Marker Dedication Ceremony Honors Confederate Soldier
Saturday, April 10, 1976


Descendants of Augustine Walker, Private in the Confederate States Army, gathered Saturday, April 10, 1976 at the Derrick Cemetery just off Enon Road to honor him on the 106th anniversary of his death.

The family ceremony was consummated by the setting of a granite footstone provided by the National Cemetery System of the Veterans Administration.

According to records provided from National Archives by great granddaughter Mrs J B Hill, Jr, Augustine Walker, a native of Dixon County, Tennessee, enlisted Feb. 22, 1863. He apparently moved here as a young man and settled down to farm in Upshur County, where he reared one son and three daughters. He was 37 years old when he signed in Gilmer with Company B7 Regiment under Lt. W C Hurley. Company muster roll shows that he spent four months in Texas General Hospital, Quitman, Miss., in Spring and Summer 1863. He also spent time in sick bay in December of the same year in Newnan, Ga. At one time he was due "back pay" for about four months. He was later captured by the Union Army Dec. 17, 1864, at Franklin, Tenn., and held at Military Prison, Louisville, Ky. On Jan.. 15, 1865 he was transferred to Camp Chase, Ohio, where he was retained until June, 1865. He returned to his family in Upshur County, where he died five years later of a consumptive disease.

Attending the ceremony for Augustine Walker were his only living grandchildren, Maddie Jane Senn, Eunice Lang, Cora Porter, Bertha Shrum, Vera Ross, and Charlie Tilman. Other relatives were Billye Higgins and her son John Higgins of Whitehouse; Sallie Caldwell of Union Hill; Delmer Porter of Enon; Mattie Reed of Gilmer; Myrtie Langford of Mesquite; Bessie McPeek of Gilmer; Brenda Sue Hill of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Berta McCool of Rosewood; H P "Doc" Lane of Enon; Eve Bland of Gilmer; Mary Nell James of Gilmer; Ruby Dowd and her daughter Kim of Linden; Mr and Mrs Johnny Lang and Mrs L Royce Hill, and sons David and Mark of Austin; Mary Jo Shaw of Gilmer; Mr and Mrs J B Hill Jr of Gilmer; Willie Robinson of Gilmer; and Dr L Royce Hill.