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Civil War Soldiers - Whitaker
| Whitaker, Walter C.,
brigadier-general, U.S. Army, was born in the state of Kentucky, and
was one of the sons of the "dark and bloody ground" that served as a
solier in the war with Mexico. On Oct. 1, 1847, he was commissioned
second lieutenant in the 3d Ky. infantry and served as such until July
21, 1848, when he was honorably mustered out of the service. He then
returned to Kentucky and followed civil pursuits until the outbreak of
the Civil war. In Sept., 1861, he was commissioned to raise a regiment
at Eminence, Ky., and the men he recruited were brought to Camp Sigel,
Louisville, and there the 6th Ky. infantry was organized, of which
Col. Whitaker became colonel on Dec. 24. The regiment was brigaded
with the 41st Ohio, 9th Ind., and the 1st Ohio battery, under Col.
William B. Hazen, and in Feb., 1862, the division to which the
regiment belonged was ordered to the mouth of Salt river, whence it
proceeded by transport to Paducah and up the Cumberland to Nashville.
It accompanied Buell's army to Pittsburg landing and was heavily
engaged in the second day's battle of Shiloh, being employed during
the whole day, skirmishing, resisting and making charges, supporting
batteries and making reconnoissances. From Shiloh Col. Whitaker with
his regiment proceeded to Corinth, thence to Athens, Ala., and in the
summer and fall of 1862 accompanied Buell in the march to Louisville.
After the battle of Perryville he marched as far as Columbia, Ky.,
then to Nashville and Murfreesboro and in the battle of Stone's river
his regiment lost 107 in killed and wounded. During the spring of 1863
his regiment was with the extreme left of Rosecrans' army in its
organization and was twice engaged with the enemy — at Readyville and
Woodbury, Tenn. On June 25, 1863, Col. Whitaker was commissioned
brigadier-general of volunteers and served in that capacity until Aug.
24, 1865, when he was honorably mustered out of the service, being
given the brevet rank of major- general of volunteers March 13, 1865,
for gallant and meritorious services in the campaign against Atlanta.
Gen. Whitaker died July 9, 1887. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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