A Civil War soldier on the march across America could expect to cover eight to 13 miles a day on average, or as much as 20 miles if exhaustion wasn’t a concern. In a pinch, soldiers like Confederate Stonewall Jackson’s “foot cavalry” were known to cover 30 miles per day. For 36-year-old Army Veteran Jack Huffman, 30 miles is about at the low end of his average daily hike. He is currently making his way from Sarasota, Florida to his home state of Michigan on foot, by way of Spencer and Dubois counties as of last week.
To be sure, the roads are usually a bit better today and Huffman generally doesn’t have to worry about an angry reception at the end of his daily march, though he was once “chased off a mountain by a guy with an AR-15.” That said, modern roads are full of speeding hunks of metal and hauling a 200-pound cartload of camping equipment, food, water and other gear is nothing to sneeze at.
Huffman is on a mission of charity, attempting to raise money for the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, a Michigan-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting injured soldiers and their families. The organization also helps pay living expenses for the families of fallen soldiers as well.
This is not the first time Huffman has made a cross-country march. In 2019, he walked from Newport, California to Tybee Island, Georgia, covering 2,841 miles in 79 days. That sojourn was to help raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
These months-long marathons started out small, and for largely personal reasons. Huffman explained that he simply wanted to improve his health. In the beginning, he pushed himself to complete one mile, then two, then three and so on. It took time, but as he explained to the staff of Santa Claus Town Hall during a Thursday morning visit, you just have to go a little bit farther than you think you can every time.
“You’d be surprised what your body can handle,” he said. “Find your growth zone and live there. I got addicted to it. I remember my first 50-mile day.”
Huffman crossed the Blue Bridge from Owensboro late at night last Tuesday, closing in on his 1200th mile of this particular march when the time came to set up camp just off the north end of the bridge. Sleep that night did not come easy, and not just because roughing it under the stars by a busy highway takes some acclimatizing. Around 1 a.m. a “very nice” Spencer County Sheriff’s Deputy woke him up to see what was up with the unconventional camp set up there. The encounter was amiable, but falling back to sleep took some doing, and Huffman had a long day ahead.
His march took him north on State Road 161 to the Patronville intersection with Old State Road 45, where he turned east toward Rockport and the hope of a gas station to freshen up and restock. While resting at the Rebels Marathon Station, he got to meet up with Rockport Mayor Cathy Kirkpatrick and a few other interested parties.
From there, he proceeded east along State Road 66, passing through Grandview and stopping briefly for ice cream at Fat Daddy’s. Huffman then continued until reaching State Road 245, traveling north on a detour toward a town he had never heard of, Santa Claus.
Somewhere along the way he collected a baby raccoon, apparently abandoned and not in the best of health. “Indiana the Raccoon” is now along for the ride, sharing meals and water until he decides to take off, or continue to hang out with Huffman. The raccoon joins a growing menagerie of pets, including a box turtle that will eventually be gifted to a young girl who gave Huffman a stuffed animal for companionship. The longest-abiding animal partner on the trip is a white pigeon and fellow Michigan native that will be released at the July 13 Salute Our Warriors event in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
The bird, migratory by nature, is incidentally pleased as punch at every step northward. Huffman notes a marked improvement in mood and eagerness now that the Ohio River is south of them.
“She knows we’re heading home,” he said.
The motley crew bunked down Wednesday night in Lamar, greeting a few interested parties who were by now tracking him on GPS via the Jaxwalk Facebook page. They made it through the rainy night okay, and made it to their scheduled 8 a.m. rendezvous at Santa Claus Town Hall, where they met with Santa Claus Clerk-Treasurer Jane Lindsey, Spencer County Chamber of Commerce Director Kathy Reinke and plenty of others who happened by. Indiana the Raccoon was a favorite attraction, sleeping soundly on the lawn and allowing visitors to pet him.
Huffman was surprised to see that Santa Claus was pretty much exactly what you’d expect a town with that name to be, and plans to return for a more lengthy visit with his son at some point. The warm reception throughout Spencer County certainly helped.
Huffman was treated to water, food for himself and his pets, and a chance to share some of the wisdom he’s picked up on the road. Lindsey, for one, expressed a commitment to start walking further out on the town’s new trail network.
Huffman, however, said he has been inspired by the goodness of people he’s met along the way, even in the neighborhoods one might consider “rough.” More than $10,000 has already been raised for the cause, and he has quite a ways yet to go. If Huffman can draw inspiration from others and spread some himself, so much the better.
“America has come out in full support,” he said. “We’re so much more united than we’re portrayed as. Everyone wants a better America, start with a better you.”
Story and photos by Don Steen.
