Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/972

908 officer in what is known as the Nat Turner insurrection, followed the occupations of farming and dealing in lumber, and died in 1867. His wife, Virginia Holmes, daughter of John Holmes, survived until 1879. Mr. Griffin was reared in Southampton county, and during his boyhood assisted his father and obtained an elementary education. He was still a youth when on August 18, 1861, he was mustered into the service of the Confederate States as a sergeant in the Southampton heavy artillery. With this command he was stationed at Sewell's Point until the evacuation, going then to Petersburg, and from there to Richmond, where he was assigned to duty in the defenses of the city, and remained until the abandonment of the capital in 1865, winning promotion to a lieutenancy. His military career was ended at Appomattox, where he surrendered with the army and was paroled. Then returning to his home, he entered the law school of the university of Virginia in the fall of 1865, and was graduated two years later. He practiced his profession in Southampton, Isle of Wight, Nansemond and Sussex counties from 1868 until 1883, when he removed to Portsmouth, where he has subsequently resided, gaining a worthy and honorable position in the bar of that city. In 1888 he was first elected and has since been five times re-elected commonwealth attorney for the city. During his residence in Southampton county he served one term in the State senate, then declining re-election, and held the office of mayor of Franklin. He is an active member of Stonewall camp, Confederate Veterans, serving as chairman of the finance and relief committees. His religious membership is with Court Street Baptist church. Colonel Griffin was married November 18, 1868, at Portsmouth, to Alice A., daughter of Joseph Bourke, a merchant of that city, and they have five children: Kenneth J., Samuel Hunter, Virginia, William Sully and Rosalie.

Samuel Griffin, a prominent attorney at Roanoke, Va., and a veteran of the Second Virginia cavalry, was born in Salem county in 1840. At the outbreak of the war he was teaching in Shelby college, Kentucky, having just graduated at Kenyon college, Ohio, and before the close of the session at Shelby college he entered the Confederate service as a private in the Salem light artillery. With this command he was on duty at Craney island, until the evacuation of Norfolk, when he was transferred as a private to the Second Virginia cavalry regiment. Of this gallant regiment he was soon promoted sergeant-major, and subsequently adjutant, the capacity in which he served until the close of the war. His record of service, honorably performed, includes the operations of the Craney island battery, the cavalry skirmish in which Ashby fell, Sharpsburg, and the fights in the valley, the Seven Days' fighting before Richmond, Brandy Station, Second Manassas, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Trevilian's, Yellow Tavern, the fight with Sheridan at Winchester and many minor engagements. In 1864 he was recommended for promotion to second lieutenant by Colonel Munford and General Wickham, with the approval of Gen. R. E. Lee, on account of conspicuous gallantry. In this connection Colonel Munford wrote: "At Gooch's farm I saw him ride out alone and discharge his pistol six times into the Yankee column at a distance of sixty yards. The same day he led an attack with two men, supported by a detachment from