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Joseph Knox Walker (July 19, 1818 – August 21, 1863) was an American politician and officer in the Confederate Army.
Colonel Joseph Knox Walker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 Columbia, Tennessee |
| Died | August 21, 1863 (aged 45) Memphis, Tennessee |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
| Rank | Colonel |
Early life
editWalker 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
editIn March 1845, he became Private Secretary of President Polk and the signer of land-warrants. In 1858, he was a member of the Tennessee Senate.
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.
Death
editHe died at the residence of his brother-in-law, Mr. Wm. S. Pickett, on August 21, 1863, aged about 45 years.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Yale Obituary Record.