Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/358

328 He went on a mission to the Mississippi river In- dians in 1823, established several schools, and is credited with many converts. " Father Walker," as he was called, was without early advantages of education, but by his shrewd common sense, and by ignoring all personal needs, as well as difficul- ties, did efficient work in the pioneer ministry.

WALKER, John, Canadian manufacturer, b. in Inverary, Argyllshire, Scotland, 24 Jan., 1832. He was educated at his native place and at Stirling academy, and came to Canada in 1864. He served in the Port Erie Fenian affair of 1866, and after- ward was attached to the militia, from which he retired in 1884 with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Mr. Walker was vice-president of the first Canada Pacific railway company, and president of the School of art and design, is active in various finan- cial and industrial societies, and was one of the founders of the London, Ont., Protestant orphans' home. In 1865 he purchased for Scotch capitalists the large tract of oil-producing land that belonged to George Brown, and afterward he erected chemi- cal works and an oil-refinery at London, Ont. In 1874 he was chosen to the Canadian parliament; but his election was contested in the courts, he was unseated, and in the second appeal to the con- stituency failed of election. He was afterward registrar of deeds for Middlesex county, Ontario.

WALKER, John Grimes, naval officer, b. in Hillsborough, N. H., 20 March, 1835. He was graduated at the U. S. naval academy in 1856, f>romoted to master, 22 Jan., 1858, and became ieutenant, 23 Jan., 1858. During the civil war he served on the Atlantic coast blockade in the steamer "Connecticut" in 1861, and was trans- ferred to the steamer " Winona " of the Western Gulf blockading squadron in 1862. In this vessel he participated in the engagements that ended in the capture of New Orleans, with the subsequent operations against Vicksburg in 1862. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander, 16 July, 1862, and had command of the river iron-clad "Baron de Kalb" of the Mississippi squadron in 1862-'3, in which he participated in the attacks on Vicks- burg and operations in Yazoo river in the winter of 1862-'3, co-operating with Gen. William T. Sher- man and the army. He participated in both attacks on Haines's Bluff, in the Yazoo river expedition against the Confederate gun-boats, in the capture of Fort Hindman and Yazoo City, and in the at- tack on Fort Peinberton. For these services he was highly commended by Admiral Porter in his report, and also in his " Naval History of the Civil War." After he had forced a passage through Yazoo pass, he took command of the naval battery with cannon from the gun-boats in the bombard- ment of Vicksburg from the rear, which contrib- uted greatly to the final surrender. After the fall of that place he had command of the naval expe- dition against Yazoo river in co-operation with 5,000 troops in transports. Walker led in the " De Kalb," and while engaging the batteries his vessel ran foul of a torpedo, which exploded and caused the vessel to sink almost instantly, a second tor- pedo exploding under her stern as she went down. He commanded the steamer " Saco" on the North Atlantic blockade in 1864. and the " Shawmut " in 1865, in which he participated in the capture of forts near Wilmington. He was promoted and advanced over others for his services during the war to the grade of commander on 25 July. 1866, served at the naval academy in 1866-'9, and com- manded the frigate " Sabine " on a special cruise in 1869-70. He was promoted to cap>tain, 25 June, 1877, appointed chief of the bureau of navigation and office of detail, 22 Oct., 1881, for four years, and reappointed in 1885 for a second term. He is the senior captain on the list, and is entitled to be promoted to commodore upon the first occur- rence of a vacancy.

WALKER, John Williams, senator, b. in Virginia in 1789; d. in Huntsville, Ala., 23 April, 1823. He was graduated at Princeton in 1806 with the valedictory, and studied law. In 1810 he settled in Huntsville, Ala., where he followed his profession, and was several times elected to the legislatures of Mississippi and Alabama. He pre- sided over the convention that framed the first constitution of Alabama, and was elected its first U. S. senator, but resigned after a year on account of the failure of his health. — His son, Leroy Pope, lawver, b. near Huntsville, Ala., 8 July, 1817 ; d. there, 22 Aug., 1884, studied law, attained a high place at the bar of northern Alabama, early entered public life, was speaker of the Alabama house of representatives in 1847-'50, and served as judge of the state circuit court in 1850-'3. He became well known as an advocate of the policy of internal improvement and of secession, and in 1861-'2 was Confederate secretary of war, direct- ing the military operations by which the civil war was begun. He was also commissioned brigadier- general in the Confederate army, but resigned, 1 March, 1862. After the war he resumed the practice of law at Huntsville.

WALKER, Jonathan, reformer, b. on Cape Cod, Mass., in 1799; d. near Muskegon, Mich., 1 May, 1878. He was captain of a fishing vessel, in his youth, but about 1840 he went to Florida, where he became a railroad-contractor. He was interested in the condition of the slaves, and in 1844 aided several of them in an attempt to make their escape in an open boat from the coast of Florida to the British West Indies. After doubling the capes, he was prostrated by illness, and the crew being ignorant of navigation, they would all have been drowned had they not been rescued by a wrecking-sloop that took Walker to Key West, whence he was sent in irons to Pensacola. On his arrival there he was put in prison, chained to the floor, and deprived of light and proper food. Upon his trial in a U. S. court, he was convicted, sentenced to be heavily fined, put on the pillory, and branded on his right hand with a hot iron with the letters &ldquo;S. S.,&rdquo; for &ldquo;slave-stealer,&rdquo; a U. S. marshal executing the sentence. He was then remanded to jail, where he was confined eleven months, and released only after the payment of his fine by northern Abolitionists. For the subsequent five years he lectured on slavery in the northern and western states. He removed to Michigan about 1850, where he resided near Muskegon until his death. A monument was erected to his memory on 1 Aug., 1878. He was the subject of John G. Whittier's poem &ldquo;The Man with the Branded Hand.&rdquo; See &ldquo;Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America,&rdquo; by Henry Wilson (Boston, 1874).

WALKER, Joseph Reddeford, guide, b. in Knoxville, Tenn., in 1798; d. in Ignacio valley, Contra Costa co., Cal., 27 Oct., 1876. He removed to Jackson county, Mo., in 1818, began his career as a guide on the* frontier in 1822, served in that capacity with Capt. Bonneville's expedition to the Rocky mountains in 1832, conducted a party from Great Salt Lake to California in 1833, when he discovered the Yosemite lake and valley and the river that bears his name, found Walker's pass in 1834, and made many subsequent trips across the plains. He resided in Contra Costa county, Cal., during his later life.