William Luffman was born November 1st 1820 in Martinsville, North Carolina to John and Priscilla Luffman; although other sources sometimes note the birth year as 1823. He was educated in North Carolina and was admitted to the state bar of North Caroline in 1847.

William purchased land in Murray County in 1847 and later that same year fought in the Mexican War. He finally moved to Murray County in 1851 and was noted to be one of the pioneer settlers of the county. He was a Mason in the local lodge and also served in the Georgia legislature from 1857 to 1858. In 1858, he was admitted to the Georgia Bar.

William enlisted as a captain in the Murray Rifle Company also known as the Murray Scouts. This same company, which consisted of a group of volunteer soldiers, was joined by young Thomas Polk Edmondson as well. William was promoted to Major in January, 1862 and then Lieutenant Colonel in May of that same year. William served in numerous battles of the Civil War including Yorktown, Malvern Hill, Seven Pines, Richmond, and Knoxville just to name a few; however, two of the more notable conflicts were Manassas, also known as Bull Run, and Gettysburg. He suffered wounds at both Manassas and Knoxville.

Luffman first gained notoriety for his leadership after the battle of Yorktown in 1862, when he was promoted to major. Prior to this promotion he had exhibited leadership skills by leading his regiment in skirmishes at Falls Church, Virginia. He was known for his dedication to his job and never expected his troops to participate in daily activities that he was not willing to do himself. William received his first injury at the Battle of Bull Run in August of 1862. He was wounded in both legs and could barely walk, yet he still encouraged his troops until his replacement Major Little arrived. Major Luffman was able to return the favor, when Major Little was injured in July, 1863 at Gettysburg. By this time, William's rank had changed to lieutenant and he took charge of Little's men. Luffman was discharged from the Army in May, 1865 at the end of the war.

Upon his return to Murray County, Colonel Luffman served in many positions. Two of these appointments were as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1865 and the Congressional Convention in 1868. He was also elected to the office of county solicitor and deputy surveyor. He served a second term in the Georgia legislature from 1878 to 1879.

It was not until he was sixty-eight years old that he decided to give up being a bachelor and married Agnes A. Johnson Edwards on December 9, 1888 in Jackson County, Alabama. Their home in Murray County was located at the intersection of Highway 225 and Highway 52 in the area now known as Central Crossroads. Luffman passed away on December 13, 1893. His marker in Spring Place Cemetery notes some of his milestones: lawyer by profession, legislator, Mexican War veteran, Captain and Colonel in Confederate Army.

Lieutenant Colonel Luffman was the highest ranking officer in the Confederate Army from Murray County. The Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp #936 named their group in his honor in 1998.

Murray County Characters