Colonel James Ashbury Coffey, A Soldier's Story
Colonel James Ashbury Coffey, A Soldier's Story
Colonel James Ashbury Coffey was born on November 18, 1827, in Gallatin County, Illinois. Drawn west by opportunity and the expanding frontier, he relocated to Kansas in 1855, where he established a trading post and became active in the volatile border conflicts that preceded the Civil War.
During the period known as “Bleeding Kansas,” Coffey enlisted in the local militia and took part in the regional fighting that foreshadowed national conflict. When the Civil War erupted, he was mustered into the United States Army and served with the 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade of Artillery, contributing to Union efforts along the western frontier rather than the more documented eastern theaters.
After the war, Coffey returned to commerce and settlement, helping shape the developing infrastructure of southeastern Kansas. In 1869, he established a trading post that would grow into the town of Coffeyville, Kansas, one of the region’s most enduring frontier communities. Following the town’s founding, he later moved to Humboldt, Kansas, to pursue additional trading ventures.
In 1878, Colonel Coffey relocated once more, settling in Dodge City, Kansas, where he co-founded the firm Coffey and Marsh. His work reflects the dual legacy of many Civil War veterans whose service extended beyond the battlefield into the physical building of postwar America.
Colonel James Ashbury Coffey died of pneumonia on January 13, 1879. He is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in Dodge City, Kansas. His legacy endures not only through his military service but in the town that still bears his name, a lasting mark on the American frontier.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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