David WALKER (VETERAN CSA)

COLONEL
Staff - Judge in Military Court
Civil War Confederate
February 19, 1806 - September 30, 1879

*Obituary
Fayetteville Democrat
Saturday, November 15, 1879

WALKER, David - (from The Little Rock Democrat) The following brief sketch of the life and public services of the late Judge David Walker may prove of interest to his many friends and admirers throughout the State: David Walker was born near Elkton, in Todd, then Christian county, Kentucky on the 11th of February, 1806. In the year 1808 his father removed to Logan county and settled a new place. Here, in 1811, when only five years of age, he began school and so rapid was his progress in his studies that in less than a year he had learned to read with ease. In his early childhood he was remarkable for his retentive memory and was the foremost declaimer among his little school fellows. His teacher, an old bachelor, warmly attached to his little pupil and predicting for him a bright future, on quitting the neighborhood made a deed to a tract of 400 acres of land to be applied to the education of his favorite scholar. The land was poor and afterwards sold for a small sum but the expectations of the old school master as to the future of his favorite pupil were fully realized. In the year 1812, during the second war with Great Britain, the father of young Walker, who was a tobacco planter, was greatly embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs by reason of the blockade. In writing of this period he describes it as a time of severe hardships and trials to the farmers of Kentucky. One disaster followed another and his father, in greatly reduced circumstances, was at length compelled to give up his farm. In 1818 the family removed to Scottville in Allen County, where his father began the practice of law. Here again, David had for a short season the advantages of a school. In 1820 the family removed to Edwardsville, Ill., the father having been chosen a director in the Edwardsville bank. The bank failing in a short time and other reverses following, his father was again greatly reduced in circumstances. Writing of this period of his early life and recounting hardships, he says: "I milked the cows, got all the wood, helped to wash, went to mill, worked regularly in the field - hard work enough in that cold, open country." Here he made his first money by selling vegetables from the garden, raised by his own labor. The money thus made was carefully expended for clothing for himself and other members of the family. In his sixteenth year his father removed to Howard County, Mo. Here, as in Illinois, our young hero had much severe manual labor to perform. He built a log house, hewed the puncheons for the floor and made the chimney. In speaking of the work performed during his stay in Missouri he says: "That fall I hired out and took my pay in potatoes, which I carried home on my back at night, a bushel of potatoes being allowed for a day's work." In the winter of 1824, dissatisfied with Missouri, the family returned to Scottsville, Kentucky. The gift of a couple of negro men from his grandmother to his mother somewhat lightened his heavy labor at this time but he still continued to work regularly on the farm, finding time however to read several valuable books, among which he mentions Hume's History of England. In 1825 he went to school for the last time, having been deprived of such advantages for a period of six years. During his eight months of school his progress was very rapid. Writing of the close of his school days and regretting his want of a more liberal education for a profession, he says: "I had not education for a profession, no money upon which to support myself, no property, present or in expectancy, in short, I had nothing but a will, a strong, determined will to rise above every obstacle that confronted me." It is this will, this indomitable energy, that afterwards crowned his life with success. After leaving school he wrote for some time in the clerk's office as a deputy under his uncle, and then for a short season performed the duties of deputy sheriff. Then for two years he applied himself with great diligence to the study of law, at the end of which time he was admitted to the bar. After practicing a short time in Kentucky with fair success, he concluded to seek a new field and finally settled upon Arkansas. Armed with letters of introduction to Robert Crittenden and Gov. John Pope, he began his journey on the 30th of September and arrived in Little Rock on the 10th of October 1830. He was examined in the law by Judges Cross and Johnson of the Territorial Court and admitted to the bar of Arkansas and soon left for Fayetteville. He at once took high rank as a lawyer. The first office held by him was that of Prosecuting Attorney, to which position he was elected in 1832. In 1834 he was re-elected to the same position and in 1835 served in the Territorial Legislature. When the convention met in 1836 to frame a State Constitution, Judge Walker appeared as a delegate from Washington County and took a leading part in the deliberation of that body. Among the many distinguished men who assisted in framing that Constitution, Gen. G.D. Royston of Hempstead is the only survivor. After the formation of our State Government in 1836 Judge Walker was appointed a Presidential Elector for Hugh L. White, who ran against Martin Van Buren. In this contest he led a forlorn hope but, with all his characteristic zeal and energy bore the old Whig banner throughout the fierce struggle, winning golden opinions from friends and foes. From the fall of 1836 to 1840 Judge Walker devoted himself closely to the practice of his profession. In the latter year he was elected State Senator. In 1844 he ran against Gov. Archibald Yell for Congress and after a sharp and spirited contest was defeated. He was elected to the Supreme Bench in 1848 by a Democratic Legislature and served till 1855 when he resigned. In the exciting Presidential contest of 1859 he was a warm supporter of Bell and Everett and canvassed very extensively in their interest. When the convention of 1861 met at a called session in the spring of 1861 passed the ordinance of secession, Judge Walker was elected its President. During the war he served on the military court of Price's army, being associated with ex-Senator Truston Polk of Missouri, and the late Judge George C. Watkins of this city. After the surrender of the confederate forces he returned to his home at Fayetteville and with all his old time energy and determination began the work of rebuilding his shattered fortunes. In 1866 he was elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court which position he held till removed by reconstruction in 1868. After the adoption of the constitution of 1874 he was again elected to the Supreme bench and held the position till the spring of 1878 when failing health and growing infirmities compelled him to resign. After his resignation in the spring of 1878 he was greatly afflicted, so much so that his life was frequently despaired of. A naturally and robust constitution, however, enabled him to rally and his many friends were encouraged to hope that he would be spared for several years, when the unfortunate accident occurred which caused his death. Visiting the Washington County Fair on Wednesday, September 24th, he was thrown from his buggy and from the effects of the fall died on the following Tuesday, September 30th. Of his immediate family Judge Walker leaves five children, two daughters, the wife of United States Senator Walker and Mrs. Buckner of Fayetteville, Mr. E.H. Walker of Ozark, C.W. Walker, Esq. and David Walker, Jr. of Fayetteville. His wife died in 1847. His eldest son, a brave and gallant officer of the Confederate army, Capt. J.W. Walker, was killed at the battle of Jenkins' Ferry. A great lawyer, an upright judge, an eminent citizen has gone. Conspicuous in his services to the State and to society through a long and eventful period he leaves to his children the priceless heritage of an unsullied name. The people whom he served so long and faithfully will venerate his memory in the years to come and point to his life as a model and an example for men who have an ambition to serve the State. Full of years and honors he rests from his labors.

*Source: Sons of Confederate Veterans, Washington County, Arkansas 2009
Compiled by William W Degge

Contributed on 3/20/10 by judyfrog
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