| George Washington Kirk | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 10, 1837 |
| Died | February 17, 1905 (aged 67) |
| Place of birth | Greene County, Tennessee |
| Place of death | Gilroy, California |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army United States Army |
| Years of service |
1861-62 1862-65 |
| Rank |
 Colonel |
| Commands held | 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry |
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War |
George Washington Kirk was a soldier who served in American Civil War. Born and raised in Tennessee, he married Marie L. Jones in 1860. At the start of the war he served in the Confederate States Army, but his views were Unionist and he left the state to join the Union Army. Advancing to the rank of colonel, in 1864 he raised the 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry (Union) and led many raids into North Carolina.[1]
In 1870, Kirk was tasked by North Carolina Governor William Woods Holden to raise and lead a militia into North Carolina and North Carolina counties to quell the Ku Klux Klan. Though has was successful in breaking up Klan activity, none of the 100 men he arrested were charged by local authorities. In addition, the action led to his own brief arrest and the impeachment of Governor Holden.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Trelease, Allen W. (9 Nov 2000). Powell, William S.. ed. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: Vol. 3, H-K. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807867136. https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/kirk-george-w. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
The original article can be found at George Washington Kirk and the edit history here.