James B. Walton

James Burdge Walton
Born	1813 New Jersey
Died	1885 New Orleans
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America
Service/branch	United States Army (Militia) Confederate States Army
Years of service	1839–61 (USA) 1861–64 (CSA)
Rank	Colonel
Unit	Washington Artillery
Battles/wars	Mexican American War American Civil War

James Burdge Walton (1813–85) served for two decades in the famed New Orleans militia unit the Washington Artillery. He was most prominent in the Confederate service in the American Civil War.

Born in New Jersey, Walton attended college in Louisiana and owned a New Orleans grocery store.

Walton joined the Washington Artillery as an adjutant when the unit was formed in 1839. In the Mexican War, Walton commanded the 1st Louisiana Artillery as a Major and by 1857 he was Colonel Commanding of the battalion.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Walton and four of five batteries went East to serve in Virginia. After fighting at the First Battle of Manassas, Walton and his command were assigned to James Longstreet's forces. These batteries served in the Peninsula Campaign, at Second Manassas, and Antietam. Walton commanded the batteries on Marye's Heights during the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Chancellorsville Campaign. He commanded the artillery reserve of the First Corps artillery and was offended when at Gettysburg a subordinate Colonel E. Porter Alexander was placed in charge of the artillery preparation for Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863.

When the bulk of Longstreet's First Corps were sent to Georgia (United States), only a portion of the artillery was sent with it. Walton held several positions in southern Virginia during the absence of his guns. Walton worked to improve artillery formations and drills. His best known accomplishment was the design for the Hanging Tigers Head used as a badge by the Washington Artillery. He resigned on July 18, 1864 and returned to his business as a merchant.

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