division, which had escaladed the castle, found itself unable to push through into the town. Walker's brigade (4th, 30th, and 44th regiments) reached the glacis undiscovered, but was met by a heavy fire as it descended by ladders into the ditch and placed them against the escarp. The ladders proved too short, for the wall was more than thirty feet high. Fortunately, it was unfinished at the salient, and there the men mounted, by four ladders only. While some of them entered the town, Walker with the main body forced his way along the ramparts, and made himself master of three bastions. Then a sudden scare (the fear of a mine, according to Napier) made the men turn, and they were chased back to the San Vincente bastion, where they rallied on a battalion in reserve.
Walker was shot while trying to overcome this panic and carry the men onward. The ball, fired by a man not two yards distant, struck the edge of a watch which he was wearing in his breast, turned downwards and passed out between his ribs, splintering one of them. He also received four bayonet wounds. He was taken care of for a time by a French soldier, whom he was afterwards able to repay. He was so much weakened by loss of blood and by subsequent hæmorrhage that his life was for some time in danger, and he had to remain three months at Badajoz before he could be sent home. His brigade had lost about half its effective strength, but its success had decided the fall of Badajoz. Wellington in his despatch spoke of his conspicuous gallantry and conduct. On 24 Oct. he was given the colonelcy of De Meuron's regiment.
He was still suffering from his wounds when he returned to the Peninsula in June 1813. The army was in the Pyrenees, covering the blockade of Pamplona, when he joined it on 4 Aug. at Ariscun, and was placed in command of the first brigade (50th, 71st, and 92nd regiments) of the second (Stewart's) division. Stewart had been wounded in the action of Maya ten days before, and in his absence the division was commanded by Walker for a month. He was present at the battle of the Nivelle on 10 Nov., but his brigade, which had suffered very severely at Maya, was not actively engaged. Shortly afterwards he was given temporary command of the seventh (Lord Dalhousie's) division, which formed part of Beresford's corps. At the passage of the Nive and the actions near Bayonne (10–13 Dec.) this division was in second line. It helped to drive the French out of their works at Hastingues and Oeyergave on 23 Feb. 1814. At Orthes, four days later, it was at first behind the fourth division, but it had a prominent share in the latter part of the battle, and in the pursuit. Walker was wounded while leading on one of his brigades. He was mentioned in Wellington's despatch, and was included in the thanks of parliament (see Despatches, Suppl. Ser. viii. 612, for his report to Beresford).
In March he reverted to his former brigade, but in the middle of that month his own wound and the death of his wife caused him to leave the army and return to England. He received the gold medal with two clasps for his services in the Peninsula, was made K.C.B. in January 1815, and knight-commander of the Portuguese order of the Tower and Sword in May.
He was governor of Grenada from 7 April 1815 to 17 Feb. 1816. On 21 April 1817 he received the G.C.B. He was made a member of the consolidated board of general officers, and groom of the chamber to the Duke of Sussex. On 19 July 1821 he was promoted lieutenant-general, and on 11 May 1825 he was appointed commander-in-chief at Madras. He took over that command on 3 March 1826, and held it till May 1831. On 28 March 1835 he was made a baronet, and received a grant of arms commemorating Vimiero, Badajoz, and Orthes.
On 24 May 1837 he was appointed lieutenant-governor of Chelsea Hospital, and on 28 June 1838 he was promoted general. He had been made a colonel-commandant of the rifle brigade on 21 May 1816, De Meuron's regiment being disbanded in that year. He was subsequently transferred to the 84th regiment on 13 May 1820, to the 52nd on 19 Sept. 1822, and, finally, to the 50th on 23 Dec. 1839. He died at Chelsea Hospital on 14 Nov. 1842. He married, first, in July 1789, Anna, only daughter of Richard Allen of Bury, Lancashire, by whom he had two daughters; and, secondly, in August 1820, Helen, youngest daughter of Alexander Caldcleugh of Croydon, Surrey, by whom he had four sons and two daughters.
Walker was a very handsome soldierly man; his likeness is to be found in Thomas Heaphy's picture of the Peninsula heroes.
[United Service Magazine, December 1842; Gent. Mag. 1843, i. 88; Fyler's History of the 50th Regiment; Wellington Despatches; Napier's War in the Peninsula; Jones's Sieges in Spain; Royal Military Calendar, iii. 177; private information.]
WALKER, GEORGE WASHINGTON (1800–1859), missionary, was born in London on 19 March 1800. His mother dying
