During the Civil War, John N. Whitford (d. ca. 1894) was Col. of the 67th Regt. of N.C. Troops. In 1864 he was stationed in Kinston, N.C., and in March of 1865 he was transferred to Tarboro. Arter the war he was a cotton planter in Jones Co., near New Bern, N.C. In 1882 he was elected to the N.C. Senate for one term. He ran again, unsuccessfully, in 1888.
John N. Whitford's wife, Mary E. Williamson, was sister to Caroline Williamson, who married John's brother Harry Whitford. Mary E. died in 1883. John and Mary's children were John H., Annie C., and Laura. In 1890-1891, Annie was in school in Salem. She married Dr. George Hayes in 1898. After John N. Whitford's death ca. 1894, his brother Harry became the guardian of his minor heirs.
From the guide to the John Whitford Papers, 1829-1921, (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)
