John Marion Harper&
Rebecca Jane (Alexander) Harper
Photo courtesy of Francie Herring

John Marion Harper was born near Atlanta, Georgia, June 15, 1840. He enlisted for service in the Confederate Army at the beginning of the Civil War. He belonged to Company G, 12th Alabama Regiment - 12th Cavalry in the State of Alabama. He served during the entire period of the Civil War and was made a Captain before the war ended. While in the service Captain Harper met Major Matthew Alexander. Through Major Alexander he later met his Daughter, Rebecca Jane Alexander. She was also the Great-Grand-Daughter of the well known General John Sevier, who was later to serve two terms as Governor of Tennessee. (Each term was six years - so he served for twelve years but not consecutively.) She was the Great-Niece of Gail Borden, who was best known for his invention of condensed milk - which was thought by learned men to be an impossibility. He was also a Pioneer in two fields: he with his brothers assisted at the birth of Texas and helped carve a Republic that was a worthy predecessor to a great State. He
also pioneered in a field in which it took even greater patience and stamina - that of science.   (from the HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT RICE AND CHATFIELD, TEXAS)

Home of John Marion Harper&
Rebecca Jane (Alexander) Harper
Photo courtesy of Francie Herring

John M. Harper - Jun 15, 1840 - Mar 2, 1930
Rebecca J. Harper - Mar 31, 1843 - Oct 15, 1924
Photo courtesy of Jane B. Smith

Chatfield Cemetery, Chatfield, Navarro Co., TX