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Major General Charles Griffin Granville's Forgotten Hero

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Major General Charles Griffin Granville's Forgotten Hero THE HISTORICAL TIMES NEWSLETTER OF THE GRANVILLE, OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY Volume XII Number I Winter 1998 Major General Charles Griffin Granville's Forgotten Hero As a community deeply steeped Grant to accept the Confederate in its past, Granville has a well deserved surrender at Appomattox. He married reputation as a place acutely aware of into one of the nations richest and most its history. With several published powerful families; he counted many histories, numerous scholarly articles, friends among the great names of that and a thriving historical society, it period of American history. After the would seem that almost every event war he became the military governor of and personage associated with Texas during Reconstruction and Granville, be they significant or distinguished himself as an untiring otherwise, is amply chronicled and their pioneer of civil rights for the newly record preserved. Yet the one freed blacks. This article then, is a small individual, who by most objective attempt to shed some long overdue criteria made the most significant recognition to one of Granvilles most contribution (at least on the national distinguished offspring. level) has been all but forgotten by his hometown. Mention the name of Charles Griffin to knowledgeable local historians and one draws quizzical, blank looks. There is but scant mention of him in Granvilles histories and none at all in the file or records at the local historical society. Yet this son of Granville played a leading role during the Civil War, participating from 1 st Bull Run until Appomattox. Cited by leading military historians as one the finest combat leaders in the Union Army, he enjoyed a meteoric rise from battery commander, thence a brigade, division and corps command by wars end. In acknowledgment of his contributions, he was selected by U.S. Major General Charles Griffin 1 The Granville Years Little is known of Charles The story of the Griffin family is Griffins childhood years but it is to a large extent the story of early probable that he saw the bustle and Granville. joab Griffin and his two adult progress that marked the thriving sons migrated to Granville from their community from the prime vantage home in East Hadden, Connecticut. Of point of his fathers store. In the mid- solid Yankee stock, they soon made 1830s Apollos Griffin sold his business their mark and became prominent in and acquired a 290-acre farm on the the new Ohio community. Arriving in Worthington Road. (The Griffin the first wave of settlers in 1805, Joab homestead still exists although there are Griffin (grandfather to Charles) was several additions to the original house. charged with helping to plat the village It is the residence of the Neff family and apportion the lots to the citizens. adjacent to the Raccoon International His two sons, Chester and Appollos, Golf Course, off S.R. 161.) The Griffin also became active in the community family also knew tragedy as the two and became leading merchants. Chester, eldest children Richard and Susan died the eldest, operated a store on the north suddenly of an illness in 1839. Like side of East Broadway until his most Granville families, both past and premature death at the age of 30 in present, the Griffins placed great value 1818. Apollos, the youngest son, formed on education and young Charles was a partnership with Lucius Mower. In enrolled as soon as possible in the 1819 these two traveled extensively to Granville College, passing through the the south as far as New Orleans trading Primary, Preparatory and Collegiate and selling goods until they had departments of that institution. A enough stock to return home and open picture of the young Charles Griffin the first real goods store in Granville. emerges from a recommendation Apollos Griffin later opened another written by Prof. Paschal Carter in 1841 dry goods store in partnership with when Charles was 16: another of Granvilles founders, Elias Gilman. "He is 5'8", of robust constitution, and holds a respectable standing in the Eighteen years of age when he sophomore class. In Latin, Greek and first arrived in Granville, Apollos Mathematics he is respectable, in English Griffin brought along his wife Purnelia composition he merits the praise of from Connecticut. The Griffins were correctness. He possesses good talents, and active in the social and religious life of sustains a good moral character and enjoys the new community. In 1827 when the the confidence of those who are acquainted Rev. Ahab Jinks broke off from the with him. Elegance and facility will be Presbyterian Church to form the added with practice and society." Episcopal Church, Apollos Griffin was one of the original subscribers for the Young Griffin applied for construction of St. Lukes Church and admission to the United States Military was later listed as a vestryman. It was Academy in 1841 but for reasons that to this family of industrious, pious are unclear he was not immediately Granville Yankees that Charles Griffin accepted. Perhaps in a search for was born on December 18, 1825, the "elegance and facility" his parents sent third of five children. him to St. Marys College in Bardstown, 2 Kentucky and later for a short while to young officer arrived in Mexico too late Kenyon College in nearby Gambier, to participate in the famous battles that Ohio. The Griffins enlisted the secured that nations capital for the assistance of Whig Congressman Joseph advancing American army but he Mathiot and renewed the application in marked himself as a thorough and 1843. He was selected and ordered to efficient officer. After the war Griffin report in July 1843. settled into the life of a career Army officer seeing a number of different Crucial Role at First Bull Run postings and assignments. He did see Griffins record at West Point considerable frontier duty in the West while not spectacular, was solid. He including an expedition against the graduated in July 1847, ranking 23rd in Navajo Indians. During this period his a class of 41. He excelled in contacts with Granville appear to have mathematics, but more importantly, he been limited. He returned for several formed relationships with many months in 1848 on sick leave. Also, he classmates who later became prominent seems to have been in the area during leaders during the Civil War. After September 1852 when his father graduation, he was commissioned in conveyed the family farm to him and the artillery and was immediately sent later in April 1854 when Griffin sold to command a unit in Mexico. The the family homestead to Levi Rose Jr. Griffin, standing in tent opening, at left of Major General George Mead at Army of the Potomac Headquarters, 1865 Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Military history Institute 3 In September 1860, a time when While Griffin escaped this debacle the war clouds were gathering, Griffin unscathed, his unit was virtually returned east and accepted an annihilated and the cannon captured by assignment as artillery instructor at the equally surprised Confederates. The West Point. With the secession of the loss of this battery put the Confederates southern states and the outbreak of on the flank of the other Union battery hostilities, Griffin was promoted captain on Henry Hill, which then quickly and organized the so-called "West Point disintegrated under close range Battery," which received the Confederate volleys. The Union designation Battery D, Fifth Artillery. position then became untenable and the Griffin trained this battery to such a Union forces retreated turning into a level of proficiency that it was readily rout. Had the sound judgment of this acknowledged as the best artillery unit son of Granville been followed, the in the Union Army. Griffin and his Battle of Bull Run would in all battery played a spectacular part in the probability been a resounding Union Union attack at First Bull Run in July victory. It is interesting to speculate as 1861. During this climatic battle Griffin to how the war would have been and his battery played a key role that shortened and the course of American altered the outcome on that fateful day. history altered had this occurred. After initial Union successes at Civil War Hero the outset of the battle, Griffin After the disaster of First Bull positioned his battery along the front Run, Griffin made his way back to line on Henry Hill. In a last ditch effort Washington D.0 with the routed Union to turn the tide, a portion of Stonewall army. A Board of Inquiry quickly Jacksons Confederates advanced exonerated him of any blame and he towards Griffins battery. Griffin best was recognized as one of the few Union describes what transpired: officers to come out of the battle with any credit to his military reputation. He was promoted to Major and assigned as "We had just arrived on Henry Hill for the chief of artillery in a division in the about 5 minutes when a regiment of newly formed Army of the Potomac. Confederates got over the fence in my front. I gave the command to one of my officers to Griffins accomplishments on fire upon then. He loaded the cannon with the battlefield were equally matched by canister and was about ready to fire upon his conquests in the social field. After them. General Barry rode up to me and Bull Run, in a whirlwind romance, he stated "Don't fire there, they are your courted and then married the eldest battery supports." I then told him that daughter of one of the countrys most they were Confederates, as certain as the distinguished and powerful families, world. Gen.
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