Duval, John C. (John Crittenden), 1816-1897

Soldier, surveyor, and writer John Crittenden "Texas John" Duval (1816-1891) was born to William Pope and Nancy (Hynes) Duval in Bardstown, Kentucky. The family moved to Tallahassee, Florida Territory, in 1821, and ten years later, Duval returned to Bardstown to study at St. Joseph College. In 1835, he joined his brother Burr H. Duval’s company to fight in the Texas Revolution. The next year, Burr died in the Goliad Massacre, but John Duval escaped and soon after entered the University of Virginia to study engineering. In the 1840s, he returned to Texas as a surveyor and in 1845 joined Jack Hays’ company of Texas Rangers, serving alongside William "Bigfoot" Wallace. Duval also served in the Confederate Army and rose to the rank of captain during the Civil War.

Following the war, Duval wrote about his experiences and published Early Times in Texas (1892), which first appeared as a serial in Burke’s Weekly of Macon, Georgia, in 1867. The sequel, The Young Explorers, was published in the 1890s as a quasi-fictional book for young boys. In 1870, Duval wrote The Adventures of Bigfoot Wallace: the Texas Ranger and Hunter, which resulted from numerous discussions between the two friends.

Source:

Dobie, J. Frank. Duval, John Crittenden. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed November 18, 2010. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fdu33 .

From the guide to the Duval, John Crittenden, papers 1936-1938., 1879-1885, 1921-1937, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Soldier, surveyor, and writer John Crittenden "Texas John" Duval (1816-1891) was born to William Pope and Nancy (Hynes) Duval in Bardstown, Kentucky.

The family moved to Tallahassee, Florida Territory, in 1821, and ten years later, Duval returned to Bardstown to study at St. Joseph College. In 1835, he joined his brother Burr H. Duval's company to fight in the Texas Revolution. The next year, Burr died in the Goliad Massacre, but John Duval escaped and soon after entered the University of Virginia to study engineering. In the 1840s, he returned to Texas as a surveyor and in 1845 joined Jack Hays' company of Texas Rangers, serving alongside William "Bigfoot" Wallace. Duval also served in the Confederate Army and rose to the rank of captain during the Civil War.

Following the war, Duval wrote about his experiences and published "Early Times in Texas" (1892), which first appeared as a serial in Burke's Weekly of Macon, Georgia, in 1867. The sequel, "The Young Explorers," was published in the 1890s as a quasi-fictional book for young boys. In 1870, Duval wrote "The Adventures of Bigfoot Wallace: the Texas Ranger and Hunter," which resulted from numerous discussions between the two friends.

From the description of Duval, John Crittenden, papers, 1879-1885, 1921-1937 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 775351657