CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: TRUE TO DUTY AND COUNTRY - Smith County, TX 

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Submitted by Doris Peirce - ginlu@home.com 
12 October 2001 
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson 

MAJOR J. ALLEN TEMPLETON - TRUE TO DUTY AND COUNTRY

To show the patriotic zeal with which the Confederate soldier fought, 
I take the liberty of quoting the following letter written by Maj. J. 
Allen Templeton, now a leading business man of Jacksonville, Texas, 
from camp on Big Black, Miss., July 3, 1861, to his father.  He 
served in Ector's Texas brigade as a private soldier: I am anxious to 
hear from him as there had been a fight there lately.  The 3rd Texas 
is in this part somewhere.  I saw Lafayete Grisham, Monroe Grimes, 
Ach Carmichel and others of Taylor's company lately.  The boys were 
well.  I would not be transferred to any company or regiment now except 
to Sid Johnson's, and if I could go to where Frank is I would not go 
there.  I would like very much to see Frank once more, and I hope this 
year may bring a close to this  war or effect a change some way.  If 
we are to gain our independence I wish they would fight every day until 
it is done.  I am sorry to say that some of the scoundrels in our army 
are deserting, though none of our brigade have yet disgraced Texas in 
that way.
I am sorry to inform you that Robert Porter died at Chattanooga last April.  I saw him a week or so before he died.  The Arkansas post boys have been retained in Braggs army.  The 7th Texas is in our division of the army.  Tony Johnson is well at present.  I will have to close my letter as I have run it to too great length now.