Background
Reuben Lindsay Walker was born on March 29, 1827, in Logan, Albemarle County, Virginia, United States. He was the son of Meriwether Lewis and Maria Lindsay Walker and a great-grandson of Thomas Walker.
319 Letcher Ave, Lexington, VA 24450, United States
In 1845 Walker graduated from Virginia Military Institute.
319 Letcher Ave, Lexington, VA 24450, United States
In 1845 Walker graduated from Virginia Military Institute.
Reuben Lindsay Walker was born on March 29, 1827, in Logan, Albemarle County, Virginia, United States. He was the son of Meriwether Lewis and Maria Lindsay Walker and a great-grandson of Thomas Walker.
In 1845 Walker graduated from Virginia Military Institute.
Reuben Walker practiced his profession of civil engineering and later engaged in farming in New Kent County, Virginia. At the beginning of the American Civil War Walker was made captain of the Purcell Battery and was hurried off to Aquia Creek, Virginia. During the following four years, he served without a day's leave of absence. He arrived at Manassas in time to shell the retreating enemy and during the remainder of 1861 was with his battery in Virginia. In March 1862 he was promoted major and served as chief of artillery for A. P. Hill's division. Though ill in Richmond during the Seven Days' Battle, he was connected with Hill's command until the end of the war. At Fredericksburg, Hill reported that Lieutenant-Colonel Walker directed the fire from his guns "with admirable coolness and precision," and he was cited in numerous other battle reports. Shortly after Fredericksburg he was promoted colonel and became chief of artillery when Hill was made commander of the III Army Corps.
He commanded sixty-three guns at Gettysburg and was in the remaining hard-fought campaigns in Virginia. In February 1865 he was appointed brigadier-general of artillery. Walker was not a dashing artilleryman like Alexander, Chew, and Pegram, nor was he as intellectual as Long or Alexander; but he showed an engineer's knowledge and appreciation of topography and was unexcelled in the Confederate artillery as an organizer. He was also outstanding for his courage and dogged devotion to duty, his physical hardihood, and his noble appearance. After the war, he engaged in farming.
In 1872 he moved to Selma, Alabama, and until 1874 was superintendent of the Marine & Selma Railroad. Returning to Virginia in 1876, he was employed by the Richmond & Danville Railroad until 1877. Later he was a superintendent of the Richmond street railways and served as a construction engineer for the Richmond & Allegheny Railroad. He superintended the building of the women's department of the Virginia State Penitentiary and in 1884 was appointed superintendent of construction of the Texas State Capitol, residing in Austin until 1888.
Before his appointment, there had been many scandals in connection with the management of this project, and Walker was put in charge because of his integrity, faithfulness, and efficiency.
Lindsay Walker, as he was known, amassed a lengthy combat record, serving in every one of the Army of Northern Virginia's major battles except the Seven Days Battles (he was ill at the time). He commanded the artillery of Hill's Light Division during the Battle of Harpers Ferry and the Battle of Antietam in the Maryland Campaign. When Powell Hill was promoted to corps command, Walker became the head of the Third Corps artillery. For his military service, he was promoted to Brigadier General on February 18, 1865.
Physical Characteristics: Six feet four inches in height and of the massive frame, with long dark hair, sweeping mustache, and imperial beard, and a superb horseman, Walker was one of the most striking figures in Lee's army.
Reuben was married in 1848 to Maria Eskridge of Staunton, Virginia, and after her death, in 1857 to Sally Elam, daughter of Dr. Albert Elam of Chesterfield County and granddaughter of James Pleasants of Virginia. He had eight children.
