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In the death of Capt. Joseph Huffmaster the town of and county of Kaufman, Tex., have lost one of their oldest and most wothy citizens. He was born at Newport, Ky., February 19, 1838, went to Rockwell, Tex., early in 1868, and in 1885 settled in Kaufman, where he had since been a quiet, unobtrusive, honorable, and lovable citizen. He died at his residence there on November 23, 1919, and after a brief religious service at his home was interred with Masonic honors at Terrell.

Captain Huffmaster was in many respects a remarkable man. With one exception, he had never spent a day in bed from illness in his eighty-one years of life until the latter part of last August when his illness began.

At the outbreak of the War between the States Joseph Huffmaster joined Company E, 43d Tennessee, with the rank of first lieutenant, and was soon promoted to command of this company, serving it as captain to the end of the war. He was in all the Shenandoah Valley campaigns and with Early in the advance on Washington. Passing through Bowling Green, Ky., upon one occasion, the ladies of the town presented to Captain Huffmaster's company a large and beautiful silk flag. When this flag was captured at the fall of Vicksburg, so written history has it, there were nine hundred and seventy-two bullet holes in it.

Captain Huffmaster never surrendered as an officer of war. He succeeded in getting away from Vicksburg with a part of his company and started to join a Confederate expedition to Texas. Getting over into Mexico a little later, he was stricken with fever and lay for some time desperately ill in a Mexican hut. Recovering he made his way into Texas and made that State his home. In 1869 he was married to Miss Fannie Terrell, daughter of the man for whom the town of Terrell was named. Only recently they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. Five children-two daughters and three sons-with their mother, are left to mourn the loss of a devoted father and husband. Four children were waiting for him on the other side.

Captain Huffmaster practiced law successfully in his adopted State. He had been admitted to the bar before the war at the age of nineteen. He was very prominent in Masonic circles and had served in nearly all the offices of his Lodge, Chapter, and Council, as well as District Deputy Grand Master.

His home was a place of love, peace, and friendliness. He reared a creditable family and did a useful work, and it can be truthfully said that the world is enriched by his life and bereaved by his death.