LeRoy Pope Walker

LeRoy Pope Walker
1st Confederate States Secretary of War
In office February 25, 1861 – September 16, 1861
President	Jefferson Davis
Preceded by	Office instituted
Succeeded by	Judah P. Benjamin
Personal details
Born	February 7, 1817(1817-02-07) Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
Died	August 23, 1884(1884-08-23) (aged 67) U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Eliza Dickson Pickett
Profession	Politician
Religion	Presbyterian

LeRoy Pope Walker (February 7, 1817 – August 23, 1884) was the first Confederate States Secretary of War.

Early life and career

Walker was born near Huntsville, Alabama in 1817, the son of John Williams Walker and Matilda Pope, and a grandson of LeRoy Pope. He was educated by private tutors, then attended universities in Alabama and Virginia. Before reaching the age of 21, he was admitted to the bar. He married Eliza Dickson Pickett on July 29, 1850. He held various offices in Alabama; in 1853, he resigned his position as a circuit court judge in order to focus on his legal practice. He actively promoted secession.

Civil War

Largely on the advice of several of Walker's supporters, including his brother Richard, President Davis appointed him to the post of Secretary of War, though Walker was not personally known to Davis. He was energetic and confident in support of the Confederacy, but had no military training. The stress and difficulties of his cabinet position seriously affected his health. In March 1861, the Southern states that had seceded from the Union appointed special commissioners to travel to those other Southern states that had yet to secede. Walker was chosen as the Commissioner from Alabama to the Tennessee Secession Convention, where he publicly read Alabama's Articles of Secession and tried to persuade Tennessee politicians to vote to do likewise.

Starting in August 1861, Davis encouraged Walker to become a Confederate representative to Europe; Walker did not accept this, but on September 16 he resigned his post. Davis made him a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army, commanding army garrisons in Alabama, before resigning in March 1862.

The original Confederate Cabinet. L-R: Judah P. Benjamin, Stephen Mallory, Christopher Memminger, Alexander Stephens, LeRoy Pope Walker, Jefferson Davis, John H. Reagan and Robert Toombs

Post-war

After the war, Walker returned to his legal practice and continued to be interested in politics. He died in 1887 and was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville.

See also

• List of American Civil War generals

References

• "Leroy Pope Walker". The Confederate War Department. http://www.csawardept.com/history/Cabinet/LPWalker/index.html. Retrieved 2011-08-13. 

Bibliography

• Patrick, Rembert W. (1944). Jefferson Davis and His Cabinet. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. pp. 104–120. 

Political offices
Preceded by (none)	Confederate States Secretary of War February 25, 1861 – September 16, 1861	Succeeded by Judah P. Benjamin