Driskill Mountain



Driskill Mountain (also referred to as Mount Driskill) is the highest natural summit in Louisiana, with an elevation of 535 ft above sea level. It lies about 5.3 mi southeast of Bryceland, in Bienville Parish. A large pile of rocks marks the high point. It is the third lowest highest point of any U.S. state after Britton Hill in Florida and Ebright Azimuth in Delaware.

Description
Driskill Mountain is a landform created by the erosion of unlithified Paleogene sediment. 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 include wild azalea and dogwood.

History
The mountain was named for James Christopher Driskill, who was born in Henry County, Georgia, on June 27, 1817. In 1840, he married the former Eugenia Irwin Walker. In October 1859, Driskill sold his land in Troup County, 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 324 acre, which included Driskill Mountain. During the American Civil War, Driskill served in the Home Guard. His eldest son, William B. Driskill, was killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia 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. Among his most notable descendants is Col. Joe G. Driskill - recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross by President Jimmy Carter in 1970. Driskill also played number 45 for the 1960-1961 St. Louis Cardinals.Dakota Driskill, granddaughter of Col. Joe G. Driskill, is a writer and solo performance artist sharing stories of girlhood, belonging, loss and friendship, and the agrarian way of life she learned on the mountain through her collection of poetry titled, “The Tall Tales of Driskill Mountain.”

Jimmie Davis and his band played You Are My Sunshine at the summit. Davis became governor of Louisiana just five years after the performance and the song became the state song of Louisiana.