Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/304

 WALKE

WALKE

Samuel Wales (1748-1704). and a descendant of Nathanit'l Wales, who came from England in 1G35. Samuel Wales (Yale. A.B., 17G7, A.M., 1770, D.D.. 1782. and D.D.. College of New Jersey, 1784), was a professor of divinitj" at Yale, 1782- 94. John Wales was graduated from Yale, A. B., 1801, A.M., 1803; studied law, and after admis- sion to tlie bar, practised first in Connecticut; then in Baltimore, Md., 1813-15, and subsequently in Wilmington, Del., where he became president of a bank : was active in securing the city char- ter and the construction of the Philadelphia and Baltimore railroad via Wilmington. He was made secretary of state of Delaware in 1845, re- signing in March. 1849, to take his seat in the U.S. senate for the unexpired term of John M. Clay- ton, resigned, serving until March 3, 1851. He was a founder of Delaware college. Newark, Del., 1833. He died in Wilmington. Dec. 3, 1863.

WALKE, Henry, naval officer, was born in Princess Anne county, Va.. Dec. 24. 1808 ; son of Anthony Walke, and a descendant of Anthony Walke. who emigrated from England in the seventeetli century. His parents removed to Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1811, and his father served in the Ohio house of representa- tives, 1827-31, and in the senate, 1831-35. On Feb. 1, 1827, Henry was appointed niidshii^man on the ^- ' ■ - '-'S^^. Alert and in July, 1833, was advanced to passed midship- man. He was com- missioned lieutenant

A/. y^/I^J'Ii>^ ^^ Februaiy, 1839;

/!^^^l^rcart^^ was with the U.S.

fleet in the war with Mexico, at Vera Cruz, Tabasco, Tuspan and Alvarado. He was promoted commander in 1855 and commanded the store-ship Supply, 1858-61. Being stationed in Pensacola harbor, after Lieu- tenant Slemmer and his troops liad evacuated Fort Barrancas and taken refuge in Fort Pickens, he took the officers' families on board the Supply, and with the paroled prisoners, transported them to New Y'^ork, although lie had been ordered to Vera Cruz. He was court-martialed for disobey- ing orders and was reprimanded by the secretary of the navy, but the countrj- applauded his pat- riotism in rescuing 106 sick soldiers and non- combatants penned up in Fort Pickens. On Sept. 12, 1861, he was ordered to relieve Joiin Rodgers, in command of the little flotilla on the Mississippi river, and with a detail of officers he reconnoi- tered down the Mississippi to Columljus. In

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November he conveyed General Grant's trans- ports to Belmont, and led in the attack on that place, prevented 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 Carondelet and on Feb. 6, 1862, took part in the assault upon Fort Henry vmder Flag-Officer Foote, and during the interval after the surrender of the fort and before the ar- rival of Grant, he was in command of the fort. Under orders from Grant, Walke proceeded to Fort Donelson and engaged the enemy on Feb. 13, 1862. Foote arrived in the evening and on the afternoon of February 14, the entire fleet renewed the attack, the Carondelet suffering severely. Af- ter undergoing some repairs, the Carondelet joined Foote's fleet above Island No. 10, and on March 30, 1862. W^alke 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 Carondelet was practicall}' the only boat ready for an en- counter. She attacked the boats and drove them all under the protection of Fort Pillow before the other Union boats arrived. Fort Pillow was abandoned, June 4, and on June 6, Walke, with the Carondelet, engaged in the battle of Memphis. Farragut moved up to Vicksburg. passed the fleets and was joined by Captain Davis, who had succeeded Foote. In making a reconnoisance of the Y^'azoo river, Walke, meeting the ram Arkan- sas, retreated and was pursued until, with his steering gear disabled, he ran close into the bank, and the ram in passing discharged repeated broad- sides into the Carondelet, and kept on her waj' to Vicksburg. He was promoted captain. July 16, 1862, was given command of the gun-boats patrolling the river below Helena, and in Decem- ber made an excursion up the Yazoo. He led the second division of Porter's fleet at Grand gulf, April 29. 1863. and remained in the Mississippi squadron until Sept. 24, 1863, when he was as- signed to the Sacramento and sftnt in search of the Alabama. When he arrived at Lisbon lie learned of her destruction by the Kearsarge, but he blockaded the Rappahannock at Calais for fifteen months, and after her escajie, pursued her to Liverpool, where he held her until the end of the war. He was promoted commodore. July 25, 1866 ; rear-admiral. July 13, 1870. and was retired at his own request, April 26, 1871. He is the author of : Naval Sceiies and Reminiscences of the Civil War (1877). He died in Brooklyn, N.Y., March 8, 1896.