Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/378

 I'OLK

POLK

toms, she was extremely popular. She had no chil'lren. Upon the death of her husband in 1849, she removed to " Polk Place," Nashville, Tenn. The United States government granted her a pension of §.j,000 per annum. She died at Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 14. isyi.

POLK, Thomas, patriot, was horn in Mary- land, about 17;iJ; son of William Polk, and grandson of Kobert Pollock, who came from Ross, county Donegal, Ireland, in lOoO, and settled in Delaware, Md., in IGGO, changing his name to Polk. William Polk removed to Penn- sylvania in IT-jS, and Thomas, after visiting p<^)ints in Maryland and Virginia, settled in Mecklenburg county, N.C., where he became an extensive landowner; was chosen a member of tiie provincial assembly in 17G9, and in 1T71 ob- tained the passage of an act to establish Queen's college at Charlotte, N.C. He was a mover among the Scotch-Irish of Mecklenburg county, toward the renouncing of all allegiance to the crown of Great Britain. They passed a resolve to set up a government for themselves. May 20, 177."). and he was autiiorized to issue a call for a convention whonever he deemed it advisable. After the drafting of the Mecklenburg Declara- tion of Indepemlence, of which he was a framer and signer, he is said to have read the document from the steps of the court house. He was a member of the committee that prepared a plan for securing the internal peace and safety of the provinces, Aug. 24, 177.5, and in 177G he was appointed captain of the North Carolina com- pany, that was detailed to convey the " Liberty Bell " from Pliiladelpliia to Al- leiitown, Pa., on the ap- proach of the British. He was appointed colonel of a battalion of minute men in the Salisbury district, and with 701) militia he re- inforced General Andrew Williamson at Ninety-Six. He was commissioned col- onel of thp'4th regiment, April 4, 1776, and joined the army umler Washington. He was with Gen- eral Benjamin Lincoln at Charleston, S.C, in No- vember. 1779, and after the fall of tiiat place was aj)pointt'd cr)nunissary-general for North Caro- lina and commissary of purchase for the army, which position he resigned in 1780 on account of a disagreement with General Gates. He was later appointed by General Greene district com- missary, and after the battle at Cowans Ford, he was offered the command of the militia of Salis- burj- flistrict, with the rank of briganeral; but the apiMiintmeiit was not confirmed by the governor and his council, and in May, 1781, he

was superseded. After the war he purchased, land warrants from the soldiers of the disbanded army, who had I'eceived them in paymer.t of services, and thus he largely increased his estates. He died in Charlotte, N.C, in 1793.

POLK, Trusten, senator, was born in Sussex county, Del., May 29, 1811. He was graduated from Yale, A.B., 1831, A.M., 1845; studied law at home and in the law department of Yale col- lege; resided in Delaware, 1832-35; engaged in the practice of law in St. Louis, Mo., 1835-56 and 1865-76; was a member of the Missouri con.stitu- tional convention in 1845; a presidential elector in 1848; Democratic governor of Missouri, 1857; U.S. senator, 1857-62, and on Jan. 10. 1862, was expelled for disloyalty, having already served as an officer in the Confederate government. He was a prisoner of war in 1864, and judge in the mili- tary courts of the department of Mississippi, 1864- 65. He died in St. Louis, Mo., April 16, 1876.

POLK, William, patriot, was born in Mecklen- burg county, N.C, July 9, 1758; son of Col. Thomas Polk (q. v.). He attended Queen's college, Charlotte, N.C, leaving on the outbreak of the Revolution to join the patriot arm}' as 2d lieu- tenant, 3d S.C. regiment. He commanded a de- tachment in various fights with the Tories in South Carolina, in one of which he was wounded; became major of the 9th N.C. regiment, Nov. 26, 1776; joined Washington's army, and served at Brandywine and Germantown, being sevei-ely wounded at the latter. He was subsequently de- prived of Ids command through consolidation and served on the staffs of Gen. Richard Caswell in the battle of Camden, and Gen. William Davidson in North Carolina, who sent him to Governor Jefferson at Williamsburg, Va., in 1780, to secure Virginia troops to aid in the defense of North and South Carolina against the British and Tories. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel, 4tii S.C. cavalry, in 1781, serving at Eutaw Springs, Sept. 8, 1781, and remaining under Gen. Thomas Sum- ter until the close of the war. He was appointed surveyor-general of tiie middle district of North Carolina, and resided at French Lick Fort, the site of Nashville, Tenn., 1783-86. He was sent from Davidson county as a member of the house of commons of North Carolina, 1784-86, and from Mecklenburg county, 1786-91, and was made su- pervisor of internal revenues for the district of North Carolina by President Washington in 1791, which office he held until 1808. He was a stock- holder of the State Bank of North Carolina, a director, 1811-19, and its president for some years. He declined the appointment by President Mad- i.son of brigadier-general, U.S.A., March 25. 1813, on account of his opposition to the policy of the administration. In 1824, as a commissioner from North Carolina, he welcomed Lafavette toAmer-