Richard Thomas Walker Duke

Richard Thomas Walker Duke, Sr. (June 6, 1822 – July 2, 1898) was a nineteenth-century congressman and lawyer from Virginia.

Biography
Born near Charlottesville, Virginia, Duke attended private schools as a child and graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1844 and from the law department of the University of Virginia in 1850. He was elected the commonwealth attorney for Albemarle County, Virginia in 1858 which he served as until 1869. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Duke enlisted in the Confederate Army becoming colonel of the 46th Regiment, Virginia Infantry. He was elected a Conservative to the United States House of Representatives to fill a vacancy in 1870, defeating Alexander Rives, and serving until 1873. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 1879 and 1880. Duke died at his estate called "Sunny Side" near Charlottesville, Virginia on July 2, 1898 and was interred in Maplewood Cemetery in Charlottesville.

1870
Duke was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives unopposed in a special election and was concurrently elected in the general election unopposed.