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Civil War Soldiers - Griffin
| Griffin, Charles, major-general, U.S.
Army, was born in Licking county, Ohio, in 1826, and was graduated at
the United States military academy in 1847. In the Mexican war he
commanded a company under Gen. Patterson in the campaign from Vera
Cruz to Puebla, and after the war served against the Navajo Indians,
on general frontier service, and then as instructor in artillery
practice at West Point, until 1861, having been promoted 1st
lieutenant in 1849. He commanded the "West Point Battery" in the first
battle of Bull Run, was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers
June 9, 1862, and served with McClellan's army, distinguishing himself
for action at Gaines' mill ; commanded the artillery at Malvern hill,
where he supported his brigade against the assault of Gen. Magruder,
and contributed largely to the success of the day. He was ordered to
support Pope at Manassas and after the battle was arrested on charge
of refraining from taking part in the action and "spending the day in
making ill-natured strictures upon the commanding general." He was
tried and acquitted and was promoted to command a division, which he
led at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and in
all the engagements from the Wilderness to Five Forks. He commanded
the 5th army corps at Appomattox, and, by direction of Gen. Grant,
received the arms and colors of the Army of Northern Virginia after
the surrender. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers, Aug. 1,
1864; colonel in the regular army, Aug. 18, 1864, and
brigadier-general and major- general U. S. A. May 13, 1865. He was
promoted colonel of the 35th infantry, July 28, 1866, commanded the
District of Maine in 1865-66, the Department of Texas with
headquarters at Galveston, 1866-67, and after the removal of Gen.
Sheridan, the Department of the Gulf. When ordered to transfer his
headquarters to New Orleans from Galveston, as the yellow fever was
epidemic in the latter city, he refused to obey, replying to the order
that "to leave Galveston at such a time was like deserting one's post
in time of battle." He died of yellow fever at Galveston, Tex., Sept.
15, 1867. Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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| Griffin, Simon G., brigadier-general,
U.S. Army, was born in Nelson, N. H., Aug. 9, 1824. He was educated at
Roxbury, N. H., taught school, represented his native town in the
state legislature, 1859-60, studied law and was admitted to the bar,
and in 1860 began to practice in Concord. Being commissioned captain
in the 2nd N. H. volunteers at the beginning of the Civil war, he
fought at Bull Run, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 6th N.
H. regiment in the fall of 1861, commanded his regiment in Burnside's
expedition to North Carolina in Jan., 1862, and on April 22 was
promoted colonel. He distinguished himself in April by capturing, with
600 men and the aid of five gun-boats, a number of prisoners and
stands of arms at Elizabeth City, N. C., and again at Camden, where
his regiment fought with such notable gallantry that it was permitted
to inscribe "Camden, April 19, 1862," upon its colors. He commanded a
brigade at second Bull Run, Chantilly and South mountain, and at
Antietam he charged the stone bridge and carried it in the face of a
heavy fire. He was present at Fredericksburg, where his regiment lost
one-third its number, and in May, 1863, was given permanent command of
the 1st brigade, 2nd division, 9th army corps, and with it joined
Sherman in the defense of the rear of Grant's army before Vicksburg.
He then joined Burnside at Knoxville, commanded Camp Nelson, Ky.,
where he was at the head of 9,000 troops, and in 1864 joined the Army
of the Potomac on the Rapidan, commanding his brigade in the battles
of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania Court House, and so distinguishing
himself in the last named battle that on Gen. Grant's recommendation
he was promoted brigadier-general. Gen. Griffin commanded a brigade at
the North Anna, Totopotomy, Bethesda church and Cold Harbor, and
commanded two brigades in the assault on Petersburg, carrying the
works and capturing 1,000 prisoners, together with arms, ammunition
and artillery. On April 2, 1865, he arranged and planned the assault
at "Fort Hell," and for gallant conduct was brevetted major-general of
volunteers, participating afterward in the pursuit and capture of
Lee's army. He was mustered out of the volunteer service, Aug. 24,
1865, declined an appointment in the regular army and returned to New
Hampshire, where he was a representative in the state legislature,
1867-69, was chairman of the Republican state convention in 1868, and
in 1888 commander of the Massachusetts commandery of the military
order of the Loyal Legion. He subsequently became extensively
interested in land and railroad enterprises in Texas and devoted much
time to literary work. Gen. Griffin died Jan. 14, 1902.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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