A Confederate Grave Marker Has Been Placed For

Dempsey Griffin, 1825-1897

Dempsey Fought in the Indian Wars as well as in the Confederate War

(Company G, 7th Georgia Cavalry)

ON SUNDAY, APRIL 25TH, 1999, A CONFEDERATE GRAVE MARKER WAS PLACED ON THE GRAVE SITE OF "DEMPSEY GRIFFIN," AND WAS DEDICATED TO HIS MEMORY, AT THE HIGH BLUFF CHURCH CEMETERY (3:30 p.m.).

On that morning , family and friends gathered for the 31st Annual Griffin Reunion (descendants of Pleasant Dempsey Griffin and wife #1 Jane Elizabeth Thornton and wife #2 Mary Lee, and friends of all) at the Hoboken Elementary School Cafeteria. The doors opened at 11:00, and lunch was served at 1:00. Afterwards, at 3:30, the family gathered at High Bluff Cemetery for the dedication services. Six re-enactment groups were present:

1) The Georgia State Line Troops, with their cannon (it's real); (2) The Berrien Light Infantry; (3) The Wiregrass Greys, The Georgia 26th, Company K; (4) The Okefenokee Rifles; (5) The Order of Robert E. Lee. (6) The Confederate Singing Group "The Rebel-Aires" were there, along with several good speakers on the history of the Indian Wars and the history of Company G, Georgia7th Cavalry.

See Story of Dempsey Griffin (#251), published in "The Story of Brantley County, Georgia."

The Griffins

The forefather of most of the Griffins in Brantley and Ware county GA is James. He is the son of Thomas Griffin and an unknown mother. The 3 known children of Thomas Griffin:

(1) Dempsey - Born SC about 1782, (2) James - Born SC about 1792, (3) John - Born Unknown about 1798.

Thomas Griffin Married 2nd, Mrs. Lewicy Baxter & moved to Tattnall county Georgia where he died about 1811. Court papers there show Lewicy bought property from 2 brothers of Thomas. Lewis-born about 1776 in NC and Asa - Unknown.

James and his two brothers moved to what was then Ware county in the mid 1820's. James moved back to Bryan county by 1834 when he and wife, Nancy, joined High Bluff Primitive Baptist Church. They remained members until their deaths (Nancy - 1859, James - 1860) and are interred there.

Dempsey moved back to Tattnall County and is forefather to the Griffins in that area. John is thought to have moved back to Telfair County but not much is known.

There is some question as to whether Nancy (Burnside) was mother to all James Griffin's children. She was shown as being born about 1808 and 1850 census and 1860-mortuary schedule. Since the son, William was born in 1815, the age is wrong or Nancy was the second wife.

A Brief Descendancy Chart:

THOMAS - NC? died 1811 - Tattnall county, GA. (2) Lewis - born about 1776 - NC -died, unknown, (3) Asa - born, unknown - died, unknown. 2nd Children of Thomas; Mother - unknown

1. Dempsey - born: about 1782, SC: died 12/17/1865 -Tattnall county, GA., Mar: 1. Jemina Reaves -born, unknown - died 1829 at Spring Hill, Chatham county GA., Mar.2nd - Mary Keaton - born 1806 - died 4/22/1884 -Tattnall county, GA

2. James - born: about 1793 - SC - died - April 1860, Pierce county GA., Married Nancy Burnside - born, unknown; died Oct, 1859, Pierce county GA;

CHILDREN: I. . William - born 1815; died 8/21/1879, Pierce county GA. Married Cynthia Strickland in 1830, daughter of David, Bullock county GA. She was born about 1814 probably Bullock county, GA - died in 1897 Pierce County GA

II. Nicey - born abut 1816; died about 1833,Bryan county GA. Married William Jakiel Shuman.

III. Nancy - born 1819; died October 1859, Married Owen King Mizell - born and died unknown.

IV. Dempsey - born 6/18/1825; died 11/2/1897, Pierce county GA., Married Mary E. Dowling - daughter of Darling. She was born 6/27/1825; died 10/4/1902, Pierce county GA

V. James Jr. - born 1829; died unknown, Married Isabelle Jones daughter of James born and died unknown

VI. Edward T. - born 5/21/1833; died 3/2/191, Pierce county GA., Married Mary M. Mizell daughter of Owen

She was born 2/13/1841; died 7/21/1905, Pierce county GA

VII. Alfred - born 1836; died unknown., Married unknown

VIII. Ellender - born 1/26/1837; died 6/18/1880, Pierce county GA., Married Henry Strickland, son of John. He was born 7/16/1842; died 5/15/1920, Pierce county GA

IX. Washington J. (Jack) - born 1841; died 1917, probably Pierce county, GA., Married Amantha Albritton- daughter of Thomas. She was born 1833; died before 1880 probably Pierce county, GA. 2nd marriage - Nancy Albritton-Amantha's sister; born and died unknown

FAMILY STORIES

One of James Griffin, Sr.'s slaves chopped his son James JR's father-in-law, James Jones, to death with a hoe in 1853. The slave was captured and the next morning, his mother cooked him breakfast, which he ate while sitting on his coffin. He was then hung. My great-grandfather, Pleasant Dempsey Griffin, remembered this.

Also, William J. Shuman, Jr. was James Griffin's grandson. After his mother died and his father re-married, word got back to James that the boy wasn't being cared for properly in Bullock county where his father was living. Three of the Griffins rode their horses from Pierce County to Bullock County and brought William J. back to the James Griffin household, where he is shown in the 1850 census.

My sources: Census Records of Pierce county-Huxford Library, Homerville, GA. History of Pierce County; Vol. 1 by Dean Broome . Submitted by Roy "Little John" Griffin, 12834 King William Road, King William, VA 23086, TP 804-769-3911