Charles H. Walker was born on November 21, 1834 in England. He enlisted in Franklin, WI as a private in Company B, Wisconsin 7th Infantry Regiment (part of the Iron Brigade). He fought in the battles of Second Bull Run and Gettysburg and was wounded twice, first on September 14, 1862 at South Mountain, MD and second on May 5, 1864 in the Wildreness Campaign. He kept a diary from September 21, 1861 to June 1, 1865, which includes descriptions of interactions with Confederate soldiers, his medical care, and the difficulties facing enlisted soldiers. He mustered out as a Sargeant. He died on February 16, 1902 and is buried in Rio, Wisconsin at the Ohio Cemetery.
He was married to Mary Elizabeth Scott Walker (1843-1916). They had four children: Marion Charles Walker (1866-1944), Frederick Thomas Walker (1868-1934), Franklin H. Walker (1871-1934), and Elizabeth Mary Walker Parker (1876-1938).
