Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1312

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CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY.

Washington and Kinston, N. C., Second Manassas, Drewry's Bluff, Hanover Court House, the siege of Suffolk, Reams' Station and other battles about Petersburg, Five Forks and Sailor's Creek. He was captured at Five Forks, but rejoined his command on the next day. After the close of the war he practiced medicine at his old home, until 1877, when he removed to Danville, Va. He has pursued post-graduate studies in Philadelphia and New York, is a member of the State medical society, and is a frequent contributor to medical literature. In 1871 he married Harriet Eliza Pugh, of a famous American family, and they have two children, Benjamin Maitland, Jr. and Harriet N. In 1898 B. M. Walker, Jr., married Miss Sue Hickey, daughter of Charles Hickey, of Danville.

C. W. Walker, a prominent citizen of Portsmouth, who served in youth in the Confederate cause, was born at Portsmouth January 9, 1846. His father, Vincent Walker, who was born in Delaware in March, 1803, settled at Portsmouth in 1831, served there as captain of the guard at the navy yard for thirty years, ran the blockade in October, 1862, in order to join the Confederate army, but being refused enlistment, went to Charlotte, N. C., where, during the remainder of the war he occupied the same position in the Confederate navy yard that he had held in the United States navy yard. He died at Portsmouth in 1869. His wife, Sarah M. Hodges, daughter of John M. Hodges, a soldier of the war of 1812, died in 1868. Early in 1861 C. W. Walker joined the Junior Guards, an organization of boys about fifteen years of age, who armed themselves as best they could, but were not accepted by the government. He then acted as courier for General Blanchard until the evacuation, after which, being refused permission to accompany the troops, he crossed the Federal lines, and entered the employment of the machine department of the Charlotte navy yard. Eighteen months later he enlisted in the navy and for over a year was on duty on the schoolship Indian Chief in Charleston harbor. During this time he had frequent exciting adventures as one of a boat crew which served in the protection of the city and Fort Sumter, on night patrols. He was for three months a member of the guard of the Whitworth gun at the foot of Calhoun street, and subsequently was detailed in the ordnance department at Selma, Ala., until after Sherman had marched to the sea, when he visited his father at Charlotte, following in the track of Sherman's army and finding the country so stripped that it was with difficulty that he could find sufficient food to keep him alive during his long trip afoot. He was on duty in the machine department at Charlotte until the arrival of the "Gold Train" from Richmond, after the evacuation of the capital, when he was among the men who volunteered as a guard for the Confederate treasure. At Chester, S. C., the party was joined by Mrs. Davis, wife of the president, and her daughter Winnie, and during the trip by wagon to the next railroad station, Mr. Walker was one of three who assisted Mrs. Davis by carrying her daughter, when she sought relief from the wearisome journey by walking. He accompanied the party as far as Augusta, Ga., and finally surrendered at Blacksburg, S. C., having served in the last organized body of Confederate troops east of the Mississippi, it being perhaps the last