William H. T. Walker

William Henry Talbot Walker (November 26, 1816 – July 22, 1864) was an American soldier. He was a career United States Army officer who fought with distinction during the Mexican-American War, and also served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Walker was severely wounded many times in combat, and was killed in action during the 1864 Atlanta campaign.

Early life and career William Henry Talbot Walker (often styled as William H.T. or W.H.T. Walker to distinguish him from the other two William Walkers in the Confederate Army) was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1816. He was a son of Freeman Walker (a U.S. Senator and Augusta mayor) and his wife Mary Garlington Creswell; however his father died in 1827 when he was ten years old. Walker then received his early education at Augusta's Richmond Academy. He would have four children with his wife Mary Townsend, two sons and two daughters.

Walker entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1832, and graduated four years later, standing 46th out of 59 cadets. Walker was appointed a brevet second lieutenant on July 1, 1837, and assigned to the 6th U.S. Infantry. On July 31 he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. That winter he was serving in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, where he was seriously wounded on December 25 in the neck, shoulder, chest, left arm, and also his leg. Walker was appointed a brevet first lieutenant to rank from that day as well. He was promoted to first lieutenant on February 1, 1838, and would resign his commission on October 31 of that year.

Walker was reinstated in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant on November 18, 1840, to rank from his last promotion in early 1838. He was again assigned to the 6th U.S. Infantry, and was promoted to captain on November 7, 1845.

Civil War service With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Walker chose to follow his home state of Georgia and the Confederate cause. He resigned his commission on December 20, 1860, and was appointed a colonel in the Georgia state militia on February 1, 1861. He would hold this position until March 13, when he was appointed a major general in the 1st Division, Georgia Militia, until May. Almost immediately after resigning, Walker served in the Georgia militia again as a brigadier general from November 1861 to January 1863, when he resigned to re-enter the Confederate States Army. Walker and his division were transferred to the Department of Mississippi & Eastern Louisiana in July and served there until August 23, when his command was added to the Reserve Corps of the Army of Tennessee until November 4. and Brig. Gen. Hugh W. Mercer took over the division. Walker is buried in the Walker Cemetery, located at Augusta University in Georgia.

Fort Walker and Walker High School, also in Atlanta, was named in his honor. However, Walker High School's name was changed in 1987 to "McNair High School" to honor astronaut Ronald E. McNair, who died in the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion the prior year.