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Brother
William Pope DuVal
was born at Mount Comfort, Virginia in
1784 (near present day Richmond). He
came to
Bardstown, Kentucky at the age of 14
and studied law. And was the first
Junior Warden of Bardstown #38 (He never
served as Master of the Lodge however).
DuVal became a Kentucky Congressman and
appointed a territorial Judge of Florida
in 1822. He served one month and then
President James Monroe appointed him
Governor of the Florida territory.
He was later reappointed to the same
position by Presidents Adams and
Jackson.
He sent his sons,
Burr Harrison DuVal
and
John Crittenden DuVal,
back to Bardstown to be educated at St.
Joseph College. (John C. DuVal was born
in 1816 while his father, William P. was
Junior Warden of #38). While in
Bardstown the
Texas Revolution
(aka The Texas War of Independence)
broke out. Burr H. DuVal formed a
Company, called the
Kentucky Mustangs.
They went to Texas and fought under the
command of Colonel
James Walker Fannin. John C. DuVal
was also a part of this company.
The
Kentucky Mustangs were surrounded and
eventually surrendered outside of
Goliad, Texas
after being promised that they would be
held as prisoners, or paroled upon their
honor to not continue to fight.
On order of
Santa Anna,
General José de Urrea turned command
over to a subordinate,
the prisoners were marched out and shot
on March 27, 1836. Only seven
escaped the massacre, John C. DuVal
being one of them.
Dr. William H. Magee,
also of Bardstown, was spared for his
skills as a doctor, and three were
spared by intercession.
John C. DuVal
returned to Kentucky after the war, he
later studied engineering at the
University of Virginia. He returned to
Texas as a surveyor, served as a
Texas Ranger.
He was a noted writer of both fiction
and non-fiction, and is credited by some
as the first
Texas “man of letters”.
It is my contention that Duvall Lodge #6
F&AM was named in honor and memory of
the DuVal family who served their
country, and fought and died for the
freedom of Texas.
If anyone has direct information
otherwise, we’ll entertain hearing from
you, if not, then “That’s our story, and
we’re sticking to it!”
Bro. Bill Riggs -
11/28/2006 |
