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CHAPTER IX.
A HISTORY OF THE SHOFFNER FAMILY IN TENNESSEE, BY COL. LOTON SHOFFNER.
The Shoffner family in Tennessee having now become so very numerous and 110 definite record of their origin having been preserved, 1 deem it my duty, as the oldest living member of the family and more fully conversant with the family history, to place in a convenient form my personal knowledge, believing it will be of interest to the younger members of the family, as well as a source of satisfaction to those yet in infancy or those unborn, to know their ancestors were of respectable origin and were good citizens, and helped to make the great nation and the Commonwealth which is our pride and the refuse of the oppressed.
My great-grandfather came from Germany, bringing with him his family, consisting of four sons?Michael, the eldest; George; Martin, my grandfather; and Peter, the youngest. Previous to taking passage he contracted to pay for their passage by labor to be performed after arrival. Michael, the eldest son, having been hired out to satisfy the debt, the family removed to North Carolina, settling in Orange County, the tendency of emigration being toward the Southern colonies. After Michael had satisfied the debt for which he had hired, he proceeded to join the family in North Carolina. Michael, George, and Martin Sholfner were actively en-