John George Walker
| John George Walker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
July 22, 1821 Jefferson City, Missouri |
| Died | July 20, 1893 (aged 71) Washington, D.C. |
| Place of burial | Stonewall Cemetery, Winchester, Virginia |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1846–61 (USA) 1861–65 (CSA) |
| Rank |
 Captain (USA) Major General (CSA)
|
| Commands held | Walker's Texas Division |
| Battles/wars |
Mexican-American War - Battle of San Juan de los Llanos - Battle of Molino del Rey Apache Wars - Battle of the Diablo Mountains American Civil War - Peninsula Campaign - Battle of Malvern Hill - Battle of South Mountain - Battle of Antietam - Siege of Vicksburg - Battle of Milliken's Bend - Red River Campaign - Battle of Mansfield - Battle of Pleasant Hill - Battle of Jenkins' Ferry |
John George Walker (July 22, 1821 – July 20, 1893) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served as a brigadier general under Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet, before commanding the Texas Division unit in the Trans-Mississippi Department, known as Walker's Greyhounds for their speed and agility. He was ordered to disrupt U.S. Grant's supply-line opposite Vicksburg, Mississippi, but Grant had managed to cross to the East Bank, and Walker was reduced to minor operations, one of them against some of the first African-American troops to serve in battle. He was able to make a bigger contribution to the Red River Campaign in support of General Richard Taylor.
Walker was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. His mother Sarah Caffery Walker, was a niece of Rachel Jackson. His father John Walker came from a distinguished Kentucky political family, with two brothers, George Walker and David Walker, serving in the United States Congress. John G. Walker grew up in the St. Louis area and graduated from the predecessor to Washington University in 1844.
Walker joined the United States Army as a first lieutenant of the Regiment of Mounted Rifles in 1846, and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War, where he was breveted to captain for San Juan de los Llanos and was wounded at Molino del Rey. He was promoted to the full rank of captain June 1851. In 1858, he married Sophie Baylor, whose family was responsible for the naming of Baylor University. Walker remained in the Army until July 1861, when he joined the Confederate States Army as a major in the cavalry.
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