Polk Family Papers Box 9 Document 18

(Letter to Bishop Elliott from Bishop Polk)

Chattanooga, June 18, 1857

My dear Elliott:

I have been in the mountains about a week and have been to the top of Lookout. I have found it for the prospect all you so gloriously described it to be, and think it worth a journey all the way from N. C. to see it.

I have just returned from Bursheeba {sic} Springs on the Cumberland where i left Otey. We were together several days. He is preparing that address he was to deliver to us on the 4th of July, and will be here about the 1st. This whole mountain country is a magnificent region, and I have been highly interested in it, I had hoped before hearing you were so unwell, to get you to meet me here that we might go through the mountains and see something of them. I shall in the morning proceed to Dalton and thence go to Cleveland, Athens, Knoxville and Greenville to see the country and shall return here by the 1st.

Since my arrival this evening Sandills informs me the City Council of this Ville have voted to have carriages ready on the arrival, from day to day, of the cars, to take the Bishops and the Trustees and their parties up to the top of the mountain at once, where suitable accommodations have been provided and where they propose also to erect suitable fixtures in the open air for the delivery of the address and other suspicious to the celebration.

It is expected that a large number of persons from the surrounding diocese will be present. I wrote Potter before leaving N. O. urging him to be present & Otey has done the same. As he and Mrs. Potter promised to meet us if we should be

(Letter to Bishop Elliot from Bishop Polk)

June 18, 1857

-2-

here with our families on this occasion we hope nothing will prevent his coming. My family will be up with a large party from N. Orleans, I hope nothing will prevent Mrs. Elliot and yourself from joining us. It would do you good to come to the mountains.

Otey informs me he was at the N. C. convention in Salisbury and that they appointed the Rev. Mr. Curtis, Judge Ruffer and a Dr. Warren trustees. The latter gentlemen has declared his intention to give $25,000 to the institution. I have just heard of the appointment of delegates as trustees by the Texas convention also. Otey informs me he has suggested to you the expediency of having trustees or delegates appointed by you with the consent of your Standing Committee as a Council of Advice. This I dare say might be quite as expedient as calling a convention as suggested in my letter from N. C. and I hope you may see your way clear to act upon it. We should dislike exceedingly not to have Georgia represented, since the rest have all come in. At all events we earnestly hope you may be present to aid us by your councils.

With kind regards to Mrs. Elliot, who we hope to see with you,

I remain very truly and affecly {sic} yours in Christ Leonidas Polk Rt. Rev. L. Polk Chat. June 18, 57

Rt. Rev. S. Elliot, D. D. Savannah. Answered June 23 '57