Charles H. Walker (September 5, 1828December 14, 1877) was an American lawyer, jurist, and legislator. A Democrat, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for two terms, 1856 and 1857, and was County Judge of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, from 1858 until 1862, when he resigned to volunteer for service as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War.
Early life and career
Walker was born in Tully, New York, in 1828. As a child, his family moved to Ohio, where he was educated. He graduated from Western Reserve College in Cleveland in 1850 and quickly moved west to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he studied law in the office of Frederick S. Lovell and was admitted to the bar.
In the Summer of 1854, he moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and engaged in a legal practice in partnership with George L. Lee, known as Lee & Walker. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1855 and reelected in 1856, serving in the 8th and 9th Wisconsin legislatures. In 1857, he was elected County Judge of Manitowoc County, defeating incumbent judge Isaac Parrish.
Civil war service
Walker resigned the judgeship in the summer of 1862 to volunteer for service in the American Civil War, responding to President Abraham Lincoln's urgent call for 300,000 volunteers. Walker organized a company of volunteers from Manitowoc and lead them into Camp Bragg—named for Lt. Colonel Edward S. Bragg of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry—at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, headquarters for the newly established 21st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. In the organization of the regiment, Walker's company was designated Company K and he was commissioned as their captain. The 21st Wisconsin Infantry mustered into service in September 1862 under Colonel Benjamin Sweet.
Kentucky and Tennessee campaign (Fall 1862) The 21st Wisconsin was ordered to proceed to Cincinnati for duty in the western theater of the war. They then crossed the Ohio River to Covington, Kentucky, where the regiment was issued their arms and organized into the brigade of General Philip Sheridan. They were there ordered to march quickly to the defense of Louisville and attach to the Division of General Lovell Rousseau, in the Army of the Ohio. The 21st Wisconsin arrived in Louisville just in time to join the march into interior Kentucky that resulted in the Battle of Perryville on October 8, 1862. During the battle, the regiment was erroneously positioned at the far left of the Union lines, and, due to this miscommunication, received fire from both Confederate and Union artillery. Colonel Sweet was wounded in these initial barrages. The Union regiments in front of them broke and fled through their formation and the 21st Wisconsin fell back under heavy fire from the front and sides and reestablished their line among the other regiments of their brigade. They took significant casualties, including Colonel Sweet, who was wounded twice, and Major Frederick Schumacher, who was killed.
Following the battle, Lieutenant Colonel Harrison Carroll Hobart joined the regiment at Lebanon, Kentucky, and took command from the wounded Colonel Sweet. On October 29, the regiment marched to Bowling Green and then to Mitchellville, Tennessee, to defend a railroad supply route. They remained at Mitchellville from November 10 through December 7. Throughout this march and guard duty, the regiment suffered further from exposure, as they had left most of their camp equipment at Louisville before Perryville. They lost more officers and enlisted men through this hardship— including their surgeon Samuel Carolin.
They marched to Nashville, Tennessee, in December and their division was attached to the XIV Corps in William Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland. They camped at Nashville until the end of December, when they set out to confront Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee at Murfreesboro. During the march to Murfreesboro, their column was harassed by Confederate cavalry under the command of Joseph Wheeler. The 21st Wisconsin engaged in skirmishing with the cavalry and inflicted casualties on them, saving a train of supplies in the process. The next day, they participated in the Battle of Stones River and were engaged throughout the day in fighting, though they did not suffer severe casualties. In his report of the battle, General Rousseau praised the 21st Wisconsin and its commander.