Credit: Jim Harrelson

James K. "Polk" Arnold was born in March of 1844 in Bedford County, Tennessee.

On October 11, 1862 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Benjamin Pleasant Arnold and his older brother Francis Fieldon Arnold enlisted in Captain Montgomery Little's Company, Tennessee Cavalry. Benjamin "Pleasant" and his brother Francis "Frank" were both blacksmiths for C.S. General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Escort. Their older brother James T. "Jim" also served with Forrest's Escort as commissary or Quartermaster during the war. Polk Arnold enlisted with the three brothers to serve in the Confederate Army and accompanied his master Pleasant Arnold as a bodyguard. After Pleasant's death, Polk Arnold remained with the Arnold brothers, and General Forrest, throughout the war.

Polk Arnold McGrew was the official clock winder at the Shelbyville Courthouse for many years. He became the top distributor for the Chattanooga Times during the years following the Civil War. Because of his success as a news vendor, the Times awarded him an all expense paid trip to Philadelphia, New York and Chicago in 1893. He represented Bedford County at the World's Fair in Chicago that year. Polk was known as a lover of the finer things in life.

"He often wore a top hat and frock coat as he peddled his newspapers, hawking the headlines from his bicycle. More often than not he was barefoot."

He later became the proud owner of one of Shelbyville's first motorcycles, an early model that he would carry over the mud puddles. After Polk returned from his trip, he made local headlines with an account of his travels. In 1893, the Bedford County Times ran this story:

"At the earnest solicitation of the boys, "Dr."[honorary] Polk Arnold made a speech at the courthouse Thursday night of last week. For the benefit of those who cannot go to the World's Fair, his subject was Michigan, Italy and Chicago, Ill. The Doctor was rigged out in his best cloths, had a Duke Tobacco photograph for a buttonhole bouquet, and said he felt "Very Intelligent." He told about his trip to the World's Fair and it was greatly enjoyed by the one hundred present. The doctor was an artist in his line and enjoyed his lecture as much as anybody present. No other can boast of Dr. Polk Arnold. Polk liked to recount his reaction by the people he met: In New York, they wanted to know how rich I was. In Philadelphia, they wanted to know if I was in society. In Chicago, how much beer could I drink."

On June 13, 1921, Polk Arnold officially applied for a Confederate Colored Man's Pension and on July 12, 1921, that pension was accepted [Colored Pension Number 5].

-The above is an edited version of an article by Les Marsh, SCV Camp Commander Sumner Cunningham 1620:

"Several Civil War sites confuse Polk with Pleasant an incorrectly state that Polk died during the war. Polk never married, but from what I've been told, he led an interesting life. He is buried at Willow Mount Cemetery in Shelbyville, Tn."