William Durbin Blocher (not Blocker) was born at Cumberland, Maryland, May 22, 1841, and was a bookkeeper at Little Rock when the war began. He served as a sergeant in Woodruff's "Pulaski Light Artillery" and fought at Wilson's Creek. When the battery was disbanded, he joined Woodruff's (later Marshall's) new battery, "Weaver Light Artillery" as a lieutenant. On August 6, 1862, Marshall's battery was divided into two batteries, and Blocher was given command of one of them, afterwards known as Blocher's (later Zimmerman's) Arkansas Battery. He was promoted to major and given command of a battalion of artillery. Blocher married Elberta English Walker in 1869. He died at Little Rock on November 9, 1879.