Thomas Howard DuVal (November 4, 1813 – October 10, 1880) was a

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of the

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Education and career

Born November 4, 1813, in Buckingham County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, DuVal graduated from St. Joseph's College in Bardstown,

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in 1833, and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1837. He entered private practice in

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from 1837 to 1841. He was clerk of the Court of Appeals for the

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from 1841 to 1843. He was Secretary for the Florida Territory (State of

from March 3, 1845) from 1843 to 1846. He was Reporter for the

Supreme Court of Texas The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) is the court of last resort for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency cases, which are categorized as civil under the Texas Family Code) in the U.S. state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of ...

in 1846. He resumed private practice in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

from 1846 to 1855. He was Secretary of State of Texas starting in 1851. He was a Judge of the

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for the Second Judicial District from 1855 to 1856.

Federal judicial service

DuVal was nominated by President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

on February 26, 1857, to the

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, to a new seat authorized by 11 Stat. 164. He was confirmed by the

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on March 3, 1857, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on October 10, 1880, due to his death in

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Civil War

Due to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and Texas's secession from the Union, DuVal was unable to hold court from 1861 to 1865. However, he remained at his station in Austin, taking a job with the General Land Office to sustain himself, due to the fact that his judicial salary was unavailable due to the war and another unpaid position as a deputy county surveyor, which permitted him to avoid conscription into the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. He was sufficiently respected by the local community that he did not suffer indignities under the Confederate government. DuVal ultimately was able to resume holding court at the end of the war and was paid his full back pay due him during the war years.

References

Sources

External links

Thomas Howard DuVal
in the ''

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...