served as captain of the First Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Fort Worth, Tex., during the Civil War. He was captured 14 January 1864 and held at Camp Chase, Ohio. Polk was also one of the "Immortal 600," brought to Hilton Head, South Carolina to be used as a human shield at the siege of Charleston, which lasted from August to October of that year, and from which he survived. He is alternately documented as the nephew and second cousin, once removed of President James K. Polk.
Polk attended the University of North Carolina from 1859-1860 and possibly longer. He was married to Mary Demoville Harding and died 27 November 1926.
Back to TopThe collection includes a diary, 22 July 1859-8 January 1860, written while James Hilliard Polk was a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.; a journal, 1864, written while he was a prisoner of war at Camp Chase, Ohio during the Civil War; and an ambrotype of Polk as a student at UNC. In the student diary, Polk wrote of fraternity life, student life, love, family, and politics. The prisoner of war journal has entries for several dates, including that of his capture while serving with the First Tennessee Cavalry Regiment; lists of accounts; and Confederate songs, poems, and political commentary. Also included is photocopied secondary material documenting Polk's military career.
Back to TopFolder 1 |
Diary, 1859-1860 |
Folder 2 |
Journal, 1864 |
Folder 3 |
Photocopied material relating to James Hilliard Polk's military career |
Special Format Image SF-P-5259/1 |
Ambrotype of James Hilliard Polk, taken while a student at the University of North Carolina |