Walter Gale was born on November 19, 1833, in Northborough, Massachusetts, to Cyrus Gale. His father was a farmer who owned $28,000 of real estate by 1850. He grew up and attended school in Northborough, and by 1850, he was also working as a farmer.

 

He enlisted in the Union army, and he mustered in as a private in Company C of the 15^th Massachusetts Infantry on July 12, 1861. The regiment took part in the Battle of Malvern Hill, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of the Wilderness, and the siege of Petersburg. He was promoted to sergeant in August 1861, to 2^nd lieutenant in January 1862, and to captain in October 1862. He was wounded at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, but he eventually recovered and rejoined the regiment. He mustered out in July 1864.

 

He returned to Northborough after leaving the army. He married a woman named Ada around 1881, and the couple had no children. They moved to Berkeley, California, in the late 1800s, and by 1910, they were living in Santa Barbara, California. He applied for a federal pension in September 1905 and eventually received one. He died in Santa Barbara on May 25, 1927.

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