Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/442

 GRIFFIN

GRIFFIN

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GRIFFIN, Charles, soldier, was born in Lick- ing county, Oliio. in 182li. He was graduated at the U..S. military academy in 1847. He served in the war with Mexico, commanding a company of artillery in Gen. Robert Patterson's division, taking part in the battle of Cerro Gordo and the capture of Jalapa. He was promoted 1st lieutenant in 1849 and engaged in the cam- paign against the Navajo Indians, 1849- 54, and on general frontier service, 1854- 59. He was instructor of artillei-y practice at West Point, 1859- 61; commanded the " West Point Bat- tery " at Bull Run, July 31, 1861; was commissioned briga- dier-general of volun- teers, June 9, 1863; served with McClellan's army, gaining distinction for action at Gaines's Mill; commanded the artillery at Malvern Hill and with it resisted the assault of General Magruder on his brigade and turned seeming defeat into victory. He was ordered to the support of General Pope at Manassas and after the battle of Aug. 30, 1863, was arrested on the cliai'ge of '" spending the day in making ill-natured strictures upon the commanding gen- eral." He was tried, acquitted, and promoted to the command of a division which he led at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and in all the engagements from the Wilderness to Five Forks. He commanded the 1st division of the 5tli army corps at Appomattox and succeeded Maj.-Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren to the command of the corps and by direction of General Grant he received the arms and colors of the army of Northern Virginia after the sur- render. He was brevetted major-general of volunteers, Aug. 1, 1864; brevetted colonel in the regular army Aug. 18, 1864, and brigadier- general and major-general. May 13, 1865. He was promoted colonel of the 35th infantry, July 38, 1866, commande.l the district of Maine, 1865- 66, the department of Texas with headquarters at Galveston, 1866-67, and the department of the Gulf on the removal of Gen. P. H Sheridan, March 1 1, 1867. He refused to transfer his head- quarters from Galveston to New Orleans as yellow fever was epidemic in the former city, and he reported to headquai-ters 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, Texas, Sept. 15, 1867.

QRIFFIN, Cyrus, delegate, was born at Sion House. Lancaster county, Va., in 1748. He was sent to England to be etlucated and while attend- ing law lectures in London accepted an invitation from the colonial ambassador at whose liouse he met Lady Christina, daughter of the sixth Earl of Traquair, whom he after- coaio res S ward married. h/\ l u

Soon after the birth of his first ,iS son he returned to his home in , Virginia. In — _, 1778 he was ^ ^^ elected a dele- gate to the Continental congress and served until 1781, and again in 1787-88. On Jan. 3, 1788, the last session was organized and he was elected president of that body. He was president of the supreme court of admiralty during its existence; was commissioner to the Creek Indians in 1789, aad in December, 1789, was appointed judge of the U.S. court for the district of Virginia, hold- ing that position until his death, which occurred in Yorktown, Va.. Dec. 14, 1810.

QRIFFIN, Edward Dorr, educator, was born in East Hadilam. Conn., Jan. 6, 1770; son of

George and (Dorr) Griffin. His father

was a farmer. He prepared for college under the Rev. Joseph Vaill of Hadlyme, Conn., and was graduated from Yiile in 1790. He then became principal of an academy at Derby, Conn., at the same time studying law. In 1791 he began the study of theology under Jonathan Edwards, at New Haven, Conn., and was licensed as a min- ister of the gospel, Oct. 31, 1793. He preached at New Salem. Conn., 179-3-95; at New Hartford, Conn., 1795-1801; at Newark, N.J., 1801-09; was Bartlet professor of sacred rhetoric at Andover theological seminary, 1809-11; pastor of the Park Street Congregational church, Boston, Mass., 1811-15; at Newark, again, 1815-31; and presi- dent of Williams college, 1831-36. On May 17, 1796, he was married to Frances, daughter of the Rev. Joseph Huntington of Coventry, Conn. He received the honorary degree of M.A. from the College of New Jersey in 1803, and that of D.D. from Union in 1808. He published: Course of Lectures in Park Street Church (1813); and SMy Sermons on Practical Subjects. See Memoir of Itev. E. D. Griffin, by W. B. Sprague (1838): and Recollections nf Pev. E. D. Griffin, by Parsons Cooke (1856). He died at the home of his daughter. Mrs. Lyndon A. Smith, at Newark, N.J., Nov. 8, 1837.

QRIFFIN, Edward Herrick, teacher, was born in Williamstown, Mass., Nov. 18. 1843; son of Nathaniel Herrick and Hannah (Bulkley) Grif- fin; grandson of Nathaniel Griffin and of Solomon