Of pearls and politics: the story of Walker Brooke

VICKSBURG, Miss. by Evan Winschel (VDN) — Born on Christmas Day and buried beneath solemn bells, Walker Brooke lived with the dignity of a statesman, but his end was not met by war or age, but by an oyster on an ordinary night.

Brooke was born Christmas Day, 1813. Families gathered across the globe to revel in the merriment of the season. An inherently celebratory day became even more joyful at the household of Humphrey and Sarah Brooke when they received the gift of a healthy baby boy they named Walker.

Spending his formative years in Clark County, Virginia, Walker eventually graduated from the University of Virginia, where he studied law, before accepting a teaching assignment in Kentucky. After two years of molding young minds there, he set his sights farther south to Lexington, Mississippi. Not long after his arrival, Walker made the acquaintance of his future wife, Jane L. Eskridge. By 1840, Walker and Jane married and proceeded to have 15 children together. Talk about a full house!

Like many men of his generation, the call to enter the realm of politics overcame him, and he first aligned himself with the Whig Party before transferring his backing to the Union Democrats. After serving as a state legislator, Walker was elected to serve the remainder of Henry S. Foote’s term in the United States Senate after he narrowly won the election for governor in 1851.

Desiring a more metropolitan area to better pursue his interests, the Brooke family relocated to Vicksburg in 1857, where he opened a new law practice. Almost from the moment of arrival, Brooke endeared himself to the community and became one of the most respected men in town. In 1861, Walker was chosen to attend the Secession Convention as a Warren County delegate, where he encouraged that the measure be decided based on popular vote.

On Jan. 9, 1861, Mississippi seceded from the Union, with Warren County being one of the few counties in the state to vote against it. With a new government established in the South, Walker continued to seek opportunities to serve the state and served as a member of the Provisional Confederate Congress in Montgomery. After a failed campaign for senator, he returned home to Vicksburg and his practice.

On Feb. 18, 1869, nearly four years after the war’s conclusion and the reunification of the country, Walker Brooke sat down at a local saloon owned by F. Piazza with his friend, Sgt. Levi Fletcher. It being a month with an “R” in its spelling meant that they could safely enjoy a delicacy from the sea: oysters. With their order placed, Walker and Levi continued enjoying each other’s company while the kitchen staff began to open the sealed shells.

With the arrival of the dish, Walker picked up an unusually large oyster from the serving. Amused by the substantialness of the mollusk, Levi jokingly bet that Walker would not be able to swallow it. Never one to shy away from a friendly wager, Walker smiled while declaring that he most certainly could, and tossed the oyster into his mouth. On the way down, the oyster became lodged in his trachea and pharynx.

Panic setting in, Walker unsuccessfully attempted to dislodge it by coughing. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Levi hastily called for Dr. E. T. Henry to assist. Dr. Henry, fearing that Walker would not survive the journey to his office, snatched a knife from the table and performed a crude tracheotomy.

With an opening created, Dr. Henry inserted his fingers to try and move the oyster back into Walker’s mouth, unfortunately resulting in it lodging in his esophagus. Bleeding profusely and feeling the effects of suffocation, Walker Brooke lost consciousness. Doctors Whitehead, O’Leary, Balfour, Duncan and Hunt all tended to the patient and successfully removed the oyster after many failed attempts. The still-unconscious Walker was taken to his home on Cherry Street, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after 3 in the morning.

Shock reverberated throughout the town with the news of his passing. How could such a dignified man meet such an undignified end? The Vicksburg Daily Herald mournfully commented that “he fell in the midst of friends and in the fullness of his strength,” concluding that “a more noble, true or generous man than Hon. Walker Brooke will never ‘hallow a grave’ in Warren.” Three days after the tragic event, Walker Brooke’s funeral procession made its way to the cemetery. As his casket passed by the courthouse, the bell began to toll in commemoration of his years of service inside her walls.

In the remnants of the oyster removed from Walker’s throat, Sgt. Fletcher found a large pearl that could have been responsible for the unfortunate events. The pearl remained in his possession until it was lost in a fire that destroyed his home.

Cedar Hill Cemetery Association was formed in 2024 with the goal of assisting the City of Vicksburg in restoration and beautification of our historic Cedar Hill Cemetery. The Association will be presenting its inaugural tour event “Voices from the Hills” on October 16, 17, and 18, 2025 as part of Vicksburg’s Bicentennial Celebrations. For more information or to get involved, contact chcassociation@yahoo.com or visit their Facebook page.