Lucius M . Walker Lucius Marshall " Marsh " Walker ( October 18 , 1829 – September 7 , 1863 ) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War . He was mortally wounded in a duel with fellow general John S . Marmaduke . Early life and career . Walker was born in Columbia , Tennessee . He was a nephew of President James K . Polk . Walker graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1850 , placing 15th of a class of 44 . He was brevetted second lieutenant of dragoon s and served on frontier duty . He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1852 , shortly before resigning to return to Tennessee , where he established a successful mercantile business . Walker lived in St Francis County , Arkansas at the time of his enlistment . Civil War service . With the outbreak of the Civil War , Walker was commissioned Colonel of the 40th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry on November 11 , 1861 . His first assignment was to command the post at Memphis . In 1862 , he and his 40th Tennessee were ordered to New Madrid , Missouri to prepare for the Battle of Island Number Ten . Walker was commissioned brigadier general on March 11 , 1862 , and was posted at Kentucky Bend , with the command of the 40th Tennessee falling to Lt . Col . C . C . Henderson . He retreated in the face of a much larger Union force , which threatened to capture all of Walker ' s command . Being forced to surrender at Island # 10 , Walker was exchanged and rejoined the army at Corinth , Mississippi , before it retreated to Tupelo . At the May 9 , 1862 , Battle of Farmington , his brigade attacked and drove a Union force from its entrenchments . He was reassigned to the Trans - Mississippi Department on March 23 , 1863 , commanding a brigade of cavalry under Lt . Gen . Theophilus Holmes at the Battle of Helena . The duel . After the Battle of Reed ' s Bridge on August 26 , 1863 , Brig . Gen . John S . Marmaduke accused Walker of imperiling Marmaduke ' s men by being absent from the field in the face of the enemy . Walker , judging from the indications that the enemy was about to flank his position , had withdrawn his troops after dark . Walker felt that he had been unjustly accused of cowardice and challenged Marmaduke to a formal duel . “ I have not pronounced you a coward , ” Marmaduke wrote , “ but I desire to inform you that your conduct as commander of the cavalry was such that I determined no longer to serve you . ” Maj . Gen . Sterling Price ordered both officers to remain in their quarters in an attempt to prevent the duel . However by an unfortunate series of mishaps , the orders were not delivered to Walker . At dawn on Sunday , September 6 , Walker and Marmaduke squared off with Colt Navy revolvers on the north bank of the Arkansas River near Little Rock . Both fired and missed . Marmaduke then recocked and fired a second time , mortally wounding Walker in the right side , just above the beltline . Walker forgave Marmaduke when the latter offered his assistance . As General Walker lay dying , his wife rode from St . Francis to Little Rock , and gave birth to their son , Lucius M Walker , Jr . Lucius M . Walker died at 5 p . m . the next day . He is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis . Gen . Frank C . Armstrong married Maria Polk Walker , daughter of Col . Joseph Knox Walker . Col . Walker is the brother of Lucius Marshall Walker , who also served as a Confederate general .