Born is Virginia, Starke was a successful cotton planter in New Orleans. He served as the Colonel of the 60th Virginia, then promoted to Brigadier on August 6 1862. When BGen John R. Jones was stunned by an artillery shell and left the field, Starke took command of the Stonewall Division. The onslaught of the Union I Corps' attack early in the morning began to drive his men back. Starke would lead a counterattack, only to be wounded three times, he died within the hour. His body was returned to Richmond where he was buried in Hollywood Cemetery next to his son who had been killed two months earlier.