DUNCAN, JOHN HOLT
(1820 ~ 1896)
John Holt Duncan was born July 7, 1820 in Cynthiana, Kentucky to John Hicks Duncan and Pauline Randolph Holt, daughter of a Revolutionary War Major.
The family moved to Fayette, Mississippi in the early 1820's, where his father became a respected physician.
John Holt Duncan attended Oakland College, which later became Alcorn State College, Mississippi, although he later transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, although his exact dates of enrollment are unknown. [For information, Oakland College before the War was on the level with the Unitveristy of Mississippi. It went broke during the Civil War and was sold to the State of Mississippi. It was operated by the Presbyterians.-Sam Price]
He did graduate in 1840 and while he was there, he helped found and was the first president of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
John Holt Duncan came to Texas in 1852, settling in Houston practicing law. It is unknown what he did during the 12 years after his college graduation.
He enlisted in the Confederate Army on March 29, 1862 in San Antonio, eventually becoming Captain of Company C, 31st Regiment, Texas Cavalry.
He was injured at the Battle of Newtonia in Missouri on September 30, 1862, losing his right leg. After the injury, John Holt Duncan was returned to Texas where he served in the Confederate Ordnance Department in San Antonio. He resigned from the Army on May 30, 1864, possibly to become the a Fourth District Judge.
Little is known of Duncan after the war, until his death on May 27, 1896.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Holt Duncan (1820–1896) was one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi, a prominent college fraternity founded at Miami University in 1839 and was its first president. He made a career in law as a lawyer and judge in Houston & Bexar County, Texas.
He served as a Confederate Artillery Captain in the 31st Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. He lost a leg as a result of a battle wound on September 20, 1862 at the First Battle of Newtonia. He was taken in by an Old Confederate soldier's family. When the soldier returned home, Duncan was found by the authorities. Because housing a confederate soldier was punishable by death, the old soldier was executed in front of his wife and family.
The family begged for Duncan's life to be spared and it was. John Holt Duncan spent the rest of his life caring for the family and he died penniless because of it. After the war he moved to Houston, Texas where he practiced law (district justice 1864-65, city attorney 1877-79. He became Chief Justice of Bexar County. He died in the Confederate Old Soldier's Home in Austin, Texas in 1896 and was buried in the Confederate Veterans section of the Texas State Cemetery.
Duncan's wooden leg is on display at the National Headquarter's of Beta Theta Pi at Oxford, Ohio.
Sources: http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form22.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holt_Duncan
(1820 ~ 1896)
John Holt Duncan was born July 7, 1820 in Cynthiana, Kentucky to John Hicks Duncan and Pauline Randolph Holt, daughter of a Revolutionary War Major.
The family moved to Fayette, Mississippi in the early 1820's, where his father became a respected physician.
John Holt Duncan attended Oakland College, which later became Alcorn State College, Mississippi, although he later transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, although his exact dates of enrollment are unknown. [For information, Oakland College before the War was on the level with the Unitveristy of Mississippi. It went broke during the Civil War and was sold to the State of Mississippi. It was operated by the Presbyterians.-Sam Price]
He did graduate in 1840 and while he was there, he helped found and was the first president of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
John Holt Duncan came to Texas in 1852, settling in Houston practicing law. It is unknown what he did during the 12 years after his college graduation.
He enlisted in the Confederate Army on March 29, 1862 in San Antonio, eventually becoming Captain of Company C, 31st Regiment, Texas Cavalry.
He was injured at the Battle of Newtonia in Missouri on September 30, 1862, losing his right leg. After the injury, John Holt Duncan was returned to Texas where he served in the Confederate Ordnance Department in San Antonio. He resigned from the Army on May 30, 1864, possibly to become the a Fourth District Judge.
Little is known of Duncan after the war, until his death on May 27, 1896.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Holt Duncan (1820–1896) was one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi, a prominent college fraternity founded at Miami University in 1839 and was its first president. He made a career in law as a lawyer and judge in Houston & Bexar County, Texas.
He served as a Confederate Artillery Captain in the 31st Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. He lost a leg as a result of a battle wound on September 20, 1862 at the First Battle of Newtonia. He was taken in by an Old Confederate soldier's family. When the soldier returned home, Duncan was found by the authorities. Because housing a confederate soldier was punishable by death, the old soldier was executed in front of his wife and family.
The family begged for Duncan's life to be spared and it was. John Holt Duncan spent the rest of his life caring for the family and he died penniless because of it. After the war he moved to Houston, Texas where he practiced law (district justice 1864-65, city attorney 1877-79. He became Chief Justice of Bexar County. He died in the Confederate Old Soldier's Home in Austin, Texas in 1896 and was buried in the Confederate Veterans section of the Texas State Cemetery.
Duncan's wooden leg is on display at the National Headquarter's of Beta Theta Pi at Oxford, Ohio.
Sources: http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form22.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holt_Duncan
DUNCAN, JOHN HOLT
(1820 ~ 1896)
John Holt Duncan was born July 7, 1820 in Cynthiana, Kentucky to John Hicks Duncan and Pauline Randolph Holt, daughter of a Revolutionary War Major.
The family moved to Fayette, Mississippi in the early 1820's, where his father became a respected physician.
John Holt Duncan attended Oakland College, which later became Alcorn State College, Mississippi, although he later transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, although his exact dates of enrollment are unknown. [For information, Oakland College before the War was on the level with the Unitveristy of Mississippi. It went broke during the Civil War and was sold to the State of Mississippi. It was operated by the Presbyterians.-Sam Price]
He did graduate in 1840 and while he was there, he helped found and was the first president of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
John Holt Duncan came to Texas in 1852, settling in Houston practicing law. It is unknown what he did during the 12 years after his college graduation.
He enlisted in the Confederate Army on March 29, 1862 in San Antonio, eventually becoming Captain of Company C, 31st Regiment, Texas Cavalry.
He was injured at the Battle of Newtonia in Missouri on September 30, 1862, losing his right leg. After the injury, John Holt Duncan was returned to Texas where he served in the Confederate Ordnance Department in San Antonio. He resigned from the Army on May 30, 1864, possibly to become the a Fourth District Judge.
Little is known of Duncan after the war, until his death on May 27, 1896.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Holt Duncan (1820–1896) was one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi, a prominent college fraternity founded at Miami University in 1839 and was its first president. He made a career in law as a lawyer and judge in Houston & Bexar County, Texas.
He served as a Confederate Artillery Captain in the 31st Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. He lost a leg as a result of a battle wound on September 20, 1862 at the First Battle of Newtonia. He was taken in by an Old Confederate soldier's family. When the soldier returned home, Duncan was found by the authorities. Because housing a confederate soldier was punishable by death, the old soldier was executed in front of his wife and family.
The family begged for Duncan's life to be spared and it was. John Holt Duncan spent the rest of his life caring for the family and he died penniless because of it. After the war he moved to Houston, Texas where he practiced law (district justice 1864-65, city attorney 1877-79. He became Chief Justice of Bexar County. He died in the Confederate Old Soldier's Home in Austin, Texas in 1896 and was buried in the Confederate Veterans section of the Texas State Cemetery.
Duncan's wooden leg is on display at the National Headquarter's of Beta Theta Pi at Oxford, Ohio.
Sources: http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form22.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holt_Duncan
(1820 ~ 1896)
John Holt Duncan was born July 7, 1820 in Cynthiana, Kentucky to John Hicks Duncan and Pauline Randolph Holt, daughter of a Revolutionary War Major.
The family moved to Fayette, Mississippi in the early 1820's, where his father became a respected physician.
John Holt Duncan attended Oakland College, which later became Alcorn State College, Mississippi, although he later transferred to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, although his exact dates of enrollment are unknown. [For information, Oakland College before the War was on the level with the Unitveristy of Mississippi. It went broke during the Civil War and was sold to the State of Mississippi. It was operated by the Presbyterians.-Sam Price]
He did graduate in 1840 and while he was there, he helped found and was the first president of Beta Theta Pi fraternity.
John Holt Duncan came to Texas in 1852, settling in Houston practicing law. It is unknown what he did during the 12 years after his college graduation.
He enlisted in the Confederate Army on March 29, 1862 in San Antonio, eventually becoming Captain of Company C, 31st Regiment, Texas Cavalry.
He was injured at the Battle of Newtonia in Missouri on September 30, 1862, losing his right leg. After the injury, John Holt Duncan was returned to Texas where he served in the Confederate Ordnance Department in San Antonio. He resigned from the Army on May 30, 1864, possibly to become the a Fourth District Judge.
Little is known of Duncan after the war, until his death on May 27, 1896.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Holt Duncan (1820–1896) was one of eight founders of Beta Theta Pi, a prominent college fraternity founded at Miami University in 1839 and was its first president. He made a career in law as a lawyer and judge in Houston & Bexar County, Texas.
He served as a Confederate Artillery Captain in the 31st Texas Cavalry during the Civil War. He lost a leg as a result of a battle wound on September 20, 1862 at the First Battle of Newtonia. He was taken in by an Old Confederate soldier's family. When the soldier returned home, Duncan was found by the authorities. Because housing a confederate soldier was punishable by death, the old soldier was executed in front of his wife and family.
The family begged for Duncan's life to be spared and it was. John Holt Duncan spent the rest of his life caring for the family and he died penniless because of it. After the war he moved to Houston, Texas where he practiced law (district justice 1864-65, city attorney 1877-79. He became Chief Justice of Bexar County. He died in the Confederate Old Soldier's Home in Austin, Texas in 1896 and was buried in the Confederate Veterans section of the Texas State Cemetery.
Duncan's wooden leg is on display at the National Headquarter's of Beta Theta Pi at Oxford, Ohio.
Sources: http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form22.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Holt_Duncan
Inscription
John Holt Duncan 1820-1896 A Founder and First President of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity Founded at Miami College Oxford Ohio August 8, 1839 (on back) In memory of a distinquished jurist and a valiant confederate soldier Erected In -KAI- by His Fraternity Brothers of Beta Omicron Chapter University of Texas 1961.
Family Members
Advertisement
Advertisement
