Jo Wallace

Walkin' Slow and Singing 'em Ol' Sad Songs Jo Wallace

"Walkin' Slow" is not about plumed hats, elegant, graceful generals and gentlemen with extensive education, bowing and curtseying to each other. It is not about great ballroom waltzes, fabulous gowns and elaborate dinning halls with all manners of wonderful foods. It is not about "Glory and Excellence". It is about real, down to earth, hard fighting and hard working people with common sense - no theatrics. They enjoyed square dancing, fiddles, banjos, and seldom had enough food to keep that old demon called, "Hunger" away from their tables. They didn't apologize for their dirty work clothes, brogans, and their small dirt farms. They took pride in their freedom, beliefs, rights, and honor - always honor! Their desire for state rights and freedom drove young Moses A. Haralson and his cousin, Rufus Haralson, of Atkins, Arkansas, into the War Between the States. Their state was being invaded from the north and they felt sure they would have to fight or surrender all they held dear to the Union. Any genuine person who had any honor, or guts at all would fight - never surrender, and fight they did! Moses and Rufus volunteered together to fight for the Confederate States. Providing their own horses and rifles they were assigned to the Second Arkansas Mounted Rifles, Co. B. Under Colonel James McIntosh. Their first taste of battle was near Springfield, Missouri. Thereafter, they fought through Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia. Moses was seriously wounded in the Battle of Chickamauga. He was later captured in Mississippi and sent to a POW camp. Rufus continued in battle through Georgia, South and North Carolina. Moses was released from prison in Alabama two months after Lee surrendered. He made his was home desperate, destroyed and starved. He found the homefolks safe - but, desperate and starving. Ten years of reconstruction was no better than the war had been: destruction, theft, and battles. Moses participated wholeheartedly!