Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 2).djvu/801

Rh Hamilton, Madison co., where he attained eminence at the bar. He served as district attorney for Madison county, and was appointed judge of the 6th judicial circuit. He removed to Utica in 1839, and on the adoption of a new constitution in 184(5 was elected one of the judges of the state su- preme court, which office he resigned after six years' service. In 1840 a Canadian named McLeod was arrested for participating in the burning of the American steamboat " Caroline," which carried sup- plies to 500 insurgents on ^avy island, Niagara river. The British government demanded his re- lease on the ground that the deed was done by order of his commanding officer, and threatened war unless its demand should be complied with. Thei'e was so much excitement on the border that McLeod was transferred to Judge Gridley's court for trial. The prisoner was finally acquitted, as an alibi was proved.

GRIER, David, soldier, b. in York county. Pa., in 1742 ; d. m York, Pa., 8 June, 1790. He re- ceived a classical education, studied law, and was admitted to the York county bar in 1771. He served in the French and Indian war, and when the war for independence began he was commis- sioned captain of the 6th battalion of the Pennsyl- vania line, served in the campaign against Canada, was promoted to major in October. 1776, and sub- sequently to lieutenant-colonel of the 7th Pennsyl- vania line. He was wounded at the Paoli massa- cre in September, 1777. At the close of the war he resumed his profession at York, was elected to the assembly in 178o, served as a delegate to the convention "to ratify the Federal constitution, and was chosen by the constitutionalists one of the first presidential electors.

GRIER, Robert Cooper, jurist, b. in Cumber- land county. Pa., 5 March, 1794: d. in Philadel- phia, Pa., 26 Sept., 1870. He was graduated at Dickinson in 1812, and after teaching there one year he returned to Northumberland, Pa., to assist his father in the academy, of which h'e became principal in 1815. He devoted his leisure to the study of law, was admitted to the bar in 1817, and practised in Bloomsburg. Pa. He then removed to Danville, where he attained eminence in his pro- fession. He supported his mother, and educated a family of ten brothers and sisters. He was ap- pointed judge of the district court of Alleghany in 1838, and removed to Alleghany City, but went to Philadelphia in 1848 and resided there till his death. He was appointed justice of the U. S. su- preme court by President Polk on 4 Aug., 1846, and held that office until his death, although he had. sent in his resignation in 1869. He was origi- nally a Federalist, but acted with the Democratic party until the civil war, when he supported the national cause.

GRIER, William Nicholson, soldier, b. in Pennsylvania in 1812 ; d. at Napa Springs, Cal., 9 July, 1885. He was graduated at the U. S. mili- tarv academy in 1835, and assigned to the 1st dra- goons. He was on frontier duty in the Choctaw nation from 1839 till 1840, when "he became assist- ant instructor of infantry and cavalry tactics at West Point, and held the office one year, after which he was engaged in frontier duty in the west. He was appointed captain. 23 April, 1846, and entered on active service at the beginning of the Mexican war. He was brevetted major for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battle of Santa Cruz de Resales, 16 March, 1848, and was on frontier duty at Fernandez de Taos in 1849. During the two following years he took part in the expedition against the Apache Indians, and was wounded in the skirmish at Too-koon-kurre Butte, 17 Nov., 1849. Subsecpiently he was in active ser- vice on the Pacific coast and in the far northwest, serving in expeditions against the Indians in Washington territory. In 1861-'2 he served as acting inspector-general of the Army of the Poto- mac, and commanded the 1st regiment of cavalry in the Virginia peninsular campaign. He was pres- ent at the siege of Yorktown and the battle of Williamsburg, where he was wounded and brevet- ted colonel for gallantry. He also took part in the battle of Gaines's Mills and in the seven days' change of base to the James river. He was on court-martial duty in St. Louis, Mo., from Septem- ber, 1862, till February, 1863, and served as super- intendent of volunteer recruiting service and chief mustering and disbursing officer of Ohio. He also held this office in Iowa from March, 1863, till June, 1865, and in Pennsylvania from June, 1865, till April, 1866. He was brevetted brigadier-general, U. S. army, for faithful service during the war on 13 March, 1865. On 31 Aug., 1866, he became colonel of the 3d cavalry. At his own request he was placed on the retired list, 15 Dec, 1870.

GRIERSON, Benjamin Henry, soldier, b. in Pittsburg, Pa., 8 July, 1826. At an early age he removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, and was subse- quently engaged in the produce business at Jack- sonville, 111. At the beginning of the civil war he became aide-de-camp to Gen. Prentiss, was made major of the 6th Illinois cavalry in August, 1861. became colonel, 28 March, 1862, and commander of a cavalry brigade in December. He was engaged in nearly all the cavalry skirmishes and raids in western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, and in April, 1863, made a successful cavalry raid from La Grange to Baton Rouge to facilitate Gen. Grant's operations about Vieksburg. He became a brigadier-general of volunteers on 3 June, 1863, major-general, 27 May, 1865, colonel of the 10th U. S. cavalry, 28 July, 1866, and was brevetted brigadier- and major-general, U. S. army, 2 March, 1867, for his celebrated raids of 1863 and of 1864-'5 in Mississippi. He was in command of the district of the Indian territory from 1868 till 1873, cam- paigning against the Comanches, Cheyennes, and other tribes, and from 1875 to 1885 he was on duty in western Texas ; in 1886 in Arizona, and was in command of his regiment and the district of New Mexico in 1887-'8 vvith headquarters at Santa Fe. From November, 1888, to July, 1890, Gen. Grier- son was in command of the department of Arizona. In April, 1890. he was made brigadier-general, and three months later was retired from active service. GRIFFIN, Charles, soldier, b. in Licking county, Ohio, in 1826 ; d. in Galveston, Texas, 15 Sept., 1867. He was graduated at the U. S. mili- tary academy in 1847, was assigned to the 2d artil- lery, and was soon after ordered to Mexico, and commanded a company under Gen. Patterson in the campaign from Vera Cruz to Puebla. In 1849 he was promoted to 1st lieutenant, and served in New Mexico against Navajo Indians until 1854. After other frontier service he was instructor of artillery at West Point in 1859-'61. In command of the " West Point battery " he fought at Bull Run, and on 9 June, 1862. was commissioned brigadier-gen- eral of volunteers, and took part in the Peninsular campaign, winning distinction at the battle of Gahies's Mill. At JIalvern Hill, Gen. Griffin, in command of the artillery, supported his brigade against the assault of Gen. Magruder, drove back the enemy, and contributed signally to the success of the day. He was present at the second battle of Bull Run, and was charged by Pope in his re-