WILLIAM A. HALLIBURTON. Few, if any, among those engaged in the occupation of farming in Stone County, Arkansas, maintain a higher reputation for intelligence, thrift and industry than William A. Halliburton. He was born in Jackson, Tennessee, July 11, 1842, to Benjamin and Kansas P. (Holliman) Halliburton, who were natives of North Carolina and Tennessee respectively. The father was a small child when taken by his parents to Tennessee, but he grew up and married in Jackson County. He came with his family to Arkansas in 1852, and located in the neighborhood of Bickhorn, his farm at that time being a heavily wooded tract. He was a good all-around mechanic, and could make almost anything that he undertook to do, and was especially good in building chimneys and making chairs. In 1862 he joined a company of cavalry, but was taken sick at Holly Springs, Miss., and there died, at the age of forty-four years. His widow survived him until 1890, at the age of seventy-two years. They were members of the Methodist Church and were worthy and highly-respected citizens, and reared their children to honorable maturity.
William A. was the eldest of the family, and is one of the four surviving members. He received a practical common school education, but dropped his books to enter the Confederate service, and June 6, 1861, joined the Seventh Arkansas Infantry, serving in the central army until the war closed. After four years and seven days’ service he returned home June 13, 1865, with the rank of orderly sergeant, having surrendered at Greensboro, N. C. He was in the battles of Shiloh, where he was shot through the hand, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, all the engagements of the Georgia campaign and those around Atlanta. He was captured at Jonesboro, Ga., and after a few days’ captivity at Nashville was exchanged. He was shot in the face at Franklin, Tennessee, which wound was a very severe one. He was also at Bentonville, N. C., and was a participant in many skirmishes. His health was always quite good, and this, together with his rebel uniform, $1.25 in money and his gun, was all he had to begin anew the battle of life. For some time thereafter he worked the Ivy farm on shares, rented land for one year, and in 1870 bought forty acres of land where he now lives, which tract was then heavily covered with timber, with the exception of eight acres. He now has something over 320 acres in the home place and 320 elsewhere, a portion of which is on the river near Conditt’s store. He has been operating a cotton gin since 1878, and now owns a good steam gin at Conditt’s store. He has about 250 acres of land under cultivation, and the valuable property of which he is now the owner represents many years of hard work, thrift and shrewd management. After discharging the duties of justice of the peace for ten or twelve years, he declined to fill the office any longer.
In the fall of 1866 he was married to Mrs. Mary P. Ivy, daughter of J. B. Conditt, widow of Thomas Ivy, and to their union three sons and three daughters have been given: Benjamin B., William C., Washington A., Elizabeth (wife of James Evetts), Tennessee and Edna V. The mother of these children bore her husband three children: James W., Mollie and Tommy Ivy. Mr. and Mrs. Halliburton are members of the Missionary Baptist Church, and politically he is a Democrat.