D16 Row D, place 16
Polk
Name read from the stone; the records not yet searched. Revised November 1, 2026.
The stone reads
POLK
[marker sunk; the rest below ground]
As recorded on the plot survey sheet; the stone has not been photographed and the rest of the inscription has not been read. [1]
Life
The stone in grave D16 of the Prescott Post lot has been read only as far as POLK; the man it names is not yet identified. No date of death has been read from it. [1]
The PV001 list has a James H. Polk of the 14th Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, died 1910, and the index has a James K. Polk in the 11th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery. Until the stone is raised and read, he is a candidate, not an identification. [2]
A 2022 list of Civil War veterans buried at North Burial Ground gives his death as 1910. [3]
His service record, any pension file, and his life before and after the war have not yet been researched. This page will grow as the records are read.
The records
- records/D16/stone-2026.jpg — Headstone of Polk, grid D16, Prescott Post lot, photographed 2026. [1] (not yet hosted)
What we don't know
- Only the surname has been read. The marker is sunk; the City's staff would need to clear it before the rest can be read.
- What exactly does the stone say? It has not yet been photographed; the name, unit and date here are from the survey sheet.
- When and where did he enlist, and what did his company do? His compiled military service record (National Archives, RG 94) will say.
- Did he or his widow apply for a pension? The General Index to Pension Files (NARA T288/T289) has not yet been searched for him.
- Where was he born, and how did he come to Providence?
- Where did he live and work in Providence? The city directories and the censuses of 1870–1920 have not yet been read for him.
- Did he marry, and did he leave children?
- When was he buried here, and what does the City's interment record say? The City lot record has not yet been matched.
Sources
- Prescott Post plot survey sheet, grave D16, compiled by Bernard Brennan, 2026: name, unit and date of death as read on site. The stone has not yet been photographed.
- National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database, search for "Polk" (); accessed October 31, 2026, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm.
- James Bessel, list of Civil War veterans buried at North Burial Ground (PV001), 2022, entry for Polk.
Help research this man
Do you have a record of Polk — a census page, a pension card, a city-directory entry, a newspaper item, a family story? You can upload it to the project without an account. Please say what the record is, where you found it, and why you believe it is this man. Every contributor is credited on this page.
Credits
Researched by Bernard Brennan. Records courtesy City of Providence, Department of Parks, North Burial Ground. Revised 2026-11-01.