town in the legislature. lie subsequently studied law, was admitted to the bar in 18(50, and began practice in Concord. At the beginning of the civil war he was commissioned captain in the 2d regi- ment of New Hampshire vohmteers, and was pi-esent at the first battle of Bull Rmi. In Octo- ber, 1861, he was promoted lieutenant-colonel, and transferred to the 6th New Hampshire regiment, and the command of the regiment devolved upon him. On 7 April, 1862, he commanded an expe- dition of 600 men, assisted by five gun-boats, to Elizabeth City, N. C., which resulted in the capture of prisoners and many stands of arms, and in the breaking up of a Confederate rendezvous at that place. He commanded his regiment at the battle of Camden, N. C, 19 April, and for its gallantry on this occasion was permitted to inscribe " Cam- den, 19 April, 1862," upon its colors. On 22 April he was commissioned colonel of the 6th regiment. He was in the second battle of Bull Run, at Chan- tilly, and at Antietam, where, with his regiment and the 2d Maryland, lie charged the stone bridge and carried it in the face of a heavy fire. He was present at Fredericksburg, his regiment losing one third its number, and on 20 May, 1863, he was assigned to the command of the 1st brigade, 2d division, 9th army corps. This brigade, early in June, went to assist Gen. Grant in his opera- tions against Vicksburg, and participated in its capture. He was with his command in the Missis- sippi campaign of Gen. Sherman, and in the spring of 1864 was assigned to the 2d brigade, 2d divis- ion, and commanded it in the battles of the Wil- derness and Spottsylvania Court-House, and was commissioned a brigadier-general on Gen. Grant's recommendation. On the night of 16 June Gen. Griffin, in command of his own and Gen. Curtin's brigade, attacked the enemy's intrenched lines in front of Petersburg, carrying their works and cap- turing 1,000 prisoners, with arms, artillery, and ammunition. On 2 April, 1865, he arranged and led the assault at " Fort Hell," and for gallant conduct was brevetted a major-general, and after- ward participated in the pursuit and capture of Gen. Lee's army. He was mustered out in September, 186j5, and declined a commission in the regular army. Subsequently Gen. Griffin settled in Keene, N. H., and served in the state legislature in 1866-'8, in the l.-ist two vcars bciiiir speaker of the house.
GRIFFIS, William Elliot, author, b. in Phila-
delphia, Pa., 17 Sept., 1843. He served in the 44th
Pennsylvania regiment in 1863, was graduated at
Rutgers in 1869, and in 1870 went to Japan to or-
ganize schools there on the American plan. He
was superintendent of education in the province
of Echizen in 1871, and in 1872-'4 held the chair
of physics in the Imperial university of Tokio. He
is the only American living that has made the in-
terior of Japan his residence and has seen the
feudal system there in operation. On his return
to this country Mr. Griffis studied theology at New
Brunswick, N. J., and in Union theological semi-
nary, New York city, where he was graduated in
1877. He was pastor of the 1st Reformed church
in Schenectady, N. Y., in 1877-86, and in the lat-
ter year accepted a call to the Shawmut Congrega-
tional church, Boston, Mass. Union college gave
him the degree of D. D. in 1884. Pr. GrifRs has
published the " New Japan Scries " of reading-
books (5 vols., Yokohama, 1872); guides to Tokio
and Yokohama (1874); " The Mikado's Empire "
(New York, 1876; 5th ed., 1887); "Japanese Fairy
World" (Schenectady, 1880); "Asiatic History"
(New York, 1881); "" Corea, the Hermit Nation "
(1882); " Corea, Without and Within" (Philadel-
phia, 1885): "Life of Matthew Calbraith Perry"
(1887); and "Sir William Johnson" (1891).
GRIFFITH, David, clergyman, b. in New York
city in 1742; d. in Phikdelphia, Pa., 3 Aug., 1789.
His early education was obtained at home, after
"which he went to England, continued his studies,
and was graduated in London as a student of
medicine. On his return in 1763, he entered oiv
the i:)ractice of his profession, but soon resolved
to enter the iuinistry. He went to England in
1770, and was ordained by the bishop of London
on 19 Aug. of that year. The Venerable society ap-
pointed him missionary to Gloucester county, N. J.,
and at the close of 1771 he took charge of Shel-
burne parish, Loudon county. Va. Here he con-
tinued until May, 1776, when he entered the army
as chaplain to the 3d Virginia regiment. At the
close of 1779 he resigned his chaplaincy, and be-
came rector of Christ church, Alexandria. This
position he held until his death. At the close of
the Revolution, Mr. Griffith was active in aid of
the movement to raise the Episcopal church out
of its depressed condition, by proposing a conven-
tion for organization, etc. He was a member of
the first Virginia convention of clerical and lay
deputies, which met in Richmond, Va., in May,
1785, and was appointed a delegate to the general
convention held in September of that year. He
was appointed secretary of the convention, and
the following year received the degree of D. D.
from the University of Pennsylvania. At the second Virginia convention of his church in May, 1786, Dr. Griffith was chosen bishop. It was expected that he would accompany Dr. White and Dr. Provoost to England for consecration, but pe-
cuniary difficulties rendered this impossible. In
this state of affairs he formally resigned his ap-
pointment at the opening of the general conven-
tion in 1789. He was intimate with Washington,
who was for years his parishioner. It is said that
on the night before the battle of Monmouth, Dr.
Griffith sought an interview with Washington, and
bade him beware of Gen. Charles Lee.
GRIFFITH, Robert Earlesfleld, physician, b. in Philadelphia, 13 Feb., 1798; d. 26 June, 1854. He was graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 1820, and was physician to the Philadelphia board of health in 1834-'6. He became ]>rofVssor of materia medica in the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in the latter year, and in 1838 accepted the chair of medicine in the University of Virginia. Dr. Griffith became noted as a botanist and conchologist, and gave a large collection of shells to the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences, of which he was vice-president in 1849-50. He was a member of many other learned societies, wrote many articles on botany, conchology, and medicine, anil published " Medical Botany " (Philadelphia, 1847). and " Universal Formulary " (1848; 2d ed., edited by Robert P. Thomas, M. D., 1856). He edited Cliristison's "Dispensatory," with annotations; Taylor on "Medical Jurisprudence" and on "Poisons"; IMiiller's "Principles of Physic " (1847); Ryan's and Chitty's works on "Medical Jurisprudence"; and Ballard and Garrod's "Materia Medica." At the time of his death he had begun an extensive work on conchology, and had planned one on " The Botany of the Bible," which he was urged to write by Prof. Asa Gray and other noted botanists.
GRIFFITHS, John Willis, naval architect, b. in New York city. 6 Oct., 1809; d. in Brooklyn, N. Y., 29 April, 1882. His father, John Griffiths, was a shipwright in New York. After working at various occupations, the boy was apprenticed to
