Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-10-25

StauntOn,
gen. lanes A. Walker Dead.

/
| Gen. James A. Walker, a brother of
| Hon. Silas 81. Walker, Miss Hanna
Mary Walker and Mrs. j. D. Craig,
OF this county, died at his home in
| Wytheville, on Sunday morning after
an illness of about a month, of dyson
terry. His condition had been critical
for the previous week, and his death
was looked for at any time.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
| Gen. James A. Walker was born in
Augusta county, Va, in September,
1888. He graduated at the Virginia
| Military Institute and afterward stu.
died law at the University of Virginia
under the late Prof. John B. Minor.
He married Miss Sarah A. Poage, of
Augusta county, and in 1854 he remov-
ed to Newbern, in Pulaski county,
where he entered upon the practice of
bis profession. A notable incident of
his early life was that while cadet at
the Virginia Military Institute he chal-
lenged Major Thomas j. jackson. af-
terward the world-renowned ''Stone-
wall" jackson, to fight duel. Jack
son was then professor in the school.
At the beginning Of the war between
i the States he was captain of a fine vol
unteer cOmpany-the Pulaski Guards
(afterward Company g, Fourth Vir-
ginia 1nfantry-and in April, 1861 i,
| Captain Walker was promoted to the
i rank of lieutenant-cOlOnel and was as
signed to the Thirteenth Virginia In
fantry, of which A. P. Hill was col
onel. In March, 1862. be was again
promoted. becoming colonel of the
| IL; - Nirninio Inf frr
Hill, promoted to brigadier-general.
In May, 1868. a third promotion raised
him to the rank of brigadier-general,
of the 'Stonewall" Brigade.
| At the close of the war he returned
to Pulaski and resumed the practice of
his profession.
| In 1869 he was nominated for Lieu
tenant Governor on the ticket with
Col. r. E. Withers for Governor and
Hon. J. L. Marye for Attorney Cen
eral. AS is known, this ticket was af-
terward Withdrawn, and that contain
| ing the names of Gilbert G. Walker
and others substituted in it's place.
| Following this, General Walker was
elected to the Virginia House of Dele
gates from Pulaski county, serving
two terms in that body. As a Demo-
GRAFT he was an aspirant for Congress in
the Ninth district, but was never sue
cessful in receiving the nomination.
In 1877 he was elected Lieutenant Gov
ernor, and in 1885 was candidate for
Acknowledgement on the Democratic
ticket, but was defeated by Hon. R.
A. Ayres.
Soon after this campaign General
Walker retired from active participa-
ton in politics until 1894, when he was
nominated in Wytheville by the Re
publicans of the Ninth Congressional
district for Congress. He accepted the
nomination and defeated Judge MORT
son, of Scott county, by less than 1000
majority. He was again renominated
in 1896, 1898 and 1900. He was re-elect-
ed in 1896, but was defeated in 1898 and
1900 by Judge William F. Rhea, of
| Bristol
After.his defeat in 1898 General Walk
er contested Judge Rhea's seat. The
following winter, while taking depOsl :
tions in Bristol, General Walker shot
Rhea's attorney, William Hamilton,
and was himself twice shot by one of
Rhea's friends. Both of his wounds
were very severe. but to the astOnish-
ment of bis friends be recovered from
| them. His right arm was partially
paralyzed from the effects of one of the
shots.
i General Walker attended three ma
tional conventions, the first one, as a
Democrat, in 1876. That convention
nominated Samuel J. Tilden for Presi-
dent. The others were the conventions
of 1895 and 1900, which nominated the
late William Mckinley for President. ..
General Walker was the father of six
children. Three of them-Messrs.
James A., Frank and Allen Pare
dead, and three are living-Mrs. M. M.
Caldwell and Mrs. James r. Jordan, of
Wythevile, and Mr.. A. E. Walker, of
Florence, Ala.
In 1880 General Walker removed to
Wytheville, where he resided until the
time of his death.