- Joined
- Aug 25, 2012
"Shot Pouch" or Fighting Billy, General H. T. Walker appears to have possessed reasonable good military skills, but is not as well known as many Confederate generals. General Joseph E. Johnston said of Walker, he was "the only officer in his command competent to lead a division".
Walker seemed to have the prerequisites of a successful senior Confederate general: West Point graduate, combat experience, West Point instructor of tactics, and Commandant of Cadets at West Point (1854-56). Still, General Walker never seemed to reach the heights he may have been qualified to reach. One of the possible reasons for this may be that Walker had resigned his Confederate commission in 1861 and severed in the Georgia militia until the beginning of 1863. Had he not resigned he may have reach a more senior level in the Confederate Army. Another issue for Walker is that he was considered difficult. Confederate St. John Liddell describes him as "a crackbrained fire-eater, always captious or cavilling about something." Walker's service to the Confederacy was cut short in when he was killed in action of July22, 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign.
So what do forum member think of Major General William Walker? Was he the petty nitpicking, foolish fire-eater as Liddell portrays him as, or a rising star whose contribution was cut short?
Walker seemed to have the prerequisites of a successful senior Confederate general: West Point graduate, combat experience, West Point instructor of tactics, and Commandant of Cadets at West Point (1854-56). Still, General Walker never seemed to reach the heights he may have been qualified to reach. One of the possible reasons for this may be that Walker had resigned his Confederate commission in 1861 and severed in the Georgia militia until the beginning of 1863. Had he not resigned he may have reach a more senior level in the Confederate Army. Another issue for Walker is that he was considered difficult. Confederate St. John Liddell describes him as "a crackbrained fire-eater, always captious or cavilling about something." Walker's service to the Confederacy was cut short in when he was killed in action of July22, 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign.
So what do forum member think of Major General William Walker? Was he the petty nitpicking, foolish fire-eater as Liddell portrays him as, or a rising star whose contribution was cut short?