Ira Huffman

Ira Andrew Huffman

Ira Andrew Huffman was the only son of Lawson Huffman and Mary (Rawlings) of Parke County, Indiana. He was born there October 19, 1843. Eighteen year old Ira joined Captain Abner Floyd's Company A, 85th Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry August 1, 1862 at Annapolis, Indiana. During its first engagement of the Civil War at Thompson's Station, Tennessee, March 5, 1863, Ira was captured as a prisoner of war and forced to march to Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. The 85th suffered terribly in dead and wounded. One of the dead at Thompson's Station was Eli York, Ira's Brother-in-law. The prisoners were exchanged and entered battle again in Franklin, Tennessee on April 20, 1864. On November 15, 1864, Ira and the 85th started with General Sherman's march from Atlanta to the sea and ended with the march down Pennsylvania Avenue after the war was over. He was honorably discharged June 12, 1865 at Washington DC. The 85th is remembered in a book by Frank Welcher and Larry G. Ligget entitled, Coburn's Brigade.

After the war Ira married Manerva Jane Isbell of Arthur, Pike County, Indiana. They had one child, Mary Lillison, born in 1874. Ira's wife died a year and a half later and he took up residence in Anthony, Harper County, Kansas. He was married to Lovina Kinnel in Kingman, Kansas, July 18, 1882 and lived there until the Cherokee Strip opened in 1893. Ira and his wife raised a family of seven children on their homestead at Lahoma, Oklahoma. The children, Effie, Etta, John, and Ellis remained in the area their whole lives. Mary went to Long Beach, California. Alva went to Weed, California. Joseph went to Seattle, Washington, and James went to Red Bluff, California. Ira Andrew Huffman was a farmer his whole life as were all the Huffman ancestors to that time. Ira died May 24, 1927 at the age of 83. He is buried in Sunnyside Cemetery, southeast of Lahoma, Oklahoma. Photograph and information provided by Ira Huffman's great grandson, Don Huffman crfordy@thegrid.net .

Ira Andrew Huffman