194
VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
12. 1861, he was ordered to relieve John
Rodgers, in command of the little flotilla on
the Mississippi river, and with a detail of
officers he reconnoitered down the Missis-
sippi to Columbus. In November he con-
veyed Gen. Grant's transports to Belmont,
and led in the attack on that place, pre-
vented the landing of a Confederate force,
and protected Grant's army as it re-em-
barked on the transports. Commander
Walke was transferred to the Carondclct
and on February 6, 1862, took part in the
assault upon Fort Henry under Flag-Officer
Foote, and during the interval after the
surrender of the fort and before the arrival
of Grant, he was in command of the fort.
Under orders from Grant, Walke proceeded
to Fort Donelson and engaged the enemy
on February 13, 1862. Foote arrived in the
evening and on the afternoon of February 14,
the entire fleet renewed the attack, the Car-
ondclct suffering severely. After undergoing
some repairs, the Carondclct joined Foote's
fleet above Island No. 10 and on March 30,
1862, Walke volunteered to run the gauntlet
of the forts and support Pope at New Madrid.
This he accomplished on the night of April 4,
1862. and on April 7, silenced the batteries at
Watson's Landing and covered the landing of
Pope's army and the capture of the Island.
When, on May 10, 1862, eight Confederate
rams, steamed up the river at full speed to
attack mortar boat No. 16 and her consort
the Cincinnati, the CarondcU't was practically
the only boat ready for an encounter. She
attacked the boats and drove them all under
the protection of Fort Pillow before the
other Union boats arrived. Vurt Pillow was
abandoned, June 4. and on June 6, Walke,
with the Carondclct, engaged in the battle ot
Memphis. I^'arragut moved up to \ icks-
burg, passed the fleets and was joined by
Capt. Davis, who had succeeded Foote. In
making a reconnoisance of the Yazoo river,
Walke, meeting with the ram Arkansas,
retreated and was pursued until, with his
steering gear disabled, he ran close into the
bank, and the ram in passing discharged
repeated broadsides into the Carondclct, and
kept on her way to Vicksburg. He was pro-
moted captain, July 16, 1862, was given
command of the gun-boats patrolling the
river below Helena, and in December made
an excursion up the Yazoo. He led the sec-
ond division of Porter's fleet at Grand Gulf,
April 29, 1863, and remained in the Missis-
sippi squadron until September 24, 1863,
when he was assigned to the Sacramento
and sent in search of the Alabama. \\ hen
he arrived at Lisbon he learned of her de-
struction by the Kcarsargc, but he blockaded
the Rappahnnnock at Calais for fifteen
months, and after her escape, pursued her
to Liverpool, where he held her until the
end of the war. He was promoted commo-
dore, July 25. 1866; rear-admiral, July 13.
1 870, and was retired at his own request.
April 26, 1871. He is the author of: "Naval
Scenes and Reminiscences of the Civil \\ ar"
(1S77). He died in Brooklyn. New York,
March 8, 1896.
Brice, Benjamin W., was born in \'ir- ginia, 1809. He was graduated from West Point in 1829, and served on frontier duty at Jefiferson barracks. Missouri, in 1829-30, at Fort Armstrong. Illinois. 1830-31. and on the expedition against the Sac Indians in i8y. He resigned February 13, 1832, and from 1S35 to 1S39 was brigade major of the ( ihio militia. In 1845 he was counsellor-at- l.-.w and associate judge of common pleas.
