WALKE, Henry, naval officer, born in Princess Ann county, Virginia, 24 December, 1808. He was appointed from Ohio a midshipman in the navy, 1 February, 1827, became a passed midshipman, 10 June, 1833, and a lieutenant, 9 February, 1839, and during the Mexican war served in the Gulf squadron as executive of the bomb brig " Vesuvius," was present at the capture of Vera Cruz and participated in the expeditions to Alvarado, Tobasco, and Tuspan. He was promoted to commander, 14 September, 1855, and during the secession excitement in the southern states he was at Pensacola navy-yard, where he assisted in the removal of Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer's command to Fort Pickens, by which that fort was saved to the Union. In January, 1861, he was ordered to Vera Cruz, but took the responsibility of conveying the loyal officers, seamen, and marines, with their families, to New York, when the navy-yard was seized by the secessionists. He was court-martialed for this disobedience of orders, and reprimanded by the secretary of the navy; but as this reprimand was published by See. Gideon Welles. It was more of a compliment to him for his good judgment than a censure for the disobedience of orders. He commanded the steamer "Mount Vernon" from May till September, 1861, after which he was assigned to duty in the Mississippi rivet' flotilla, where he served with ability until September, 1863. He commanded the gunboat "Taylor" and the squadron of gun-boats at the battle of Belmont in co-operation with Gem Grant, by whom he was complimented for his set-vices in protecting the retreat. He had the gunboat "Carondelet" in the engagement and capture of Fort Henry, 6 February, 1862, for which he, with other officers of Flag-Officer Foote's squadron, received a vote of thanks from congress and the state of Ohio. With the same vessel he was in the capture of Fort Donelson, 13-16 February, 1862, during which he bore the brunt of the engagement. In this ship he ran the batteries of Island No. 10, 17 March, 1862, a feat that had never been performed before by the Mississippi river flotilla. It was done at night during a violent storm with only the lightning and the flashes of the enemy's guns to indicate the course down the river. After this he led in the "Carondelet" at the battle at Fort Pillow, 11 May, 1862, and at Memphis, 6 June, 1862, when the Confederate gun-boats were captured and sunk, during which contest he chiefly engaged the ram " Arkansas." He was commissioned a captain, 16 July, 1862, and took command of the iron-clad ram "Lafayette," in which he ran the batteries at Vicksburg, and served in the battle of Grand Gulf, Mississippi, 29 April, 1863. He dispersed General Richard Taylor's army at Simmsport, Louisiana, and blockaded the mouth of Red river, 4 June, 1863. He was transferred to the steamer "Fort Jackson," 24 July, 1863, and continued to render valuable services on the Mississippi river until 24 September, 1863, when he was detached and placed in command of the steamer "Sacramento" to chase the " Alabama." He was promoted to commodore, 25 July, 1866, and to rear-admiral, 13 July, 1870, and voluntarily went on the retired list, 26 April, 1871. He is the author of "Naval Scenes in the Civil War" (New York, 1877). He is a good artist, and his sketches of the scenes in the civil war are valuable additions to the above-mentioned work.