Some Revolutionary
Heroes of Rutherford
Incidents of The Revolutionary Period in Ruth
erford County and Sketches of Some
of the Participants.
PART ELEVEN
Felix Walker.
Felix Walker, eldest son of Col.
John Walker, was born on the south
branch of the Potomac River, in
Hampshire county, Va., (now West
Virginia), July 19, 1753. He attend
ed a country school on the Conga
ree River, near Columbia, S. C., and
in Burke county, N. C. He moved
with his father to what became
Lincoln county, N. C., and then in
1768 to what became Rutherford
coulnty. He was apprenticed as a
merchant's clerk at Charleston, S.
C., in 1769; also engaged in agricul
tural pursuits after his return to
Rutherford county. He, in company
with Henderson and Boone and others
founded the settlement of Boons
boro, Ky., in 1775; was clerk of the
court of Washington District, (most
of which is now in the state of Tenn
essee) in 1775 and 1776, and of the
county court of Washington county,
(now in Tennessee) in 1777 and
1778. Fought in the Revolutionary
and Indian wars; lieutenant in Capt.
Richardson's company in the Rifle
Regiment commanded by James
Stuger, from Mecklenburg county,
N. C., in 1776; and was captain of a
company of light dragoons on the
Nolachucky River in 1776, and part
of 1777; went as private on several
tours of few weeks each in 1778-
1779. He was appointed clerk of the ]
court of Pleas and Quarter sessions
of Rutherford county, N. C., in Oct
ober 1779, a position which he held
until 1787. Was a member of the
State House of Commons six times,
serving in 1792, 1799, 1800, 1801,
1802 and 1806; resumed agricultu
ral and trading pursuits and was also
a land speculator in Haywood coun
ty, where he removed in 1808. He
was elected to the United States
Congress, as a representative fromj
the western district in 1817 and serv- j
ed three terms, or until 1823. He
was an unsuccessful candidate for
re-election in 1822, being defeated
by only a few votes. He moved to
Mississippi about 1824, and engaged
in agricultural pursuits and trading,
and died in Clinton, Hinds county,
Mississippi, about 1828. (The above
sketch is condensed from Walker's
"Autobiography," with occasional
notes from other sources.)
The following interesting incident
regarding Felix Walker is taken
from Arthur's "Western North Car
olina, a History, 1730-1913," (Fe
lix Walker) "was a man of great
suavity of manner, a fine electioneer.
insomuch that he was called "'Old
Oil Jug When the missouri
Question was under discussion Mr.
Walker secured the floor, when
* 
I Nurse Tells j
1
vmM He| p ed Her i
II FMmm mrs - W. A. cox, & T
[I l well-known pro- j
II «few Arav Sessional nursfe, 9
«I of Burnside, Ky., &
W I was in very bad health, |
|J and only weighed 110 pounds, y
41 I read in the papers about i
II Cardui, and thought I would 1
[I give it a try-out. After I had T
T| taken one bottle, I could see
m that I was improving. After  j
II I had taken it a month or 4
fl two, I began to gain, and I 4 '
f| weigh at present 168, and 41
41 have weighed that for some - 1
II time. lam now 66 years old, , (
y and can do as much work ''
71 as the average middle-aged * 1
41 woman can. , t
II "I would advise any woman, (
[I who is weakly and in a run-
T| down condition, to try Car- ' 1
41 dui, but not to expect one - i
II bottle to make her well. I ( ,
[I take two or three bottles a
T| year, now, and I feel fine." 1
9 CARDUI
i| USED BT WOMEN
II FOB OVER M TEARS
11 Take Thedford's Black-Draught
TI tor Constipation, Indigestion, t i
Md Biliousness.
By CLARENCE GRIFFIN.
Courier New* Editor and County Historian-
some impatient member asked him
to sit down and let a vote be taken.
He refused, saying that he _ must
"make a speech for Buncombe," that
is, for his constituents. Thus, "Bun
kum" as it is usually spelled, has be
come a part of our vocabulary."
This biography of Felix Walker
is purposely made brief, as he gives
a detailed account of his activities
through life in his memoirs, which
appear elsewhere in connection with
this work.
Heitman's "Historical Register of
Officers of the Continental Army,
1775-1783," 1914 revisal, page 565.
gives the following:
"Walker, Felix, (N. C.) Lieuten
ant-Colonel North Carolina Militia
at Kings Mountain, October, 1780."
No references on Kings Mountain
battle show that Walker participated
either as an officer or private. He
says, "the war was now raging in
its utmost violence (1779-80). I was
occasionally with the Whig or Lib
eral party, though took no commis
sion as I might have had." Speaking
of the battle of Kings Mountain
Walker says: "a battle was fought
on Kings Mountain 7th of
October, 1780, where a com
plete victory was obtained by the
Americans, being all militia, over the
British regulars and Tories, com
manded by Major Ferguson, who
was shot from his horse, bravely ex
horting his men. Seven bullets went
through his body, it is said. He was
a brave and meritorious officer from
Scotland, and it was well he was
killed to prevent his doing more mis
chief." No other reference is made
by him to that battle, which would
lead to the opinion that he did
not participate in that engagement.
John Walker, Jr.
John Walker, Jr., the second son
of Col. John Walker, was born in
1755, in Virginia. He removed to
North Carolina with his father and
continued to reside with him until
after the Revolution.
His first service in the Revolution
came when he was appointed a sec
ond lieutenant in one of the ten
companies of Minute Men, ordered
raised in the Salisbury district, by
the Third Provincial Congress in
August, 1775. At the same time two
j regiments of Continental troops were
ordered raised in North Carolina for
service, and his father, John Walker,
was appointed a captain in the First
Regiment. (Schenck's "North Caro
lina, 1780-81," page 22; Wheeler's
•'•Historical Sketches", page 80).
John Walker, Jr., was appointed a
second Lieutenant in one of tike
four additional regiments of Contin
ental troops ordered raised by Con
gress April 16,1776. (Colonial Rec
ords, Vol. X, page 519).
James Reuben Walker.
James Reuben Walker, third son
of Col. John Walker, was born with
in the botfnds of the present county
of Lincoln, N. C., in 1757. He mar
ried Sarah McHerd (born in South
Carolina in 1758) in 1784. He re
moved with his father in 1768 to
the plantation located one-half mile
above the mouth of Cane Creek and
about one mife from Brittain church
in Rutherford county. He was the
only member of this family of six
patriots who served throughout the
War of Independence in the capacity
of a private soldier. Sometime after
the war he removed from Ruther
i'ord and settled in Burke county,
N. CL
On October 24, 1832, he applied
for a pension for his Revolutionary
services. He was allowed a pension
on his claim No. S. 3447, while a
resident of Burke county. His de
claration follows:
"In 1776 three months'with
Capt. John Hardin's Company;
Col. Bateman's Regiment, and
went to Cross Creek against the
Scotch-Tories a little later.
Three months in Captain Thom
as Lytle's Company, and was out
against the Indians.
'ln 1777 Captain Hardin's
company was out against # the
Indians, and burned some of
their towns, and took prisoners;
length of service not stated.
Three months in Captain Joseph
• McDowell's Company.
THE FOREST CITY COURIER, THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1930.
"In 1781 three months in Cap
tain McFarland's Company, Col.
Charles McDowell's Regiment.
"On his return home from ser
vice he was arrested by the Tor
ies and his discharge was taken
from him."
In 1836 he moved to Knox coun
ty, Tennessee, where he died. He
had eleven children, and among his
descendants of today are numbered
the Pattons, of Buncombe; the
Foxes; The Dorseys of Cleveland
and Rutherford; Coopers, Bettis,
Hennessees and Erwins, of McDow
ell, Burke and Buncombe, and Clays
of Rutherford and McDowell, also
the Walkers, Russels, Foxes, War
dells, and Smiths, of Tennessee;
Walkers of Kentucky; Walkers, Ad
kins, Bogers and Collins, of District.'
of Columbia; Walkers and Taylors, t
of Texas; Jones, Coons, Sturgeons,*)
and Brewers, of Illinois; Reeves of'
California. 1
Essential facts of the above
sketch are gathered from "Genealo
gy of John Walker, from Ireland,
1720, and Some of His Descendants"
compiled by Robert Walton Walker,
of Fort Worth, Texas.
William Walker.
"William Walker, the fourth son
of Colonel John Walker, was born
i
in 1758 in that portion of Tryon
county which has since been form
ed into Lincoln county, N. C. Her
man's "Historical Register of Officers
of the Continental Army, 1775-83",
1914 Revision, page 566, states that
he was a lieutenant in a company in
the Second Regiment of Continental
Troops raised in North Carolina;
was taken prisoner at Charleston,
S. C., 12 May 1780; exchanged 14th
June, 1781. No date of commission
is given. The Roster of Continental
Troops from North Carolina, appear
ing in Volume 16, North Carolina
State Records, page 1189, shows a
William Walker as private in Cap
tain Blount's Company of the 10th
Regiment, enlisted August 3, 1779.
It is probable that this was the same
person ; as Lieutenant Walker, and
! i«4 I
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that he enlisted first as a private,
'and later became lieutenant, as a
'number of Continental officers were
'promoted from the ranks.
! State Records, Vol. 17, page 257
] shows that he received, m 1793,
thirty-five pounds, eight shillings and
. ! two pence "for Revolutionary Ser
; vice" length of serive not stated.
' t '
5 1 Thomas Walker.
l ' Thomas Walker, fifth son of Col.
s 'John Walker was born in 1759 in
present bounds of Lincoln
» I county, N. C. He removed to Ruth
'erford county with his father, and
■ was residing with him at the time
''of the Revolution. He enlisted in the
j First Regiment of Continental
Troops, probably in his father's,
(company, on sth April, 1777; com
missioned D. W. M. Gl., same date
lend omitted Sept. 1777. His enlist
ment period was "For Duration of
War". (State Records, Vol. 16, page
f 1180).
| The author has been unable to
find any other reference to him af
ter his commission expired, however,
it is likely that he served out his ;
enlistment period. !
| At the July 1810, session of the
! Rutherford county court of pleas and
Quarter sessions a guardian was ap
pointed for his minor son. This
would indicate that Thomas Walker
died sometime between April and
July, 1810.
Joseph Walker.
Joseph Walker, sixth son of Col.
John Walker, was born in what is
now Lincoln county, N. C., in 1760,
and removed with his father to Ruth
erford county, where he was resid
ing when the storm of the Revolu
tion broke.
His first service in the war for
independence was in 1776. He was
appointed a first lieutenant in one
of the independent companies au
thorized by Congress on April 29,
1776, for defense of the coastal
towns of North Carolina (Colonial
Records. Vol. 10, page 546).
His record in the Revolution is
given by Heitman, in his "Historical
Register of Officers of the Contin
ental Army, 1775-1783," page 565,
as follows:
"Captain, 7th N. C., 28th Novem
ber, 1776( omftted Ist January
1778."
Volume 16, page 1185, State Rec
ords, gives identically the same in
formation as is contained in Her
man's statement. The same record
appears again in the Colonial Rec
ords, Vol. 10, page 949.
1 While Joseph Walker was ex
tremely young to hold a position of
such trust and responsibility, it was
doubtless through the influence of
his father that he secured the com
mission. •
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