Colonel Frances " Frank" Marion Walker, C. S. A.

One of the hardest pictures to find is that of a Confederate solider in uniform, at lest that's the case for me, and when I find one its a real prize for me.  Take this picture of Colonel Frank M. Walker who was of the 19th., Tennessee Infantry, I was drawn to his face, I liked it, one can be drawn to some one even if its the enemy. I tried to find some information on him but found very little.  Oh, I was able to find some reports in the History of the 19th., but as they have to be copied by hand then retyped, or I could have copy them as a print and post them, but I try not to do this to much as it shows signs of being lazy, although there is a time and a place for everything.  

Although there are no reports, I can say he ran a well kept camp, and for the most part all the men were fond of him.  Camp life was like most camps quiet and lazy, and uneventful, but for this one dark night.  A Virginian came to camp riding a fine horse to visit Colonel Walker, the Virginian tied up his horse and went into the tent. The sentry on duty had a hard time seeing into the night, it was very dark and the overhanging trees made the dark even more intense.  Later that evening the sentry who was station on the road that ran through camp and not more then twenty feet from Colonel Walker's tent, heard foot steps approaching and give the command, "Halt who gose there,?' there was no answer.  Then again two or three more steps, then they stopped and again no answer to the command to halt. 

By now the sentry was real nerves he thought  maybe some one was trying sllip by or upon him.  Again quiet foot steps, again no answer to halt.  When the sentry heard the steps again he aim into the darknest and give the command "Halt Who gose there," not getting a answer fired into the night.  A horse wheeled and ran back some twenty steps and fell dead.  It was the fine horse of the Virginian who rode in the evening before, it had gotten loose and was trying to get passed the sentry.

Colonel Walker himself brought some excitement to camp as well, he was carelessly handling or shaking a box of caps in his hand when they exploded, blowing open the box, and pieces of the caps cut his hand in several places.

Colonel F. M. Walker, had compassion, for the men of regiment as well as the case of Nathaniel Pruitt, Co. H, who was court-martialed and senteence to be shot.  This was the first and the last death sentence everpassed upon one of the old nineteenth.  June 10, was set for the execution, but through the influence of Colonel Walker and Major Heiskell, Pruitt was reprived.  He was brought out from prison to an old field near the command; his coffin placed in front of the open grave and he knelt behind it.  The guards were drawn up and made ready, when his reprieve came and was released.  He deserted the next night and fortunately for him, he was never caught.

In the beginning I said I didn't like puting up information in a print formate, but I also said there was a time and a place for it, well nows the time. I found this information at the last minute and I had to get it in. Note to read this information better or to enlarge the picturejust push on one of them.