Joseph Knox Walker
Joseph Knox Walker (July 19, 1818 – August 21, 1863) was an American politician and officer in the Confederate Army.
Colonel Joseph Knox Walker | |
|---|---|
 Walker c. 1861–63 | |
| Member of the Tennessee Senate | |
| In office 1858?–1861? | |
| Secretary to the President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 | |
| President | James K. Polk |
| Preceded by | Robert Tyler |
| Succeeded by | William Wallace Smith Bliss |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Knox Walker July 19, 1818 |
| Died | August 21, 1863 (aged 45) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
| Rank | Colonel |
Early life
[edit]Walker was born on July 19, 1818, in Columbia, Tennessee. He was the son of James Walker, of Columbia, Tennessee, a nephew of President James K. Polk, and a brother of Lucius Marshall Walker. He graduated from Yale College in 1838.
Career
[edit]In March 1845, he became Private Secretary of President Polk and the signer of land-warrants.[1] He was a member of the Tennessee Senate's 32nd General Assembly as a member of the Democratic Party.[2]
Soon after the beginning of the American Civil War, he entered the Confederate States Army and became colonel of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Exposure in camp at Columbus, Kentucky, and afterward in the vicinity of the Siege of Corinth and Battle of Shiloh, impaired his health so seriously that he resigned his command. The United States Army general commanding the department permitted him to return home to Memphis, Tennessee. There, his strength gradually declined until he died.
Personal life and death
[edit]Walker was married to Augusta Adams Tabb and had four children.[3] He died at the residence of his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. S. Pickett, on August 21, 1863, aged about 45 years.
References
[edit]- ↑ Shiels, Damian. "'They Bore Themselves As Veterans': The 2nd Tennessee at Belmont". Irish in the American Civil War. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
- ↑ Black, Diane (June 29, 2012). "Tennessee Senators Alphabetical Listing" (PDF). Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ↑ "[Unidentified woman, full-length portrait, three-quarter to the right, seated in chair at a small table with tablecloth]". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Yale Obituary Record.