John Crittenden Duval (1816–1897) was an American writer of Texas literature. He has been noted as being the first Texas man of letters[1] and was dubbed the "Father of Texas Literature" by J. Frank Dobie.[2] His Early Times in Texas was initially published serially in 1867 in Burke's Weekly (Macon, Georgia) and was finally published in book form in 1892. The story, which became a Texas classic, recounted Duval's escape from the Goliad Massacre, in which his brother, Burr H. Duval, was killed, as well as other tales.[1]
Another brother, Thomas Howard DuVal, was a distinguished Texas judge. Their father, William Pope Duval, was the Territorial Governor of Florida from 1822 to 1834.