James David Walker (December 13, 1830October 17, 1906) was an attorney and

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

politician from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

who represented the state in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from 1879 to 1885. Two of his uncles likewise served in

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

, as

Finis McLean Finis Ewing McLean (February 19, 1806 – April 12, 1881) was a United States representative from Kentucky. Early life Finis Ewing McLean was born on February 19, 1806, near Russellville, Kentucky. He attended the country schools and Lebanon Ac ...

served

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

in the House of Representatives and John McLean represented

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

in both the House and Senate.

Early life and education

Walker was born near Russellville, Kentucky on December 13, 1830 to a planter family; he attended private schools in

. His parents sent him to the Ozark Institute and Arkansas College, both in

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville () is the second-largest city in Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, and the biggest city in Northwest Arkansas. The city is on the outskirts of the Boston Mountains, deep within the Ozarks. Known as Washington until ...

. His family moved permanently to Arkansas in 1847. That year at the age of 17, the young man began the study of law as a legal apprentice to an existing firm.

Career

On his admittance to the bar in 1850, Walker began practicing law in Fayetteville. He was elected as a circuit court judge in the fourth judicial district, where he served for a time. Upon the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Walker was commissioned as a colonel of the

4th Regiment, Arkansas State Troops The 4th Infantry, Arkansas State Troops (1861) was an Arkansas State infantry regiment that served during the American Civil War. After being raised in mid-1861, the regiment was assigned to the command of Brigadier General Nicholas Bartlett Pearc ...

. Captured at Oak Hills, Missouri in 1861, he was held as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

for two years. In 1865 he resumed his practice in Fayetteville, and was appointed as Solicitor General of the state. He served as a Democratic elector for the 1876 election, after white Democrats had regained control of the state legislature following the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...

. The legislature elected Walker to the US Senate in 1878. He defeated Robert Ward Johnson (1814-1879), a former Congressman and Senator who had been prominent in state politics before the Civil War. He was part of the political coalition known as "The Family," which had dominated Arkansas politics before the war.James M. Woods, "Robert Ward Johnson"
''Encyclopedia of Arkansas Culture and History'', 2010, accessed 7 August 2012 Walker served from 1879 to 1885. His personal secretary was

Elias Cornelius Boudinot Elias Cornelius Boudinot (August 1, 1835September 27, 1890) was an American politician, lawyer, newspaper editor, and co-founder of the ''Arkansan'' who served as the delegate to the Confederate States House of Representatives representing the ...

, a Cherokee attorney and politician from Arkansas who had lobbied for railroad construction in the West. Walker supported his bid in 1885 for appointment as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, but another man was selected.Thomas Burnell Colbert, "Elias Cornelius Boudinot"
''Encyclopedia of Arkansas'', 2009, accessed 7 August 2012 Walker declined to run for reelection in 1884 and returned to Arkansas at the end of his term.

Later years

He resumed his law practice in Fayetteville. He died there on October 17, 1906, and is buried in the city.

Early life and education

Career

Later years

References

Further reading