Brother of William Willis Walls.

Son of Henry Wall(s) and Diana ("Dicey") (Carpenter) Walls, grandson of Daniel Wall(s) and Sarah (Harless) Walls, Willis Carpenter and Elizabeth (Ross) Carpenter.




His great-grandparents, Henry and Charity Harless, and Charles and Lucy Ross, settled in Alabama Territory prior to Statehood, as did Daniel Walls, Johnson and Elizabeth Snow, and Willis Carpenter, whose descendants belong to the First Families of Alabama, a lineage group with membership in the Alabama Genealogical Society.

History of Alabama (1927) by Albert Burton Moore, vol. 2, p. 353: "Doctor Walls was born at Grant…a son of Clement C. Walls, and grandson of John Walls, a substantial character, and extensive farmer, who, a native of Madison County, spent practically all his life within its confines, although his death occurred at Grant. Much of the earlier development of Madison County is due to his influence and work, and he held the confidence of the public to a high degree. He married Mary Selvage, whose death occurred at Columbus City, Alabama."

Madison County, Alabama Marriage Book Vol. 4B, p. 171: Index gives names as John Walls and Mary SELVAGE.


Alabama Marriages, 1809-1920
Name: John Walls
Gender: Male
Spouse: Mary Selridge (sic: Selvidge, aka Selvage)
Spouse Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 7 Aug 1856
Marriage Place: Madison
Performed By: J. P.
Surety/Perf. Name: P. C. Ledbetter
OSPage: 171

Alabama, Marriage Collection, 1800-1969
Name: John Walls
Spouse: Mary Selridge (sic: Selvidge, aka Selvage)
Marriage Date: 7 Aug 1856
County: Madison
State: Alabama
Performed By Title: Justice of the Peace
Performed by Name: P C Ledbetter



John Willis Walls served in both the Confederate and Union armies during the Civil War.
He first enlisted in the 49th Ala Infantry (Confederate), Jan 4, 1862 at Nashville. Enlistment was for 3 mos. When John W. arrived at Nashville for training, he came down with measles and pneumonia. 14 Feb 1862, he was sent home as unfit for duty, so he did not participate in the 49th's first battle: Shiloh.

Later in 1862, Federal troops gained control of North Alabama, so John W. Walls never returned to the 49th. In 1864 he joined Capt. John B. Kennamer's Union cavalry unit (Kennamer's Scouts) in North Alabama. Former Confederates back home in Union-occupied areas were often compelled to join Federal units, so it is not known with certainty whether he switched allegiance willingly or under compulsion. Some soldiers went back and forth between Union and Confederate armies. (See Hard Times in Huntsville by Charles Rice.) He had relative son both sides of the conflict and while he did have a grandson named Lee Davis Walls, he also named a son David Lincoln Walls in 1872.

"Captain John B. Kennamer's Union Scout Company" is the caption of a photo appearing on the cover of Valley Leaves, Vol. 26, Issue 1 (Sept. 1991).

Charles Rice wrote, "John B. Kennamer's scout company was never mustered into the Union Army and left virtually no records. The men raised their right hands and were sworn in by Col. Lyon of the 13th Wisconsin Infantry in 1864. They were issued uniforms, mounts and weapons, but never put on the payroll. After the war, in May 1865, they were simply verbally discharged and told to go home! (They only numbered around 30 and weren't really expected to do much fighting.) John B. did succeed in getting recognition for his company some years after the war, however, and the members received soldier's pay for the time they had actually served."

THE KENNAMER FAMILY (Nashville, TN.: McQuiddy Printing Co., 1924) byy John Robert Kennamer and Lorrin Garfield Kennamer, p.333: "Once there came up a difference between John Guffey and (his brother-in-law) John Walls, two privates in the company of Capt. John B. Kennamer. Walls grabbed his gun to shoot Guffey, when Lieut. Levi (Bye) Kennamer caught the gun and took it out of Walls' hands –a feat probably no other man in the country could have done, as Walls was a very strong man." John Guffey was the son of John H. Guffey Sr. and Temperance Whitaker Guffey and married Sarah Ann Elizabeth Walls.

Page 337: "John B. Kennamer, on July 1, 1864, organized a company in Kennamer Cove, Alabama, of ‘Union Scouts and Guides.' The names of this company are as follows: J.B. Kennamer, captain; Levi Kennamer, lieutenant; S.P. Woodall, O.S.; F.W. Farmer, David Kennamer, S.F. Kennamer, S.D. Kennamer, R.S. Kennamer, J.L. Kennamer, G.T. Kennamer, Z.T. Kennamer, J.L. Morrison, Campson Bishop, Jefferson Maxfield, C.C. Watson, William Watson, James Cornelius, Thomas Sims, John Guffee, John Walls, Isaac Wright, William McDaniel, A.J. Jones. (One name erased.)
The above is the original organization who served from July 1, 1864, to the 17th of May, 1865. The following men were received into the company as recruits—to wit….(names of ten men, followed by) Ardill Wright, two months; Bird Ashburn, four months."
Page 338: "They furnished their own horses and the government furnished the arms and equipment. There was not a man in this company who was killed or seriously wounded during all the many engagements they were in with the enemy, neither were any of them captured… They were located a while at Paint Rock Bridge, doing service under Col. L.P. Lyons, guarding the railroad bridge and the railroad. At this time the eleventh Indiana Infantry was stationed in Woodville."





Another Willis Walls (also listed as Wilson Wall) served in the Gid Nelson Light Artillery and probably not the same John Willis Walls. The Confederate soldiers of the Gid Nelson Light Artillery were recruited mainly in Shelby, Perry, Dallas and Marengo Counties, AL. More likely this was the Wilson Walls (born 1842 S.C.) who was a son of William Buckner Walls and wife Rebecca, living in Shelby County in 1850.

U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865:
Name:Wilson Walls
Side:Confederate
Regiment State/Origin:Alabama
Regiment Name:Gid Nelson Alabama Light Artillery
Regiment Name Expanded:Gid Nelson Alabama Light Artillery
Rank In:Private
Rank In Expanded:Private
Rank Out:Private
Rank Out Expanded:Private
Alternate Name:Willis/Wall
Film Number:M374 roll 46





Huntsville WEEKLY DEMOCRAT, Feb. 7, 1883:
Personal Mention.
Miss Kate Saunders, daughter of Dr. D.(Dudley) D.(Dunn) Saunders, of Memphis, is a guest of Mrs. Willis Harris.
...Solicitor Henry C. Jones is here, attending to his official duties, in the Circuit Court.
Mr. John W. Wall is down from Boyd's Switch for several days.

Huntsville GAZETTE, May 26, 1888, p.3:
HUNTSVILLE BOARD OF TRADE.
The Meeting Last Night--The Roll of
Members.

"At eight o'clock last evening, the adjourned meeting of citizens for the organization of a Board of Trade in the city was held at the court house. No time was lost in proceeding to the business of the hour. On motion of Major J.H. Sloss, President of the Real Estate Association, Mr. A.A. Baker was appointed chairman and Mr. Geo. R. Hunt, secretary.
"Mr. J.E. Ulman spoke in a very appropriate way, and he was followed by Hon. O.R. Hundley, Major Sloss and Mr. W.H. Raymond in suitable remarks pertinent to the theme and occasion. The following gentlemen were then enrolled as members: A.A. Baker, A.H. Turner, E.B. Carter & Co., Otey Robinson, W.H. Raymond, Jos. H. Sloss, O. Goldsmith, C.H. & W.L. Halsey, J.B. Laughlin, W.R. Moore, Wise & Co., J.W. Murdock, Oscar Hundley, W.R.P. Wilson, J.W. Walls, M.B. Neece, J.E. Ulman, Isham Watkins, N.B. Grayson, Jos. E. Cooper, W.T. Duncan, C.C. Pearson, G.W. Warwick, H.J. Lowenthal, J.W. Skinner, Ike Schiftman, Geo. R. Hunt.
"The following gentlemen were appointed a Committee on bylaws and constitution. W.H. Raymond, Chairman, C.H. Halsey, Oscar Hundley, A.H. Turner, Otey Robinson.
"The Secretary was authorized to receive names for membership.
"On motion, the meeting adjourned till Monday night, 8 o'clock, for regular organization."