Under the Maltese Cross Antietam to Appomattox, Campaigns 155th Pennsylvania Regiment (Pittsburgh 1910)
p. 279 COOLNESS OF GENERAL GRIFFIN UNDER FIRE.
An episode which elicited the admiration of the men on the skirmish line was the calmness and coolness displayed by General Griffin, the Division commander, while in a very dangerous position. As the General visited the vicinity of the exposed skirmish line of Company E, commanded by Captain George M. Laughlin, he approached the advanced position through heavily wooded timber where his division was concealed, walking along the public road towards the front, and making no effort to conceal his presence from the enemy. The General, apparently unconscious of the danger, exposed himself to plain view of the enemy, as he approached the outposts of the skirmish line, in order to take ob- servations of the enemy's position. He was warned by Corporal John M. Lancaster, of Company E, who was on duty closest to General Griffin's position, to get under cover, as the enemy's sharpshooters, concealed in the trees and other places, had full range of the position. The General, without the slightest exhi- bition of concern, continued his advance in the middle of the road; when the minie balls, raising the dust close around him, caused him to heed the advice of the Corporal. As General Griffin turned to leave the road for the cover of the woods, a minie ball struck the heel of his boot, on which the General turned towards the enemy, and said loud enough for the men on his own skirmish line to hear, “Johnny, your aim was bad; you shot a little too low this time ’’; and then disappeared in the woods. In less than ten minutes after, General Griffin dispatched the Maryland Brigade of three regiments to take position in the field occupied by the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth skirmishers, to drive the enemy's pickets and skirmishers back from the position they occupied. This the Maryland Brigade did in gallant style, but not without heavy loss.
The ground gained on the railroad, and property destroyed and track torn up by Grant's army this day, while keeping the troops unusually busy, was quite satisfactory, and General Grant, evidently not desiring to have a battle on the railroad thus destroyed, issued orders to move on to the Pamunkey river. This led to the evacuation of the Union breastworks just completed for defensive purposes, as was done at Spottsylvania.
p. 290 155PA and 91PA changed from 2nd Division V Corps to 1st Division (under Griffin) on June, 15, 1864, Sweitzer’s Brigade joining 62PA, 21PACav dismounted.
p. 303 July 3, 1864: farewell banquet for Sweitzer (62PA) from officers of Sweitzer’s Brigade and Griffin.
p. 374: late Feb. 65: daily reviews. “At this time the wife of General Charles Griffin was in camp, and accompanied her husband on these reviews. She was a handsome woman, a superb rider and rode a beautiful horse.”
p. 350 photo of Griffin with aids Cpt. Laughlin, Brinton and Schemerhorn
At Appomattox p. 375 “General Fields, commanding a division of the Confederate army under Longstreet, opposite the position held by the Fifth Corps and the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth, had been a classmate at West Point with General Charles Griffin. [376] General Fields sent his compliments to Griffin by an aide, whereupon General Griffin dispatched Major Laughlin, of his staff, with his compliments to General Fields, to escort the latter to his headquarters as his guest pending the paroling ceremonies then being arranged to take place a day or two later. The hospitality of General Griffin was gratefully accepted by General Fields, and the greeting of the two classmates of the '50's at West Point was cordial in the extreme.
The Confederate officers' mess chest and wardrobes had become quite reduced by the fall of Petersburg and Richmond and the harrassed retreat of the Confederate army, and the capture of their wagon trains by the Federal cavalry. General Fields, therefore, apologized for his fatigue attire, and his inability to return the hospitalities of General Griffin's larder.
General Griffin, being an abstemious man, had to depute the distribution of the champagne festivities with his Confederate guest to other Generals of his corps who did not share his prejudices against the limited use of ardent spirits, especially to the stranger within their lines.
It was said, however, that General Griffin, before their final parting, insisted on his Confederate guest's accepting a substantial roll of money for his immediate expenses.
General Fields was a brave soldier, having been in the war from the first battle of Bull Run to Appomattox, and during his visit to General Griffin, the latter sent for General Ayres to come and meet Fields, both Griffin and Ayres having participated in the battle of Bull Run in the artillery service, and having commanded bodies of troops down to Appomattox.
MAGNANIMITY OF GENERAL GRANT.
It is related by the late Major Geo. M. Laughlin that, on the evening of May 5, 1864, in the bivouac of General Meade's headquarters in the Wilderness, an informal council of war was held. A preliminary discussion took place as to the terrible carnage which had occurred that day in the various divisions of the Fifth Corps, and the inadequate gains as to position or advantages. On this occasion, General Griffin, whose Division of the Fifth Corps had opened that memorable battle, and suffered such severe losses, expressed his views to General Meade, presiding, in very forcible terms, denouncing it as an inexcusable blunder to fight under such disadvantages of position; and also characterizing in severe terms the losses occasioned in the rank and file of his command as “useless slaughter.” Lieutenant-General Grant had just arrived at the meeting in time to hear the remarks of General Griffin. Though not addressed to him, he quietly expressed to General Meade the great surprise he felt that the latter tolerated any such remarks or criticisms from subordinate commanders, declaring that in the armies with which he had served in the West the commanders never per- mitted such conduct. General Griffin, overhearing General Grant's expressed displeasure at his remarks, quietly withdrew from the informal council of war.
General Griffin, it is said, subsequently expressed his belief that his earnest remarks criticising the great and useless carnage of the first day in the Wilder- [377] ness would be remembered by Grant to his disadvantage in subsequent promotion. In this, however, General Griffin was agreeably disappointed, as after Five Forks, when other Generals were competing for the command of the Fifth Corps to succeed General Warren, it was Grant's act that awarded the distinguished honor to General Griffin, unsolicited and unexpected by him, but much to the gratifica- tion of the rank and file of the Fifth Corps. When Lieutenant-General Grant separated from General Lee, and rode back to rejoin his own army where the various Union Generals had assembled at Appomattox Court House, General Grant advanced and cordially greeted and shook hands with General Griffin, publicly expressing his thanks for and great appreciation of the services of the latter, and of his brilliant handling of the Fifth Army Corps in the memorable pursuit of the Confederate army. He also announced the permanent appointment of General Griffin to command the Fifth Corps.
The magnanimity of the Lieutenant-General on this occasion overcame General Griffin, who, with unconcealed emotion, accepted the proffered hand, and thanked General Grant for his generosity
p. 378 Honoring Warren
On the 5th of May a most memorable example of the earnest affection and deep emotion showed by the returning veterans of the Fifth Corps for General Gouverneur K. Warren, so long the commander of the Fifth Corps, and at times previously identified wtih the Second and the Third Corps of the Army of the Potomac, the youngest corps commander in the army. General Charles Griffin, his successor as corps commander, with Generals Ayres, Crawford and Chamberlain, division commanders, shared this affection for Warren as a brave soldier and chivalrous officer. General Grant had de- servedly appointed General Warren, on the fall of Petersburg, to be Governor of the city, which the latter had by his skill contributed so much toward cap- turing. The city of Petersburg and its line of intrenchments, being on the route assigned for the homeward march of the Fifth Corps, it was determined by General Griffin to invite General Warren, as military Governor, to extend to his late corps the honor of a public review as it passed through the “Cockade City.” Accordingly, preparations were made in all the regiments and batteries for the occasion. Instructions from the officers were given for all the rank and file to prepare themselves, their uniforms and arms, in the best shape, for the farewell reception to their late beloved commander. The numerous bands and drum-majors were also put upon their metal to do their best. The reviewing stand selected was a platform erected in front of the “Bolingbroke House,” which was occupied as the headquarters of the military Governor and staff.
On the reviewing stand with General Warren was Mrs. Warren, the bride whom he had married while on leave of absence en route to Gettysburg, and also a number of distinguished Generals of the Army of the Potomac, staff officers and their wives. In the line of the column being reviewed were ten thousand soldiers, survivors of the twenty-five thousand who, during General Warren's command, had so faithfully followed the Maltese Cross from the Wilderness to Appomattox.
As General Griffin at the head of the Corps rode by, he saluted General Warren and joined him on the reviewing stand. As the bronzed veterans fol- lowing Generals Ayres, Chamberlain and Crawford, commanding divisions and the historic batteries of the Corps, obtained sight of their old commander, their emotions overcame them. The war being over and discipline relaxed, the men most enthusiastically saluted and cheered to the echo their old commander. The climax, however, of excitement and enthusiasm was reached when Warren's old brigade, composed of zouave regiments, including the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth, now commanded by General A. L. Pearson, reached the reviewing [379] stand. These veterans were formed in what is known as “open order ’’ maneu- vers, and carried their guns on their knapsacks, and with their tattered flags and weather-beaten faces, they seemed to be the very ideal of veteran soldiers. They halted before the reviewing stand after saluting General Warren, and most en- thusiastically cheered and cheered, adding “tigers,” until their officers ordered them to resume the march. This grand ovation and tribute to Warren, so cordial and unanimous, should have gone far towards making his superiors right the recent wrong occasioned by his arbitrary removal from the command of the Fifth Corps in the supreme moment of victory at Five Forks.
The people of Petersburg, who crowded the streets and occupied the win- dows and dwellings at the time, declared they had never witnessed anything like the scene of this great military demonstration of the Fifth Army Corps through their streets. The miles and miles of ammunition and quartermasters trains, artillery caissons, and ambulance wagons, which followed, were also a source of great surprise to the population, white and black, of Petersburg.
p. 383 Spontaneous celebration May 1865
“The candle-light column first waited upon Major-General Charles Griffin. Subversive of all ordinary discipline, the processionists immediately demanded that the General give them a “speech,” and the cries of “Speech Speech Speech l’’ were heard. General Griffin resembled General Grant and many other West-Pointers in being wholly disqualified to make a speech; and the cries for a speech embarrassed the General. A compromise was reached, however, and General Joshua L. Chamberlain, commanding a division of the Fifth Corps, was offered as a substitute, General Griffin occupying the background. General Chamberlain, in response to calls, had to produce General Griffin on the stand (a cracker box), where he bowed his acknowledgment and received the cheers of his men. General Chamberlain delivered an eloquent address which he, as well as Generals Griffin, Ayres, Gregory, Bartlett, Coulter, Pearson and the other Generals and Colonels, felt for the rank and file of the Corps.
From General Griffin's headquarters the procession moved to General Ayres', General Bartlett's, General Pearson's and to the headquarters of other com- manders. The oratory and exercises, however, were cut short by the ration of candles burning out, leaving all in the dark.
pp. 616- 619 Memories of Appomattox by Capt. George M. Laughlin, Brevet Major
p. 636 J. Bowman Sweitzer letter to Geo. Booth, dated 9/4/75 – read at First Reunion 155PA
After attack at Petersburg on June, 18, 1864: “As you are all aware, the gallant and lamented Major-General Charles Griffin was at this time our Division Commander. I met him and said I, ‘General, what do you think of the One Hundred and Fifty-Fifth now?’ ‘By G-d,’ says he, ‘I don’t want any better troops.’ And so say I.”
Source: Under the Maltese Cross Antietam to Appomattox, Campaigns 155th Pennsylvania Regiment (Pittsburgh 1910) https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101031529975
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