Driskill Mountain (also referred to as Mount Driskill) is the highest natural summit in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, with an elevation of above sea level.Heinrich, P. V. (2001)
Louisiana Geofacts PDF version, 1.6 MB
''Public Information Series'' 6, Louisiana Geological Survey. It lies about southeast of Bryceland, in

Bienville Parish Bienville Parish (french: link=no, Paroisse de Bienville, ) is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 12,981. The parish seat is Arcadia. The highest natural point ...

. A large pile of rocks marks the high point.

Description

Driskill Mountain is a landform created by the erosion of unlithified

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...

. Its summit consists of nonmarine quartz sands of the Cockfield Formation. These sands overlie shallow marine and coastal clays, silts, and sands of the Cook Mountain Formation, which form the bulk of Driskill Mountain. Mountaintop

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

include wild

azalea Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Octob ...

and

dogwood ''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shrub ...

History

James Christopher Driskill, the person for whom Driskill Mountain was named, was born in Henry County,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, on June 27, 1817. In 1840, he married the former Eugenia Irwin Walker. In October 1859, Driskill sold his land in

Troup County Troup County (pronounced ) is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 69,426.US Census Bureau, 2020 Report, Troup County, Georgia The county seat is LaGrange. Troup ...

, Georgia, and moved his family, which by then consisted of his wife, eight boys, and one girl, to Louisiana. By December 1859, Driskill had purchased in Louisiana , which included Driskill Mountain. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Driskill served in the Home Guard. His eldest son, William B. Driskill, was killed in action at the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

on May 5, 1864. Another one of his sons, James B. Driskill, disappeared after he had left Louisiana to fight in the Civil War. Except for one son and daughter, Driskill's family remained in Bienville Parish, and his descendants still live in the area.

Jimmie Davis James Houston Davis (September 11, 1899 – November 5, 2000) was an American politician, singer and songwriter of both sacred and popular songs. Davis was elected for two nonconsecutive terms from 1944 to 1948 and from 1960 to 1964 as the ...

and his band played ''

You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. In 1977, the Louis ...

'' at the summit. Davis became governor of Louisiana just five years after the performance and the song became the state song of Louisiana.

References

External links

*
Driskill Mountain

{{U.S. State Highest Points Landforms of Bienville Parish, Louisiana Mountains of Louisiana Landmarks in Louisiana Highest points of U.S. states Tourist attractions in Bienville Parish, Louisiana

Description

History

See also

References

External links