Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/362

332 to replenish his treasury he broke up the interoceanic transit route by confiscating the property and revoking the charter of the Vanderbilt steamship company. He caused himself to be elected president, and in September, 1856, annulled the existing prohibition of slavery. His minister, whom he sent to Washington, was recognized by President Pierce. Walker's arbitrary acts soon provoked an insurrection, which was assisted by several surrounding states and by agents of the Vanderbilt company. He was defeated in several encounters, burned the city of Grenada, which he was unable to hold, and on 1 Mav, 1857, surrendered with sixteen officers, at San Juan del Sur, to Com. Charles H. Davis, of the U. S. sloop-of-war &ldquo;Mary,&rdquo; which conveyed him to Panama. Thence he went to New Orleans and was put under bonds to keep the peace, but returned to Nicaragua in November. He soon organized a new force, but in December Com. Hiram Paulding, of the U. S. navy, compelled him and his 132 men to surrender, and took them to New York. President Buchanan declined to recognize Walker as a prisoner, on the ground that his arrest on foreign soil was illegal. He sailed with a new expedition from Mobile, Ala., in October, 1858, but was arrested at the mouth of Mississippi river and tried at New Orleans and acquitted. In June, 1860, he again set out with a small force from that city, intending to create a revolution in Honduras. He reached Trujillo and issued a proclamation against the government; but his arrest was demanded by the commander of the British man-of-war &ldquo;Icarus,&rdquo; and he was forced to retreat to Tinto river, where he surrendered on 3 Sept., 1860. The commander of the &ldquo;Icarus&rdquo; delivered him to the Honduras authorities on their demand, and he was tried by court-martial and shot. He published &ldquo;The War in Nicaragua&rdquo; (Mobile, 1860). See also &ldquo;Walker's Expedition to Nicaragua&rdquo; by William Vincent Wells (New York, 1856) and &ldquo;Reminiscences of the Filibuster War in Nicaragua,&rdquo; by Col. Charles W. Doubleday (1886).

WALKER, William David, P. E. bishop, b. in New York city, 29 June, 1839. He was gradu- ated at Columbia in 1859, and at the General theo- logical seminary, New York, in 1862, was ordered deacon by Bishop Horatio Potter in the Church of the Transfiguration, 29 June, 1862, and ordained priest in Calvary church, 29 June, 1863, by the same prelate. He passed the entire term of his priesthood as assistant minister of Calvary church in special charge of the chapel connected with that church. He was consecrated missionary bishop of northern Dakota in Calvary church, 20 Dec, 1883. The degree of S. T. D. was conferred upon him by Racine college in 1884. He is the author of sev- eral published addresses.

WALKER, William H. T., soldier, b. in Georgia in October, 1816 ; d. near Decatur, Ga., 26 July, 1864. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1837, served in the Florida war, was wounded three times at the battle of Okeechobee. 25 Dec, 1837, and was brevetted 1st lieutenant for services in that action. He resigned from the army in 1838, was reappointed in 1840 as 1st lieutenant of infantry, served in the Florida war of 1840-'2, and became captain in 1845.' During the Mexican war he participated in all the im- portant battles, and was brevetted major in the U. S. army for gallant conduct at Contreras and Churubusco, and lieutenant-colonel for Molino del Rey, where he was severely wounded. He was on recruiting service in 1849-'52, became deputy gov- ernor of the East Pascagoula branch military asy- lum in the latter year, and in 1854-'6 was com- mandant of cadets, and instructor in military tactics at the U. S. military academy. He became major in 1855, served on the frontier, and in 1860 resigned. He entered the Confederate army in 1861. became a major-general, served principally in the west, and was killed at the battle of Decatur.

WALKER, William Johnson, benefactor, b. in Charlestown, Mass., 15 March, 1790; d. in New- port, R. I., 2 April, 1865. He was graduated at Harvard in 1810, studied medicine, and successfully practised his profession in his native town. Late in life he came into possession of a large fortune, of which he gave to benevolent objects about $400,000 during his life-time, and by his will left nearly $1,000,000 to institutions of learning.

WALKER, William McCreary, naval officer, b. in Baltimore, Md., 2 Sept., 1813 ; d. in New York city, 19 Nov., 1866. He entered the navy as a mid- shipman, 1 Nov., 1827, became a passed midship- man, 10 June, 1833, and was promoted to lieuten- ant, 8 Dec, 1838, serving in Lieut. Charles Wilkes's exploring expedition in command of the " Flying Fish," in which he participated in the discovery of the Antarctic continent in 1838-'42. He com- manded the steamer " Union " on the home station in 1843-'4, and cruised in the Mediterranean squad- ron as aide in 1844-"6. He was promoted 14 Sept., 1855, and commanded the frigate "Constellation " in 1856. He served on special duty on boards and inspecting duty until the beginning of the civil war, was commissioned a captain, 16 July, 1862, and commanded the steamer '• De Soto " through- out the civil war. He was one of the most success- ful blockaders during the war, and captured more prizes than any other vessel. Capt. Walker died of heart disease at the naval hospital in New York. He was the author of a work on " Screw Propul- sion " (New York, 1861).

WALKER, William S., naval officer, b. in New Hampshire, 6 Dec, 1793 ; d. in Boston, Mass., 24 Nov., 1863. He entered the navy as a midshipman, 30 Nov., 1814, was promoted to lieutenant, 13 Jan., 1825, and to master-commandant, 8 Sept., 1841, and commanded the sloop " Concord " on the coast of Africa in 1841-2, and the receiving-ship at Boston in 1843-6. He saw no service during the Mexican war. He commanded the sloop "Saratoga," on the Asiatic station, in 1850-'4, was pro- moted to captain, 14 Sept., 1855, and served at the receiving-ship at Boston in 1854-'5, after which he was on leave until the civil war began, when he was ordered to command the steam sloop " Brook- lyn," but his failing health compelled him to de- cline to go to sea. He was placed on the retired list, and promoted to commodore, 16 Julv, 1862.

WALKER-MARTINEZ, Carlos, Chilian poet, b. in Valparaiso in 1842. In September, 1865, he was studying law at the University of Chili, when war with Spain began, and he enlisted in the navy, participating in the engagement of Abtao, 7 Feb., 1866. In the same year he founded the literary magazine &ldquo;La República Literaria,&rdquo; at the head of which he remained while he was in Chili. He was appointed in 1867 secretary of the legation in Bolivia, was graduated in law in 1868, and travelled through Europe and the United States. On his return in 1870 he was elected to congress for the department of Vallenar, and became secretary of the chamber of deputies. In 1873 he was appointed chargé d'affaires of Chili in Bolivia, and in 1874 he became minister in the same republic. During the war of 1879-'80 he was president of the &ldquo;Sociedad Protectora,&rdquo; and in 1880-'2 he was an editor of the journal &ldquo;El Nuevo Ferrocarril.&rdquo; During