This has been a cyclone of a year, and one in which taking stock has been a key activity amid the mass confusion. I am trying to order my affairs, sell my hot rod truck, and lessen the impact on the kids when they hav to deal with the mounds of paper and old wood. In so doing, I had to plunge into one of the mounds to find decade-old truck repair receipts. Considering some of the other events in progress this year, one of them struck me.

It is the obituary, first half, for Great great Uncle Patrick, published on his passing back in 1921. I put it aside to look at, since Pat was one of our more colorful family members, and he last one born in Ireland. Other events continue on the same subject.

The paper this morning had a note about the Rebel flag that was ripped down last week. It will stay that way. Another town nearby is removing a statue from the place it has occupied in front of the courthouse since Uncle Pat passed on. It is interesting, the words of the past held up next to those of the present. And I completely understand the emotion kindled now by new interpretation of long ago events.

The advantage of the Present is that the Past can’t speak in response. Our issues today are often about things that did not actually occur, or occurred in a way unpopular to our changing present. I am pleased the Union won the struggle, and proud of my Great Great Grandfather’s service in Mr. Lincoln’s Army.

I was surprised to see this account of what it was like for some on the other side. Here is what Pat thought about it was thinking about his service nearly a century ago. A pal and I went to the scene of his heroics at Raymond, MS, a few years ago. At least part of the story is quite true. I have no further information on what paper ran it or the last poetic lines disintegrated in crumbling newsprint. I do notice that Pat seemed to think he was fighting mostly for the interests of other immigrants- mostly legal- from an island across the ocean. The other current topic of interest about the war is not mentioned, and since he had little concern about it, presumably had little impact on him.

I assume he drafted it prior to his demise, and the words met his standards. There are some discrepancies with other family accounts, but here it is as written by an Irish Rebel. It does not include the chilly hospitality of his winter in captivity in Chicago, or some of the other events described in his public speeches after the war was over. The picture above is from Rebeca Drake, a champion for saving the scenes of the fighting near her home. Colonel McGavock is the portrait on the left, and Uncle Pat is on the right. That is the uniform he wore for ceremonial events long after memory had begun to fade.

CAPT. Pat M. Griffin

In the eventide of Tuesday, June 9, 1921, Capt. Pat M. Griffin, son of Michael and Honora McDonough Griffin, entered into eternal rest. He was born in Galway, Ireland, and came to this country with his parents as an infant. The family settled in Baltimore, but later came to Tennessee when Michael Griffin accepted a position with the Southeastern Railroad (now the Henderson Division of the Louisville and Nashville). He remained with this company until his death in 1856.

At this time Captain Griffin became head of his family and obtained a position as timekeeper with his father’s former employers and was serving in this capacity when he heard the call to arms. All railroad work ceased immediately, and he became drummer boy in Capt. Randall McGavock’s company, “Sons of Erin,” afterwards Company H, 10th Tennessee Infantry, Irish.

He served with distinction throughout the war, was wounded twice, and advanced to the captaincy of his company, whose first captain, Randall McGavock, became colonel of the 10th Tennessee and was killed at Raymond, Miss., on May 12, 1863.Colonel McGavock died in Captain Griffin’s arms, and after the battle the body was borne by him to Raymond.

While en route he was captured by the enemy. His captors were commanded by an Irish officer who permitted Captain Griffin to give his colonel’s body proper burial. After the cessation of hostilities Colonel McGavock’s remains were brought to Nashville and placed in the McGavock vault at Mount Olivet.

Captain Griffin was made captain of Company H before the battle of Peachtree Creek. After that battle only three members of his company survived, and he was transferred to Hood’s Scouts and detailed for special work in derailing trainloads of Federal supplies.

His work at this time was most effective.

That is what Pat thought about things. There is a marked lack of written communications between Pat’s side of the family and that of his sister Barbara. She married my Great Great Grandfather James, and convinced him to violate his veteran’s re-enlistment leave and not return to the Grand Army of the Republic. At this distance, it is interesting to hear what that generation thought about their own lives. Not filtered by the present.

– Vic

Copyright 2020 Vic Socotra
http://www.vicsocotra.com

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