He was an officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, being commissioned as a brigadier general on May 9, 1863.

[2] Upon the admission of the Territory of Kansas to representation Whitfield was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress and began his term on December 20, 1854.

[3] In October 1855, he was re-elected as delegate and served until August 1, 1856, when the seat was declared vacant on the grounds that "the people of the Territory of Kansas have been deprived of the power to make a strictly legal election of a Delegate by an invasion from Missouri, which subverted their Territorial government and annihilated its legislative power.

"[4] He was again elected to the 34th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the action of the House of Representatives in declaring the seat vacant.

[2] Whitfield served as captain of the 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment at the start of the civil war in 1861, commanded the unit as Colonel in 1862 and was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1863.