Little Giffen of Tennessee Part Three

This is the conclusion of the research into establishing who was probably the real Little Giffin of Tennessee. Here are the facts discovered from online resources.

The American Civil War Soldiers on ancestry.com list includes:

George Giffin, Tennessee Union, Corporal

John Giffin, Tennessee Union, Private

Volney Giffin, Tennessee Union, Private

William Giffin, Tennessee Union, Corporal

All served in Company A, 6th Infantry Regiment, Tennessee, except William who enlisted in Company C. There is a regimental history, including some of the battles fought found within this collection at ancestry.com.

George is George Washington Lafayette Giffin, and William Giffin is probably related to the three brothers. Family information states that John Giffin died in the war, but Volney and Lafayette returned, married and raised families in Tennessee. They both later filed for pensions, as did their sister Celestial, who married John M. Ford a Civil War soldier.

Their Compiled Service Records provide additional information about the three brothers. Examining the cards one can establish dates of service, where they served, injuries, court martial and various other details of their lives.
The brothers' files contain the following: John T. Giffin 28 cards, Volney Giffin
21 cards, and George W. L. 19 cards.

John T or L or T John Giffin has twenty-eight cards. He was a private, Co. A, 6^th Regiment, East Tennessee Infantry, aged 20 years, enrolled April 24, 1862 in Boston, Kentucky, term three years. His cards date from March 8, 1862 to August 1864, when there is a gap until November and December 1864. On November 27, 1862 he was a Principal Musician. He mustered out on June 9, 1865, last paid February 29, 1864. For his clothing account of June 30, 1863 he received $70.64 and was due a bounty of $100.  He is on the muster out roll of April 27, 1865, last paid 29 February 1865, for clothing account June 30, 1863 he received $65.84. On the cards for March and November it states that he is arrest or confinement since July 16, 1864. On card #20 it states: At muster out of Company was held to service by sentence of a General Court Martial for violation of the 7^th and 9^th Articles of War is to forfeit two months pay and perform three months of labor. Mustered out by reason of expiration of service having performed three months labor. On Card #22 it states: By sentence of a General Court Martial not mustered out for violation of the 7^th and 9^th Acts of War is to forfeit two months pay and perform three months labor is at Wilmington, North Carolina by order of…On Card #23 it states: J. L. Griffin Prisoner of War Records, Pv. Co. A 6^th Regiment of Tennessee Infantry, three enclosures POW. On Card #24 it states: Captured at Knox Co., Tennessee April 1, 1863. Confined at Richmond, Virginia, May 14, 1863. Paroled at City Point, Virginia,  May 15, 1863, Reported to Camp Parole, Maryland May 18, 1863, Sent from CP, Maryland to CCC May 19, 1863.

On Card #27 is a record of the clothing he received in Baltimore on May 15, 1865, a flannel coat or blouse for $4.80. The final card #28 is a note about his POW record, where he is sent from Knoxville, Tenn. to Richmond, VA for exchange May 12, 1863, this being a record from Camp Parole, Maryland.

So, in the case of John it would appear he did not die in the war. Something may have happened to him while under Court Martial, which it seems he served after returning from being released as a POW.


Lafayette has one card under that name and under George W. L. he has nineteen cards. The first card provides a description of him at the time of enlistment. He served in Co. A, 6^th Regiment, East Tennessee Infantry, aged 18 years, height 5’ 5”, complexion dark, eyes black, hair dark, born in Knox Co., Tennessee, occupation farmer. Enlisted September 21, 1862 in Knox Co., Tennessee, term three years. His cards date from September 1862 to December 1864. On Card #15 he is listed as a P Corporal in Co. A, 6^th Regiment, East Tennessee Infantry, and he is aged 18 years. Detachment Muster Roll in Nashville, Tennessee June 12, 1865. Last paid to December 31, 1864, clothing account of October 31, 1863 he received $74.54 and was due a bounty of $100. On Card #16 Prt. Corporal returns shows, Jan. 1863 Gain Sep. 21, 1862, Knox Co., Tenn., enlisted in Regt., April 1863 absent on duty, Carthage, Tenn., June 1865 Loss, Discharged June 12, 1865, Nashville, by reason of telegraphic instruction from War Dept. AGO.

Volney has twenty-one cards. Card #17 provides a description of him at the time of enlistment. He served in Co. A, 6^th Regiment, East Tennessee Infantry, aged 19 years, height 5’7”, complexion light, eyes blue, hair light, born in Knox Co., Tennessee, occupation farmer. Enlisted September 21, 1862 in Knox Co., Tennessee, term three years. His cards date from September 1862 to December 1864. There is a gap in July and August of 1863. Then on Card #13, July to August 31, 1864 he is listed as absent, wounded July 22, 1864 near Atlanta, Georgia and that the next card is December 1864.

On card #14, November to December 1864 he is listed as absent, in Hospital Knoxville, Tennessee from a would received July 22, 1864 near Atlanta, Georgia. Name not born on CMO Roll. Next roll on file Muster Out.

Card #15 details his Muster Out, List of Returns:

April 1863 - Absent, on duty, Carthage, Tenn.

February 1864 - Absent, sick at Knoxville, February 24 by authority of Regt. Surgeon.

May 1864 - Absent, left sick on March from Resaca, Georgia, May 23, 1864.

July to September 1864 - Absent, sick, wounded near Atlanta, Georgia July 22, in the late Campaign

October 1864, December 1864 and January 1865 - Absent, sick in hospital Knoxville, Tenn. from wound recd. in action.

June 1865 - Soldier Discharged June 12, 1865, Nashville by reason of telegraphic instructions from War Dept. AGO.

Card #16 Detachment Muster Roll in Nashville, Tennessee June 12, 1865. Last paid to February 29, 1864, clothing account of October 31, 1863 he received $44.19 and was due a bounty of $100. Card #18 the Hospital Muster Roll at Holston U.S.A. General Hospital, Knoxville, Tenn. July 4 to Aug 31, 1864. Attached to Hospital August 8, 1864, Patient, Present, Ward 8. Cards #10-21 are Casualty Sheets of July 2 to August 13, 1864, from report of wounded of 2^nd Division and 23^rd Corps. Volney Giffin is wounded by a ball to the left knee. He shows on the Hospital list from July 4, 1864 to December 1864. He mustered out on June 12, 1865.

Conclusion


From the overall picture of Volney's injury on July 22, 1864 and his hospital records indicating he was in the hospital in Knoxville by August 8, 1864, we can determine that he was moved rather quickly from Georgia back to Tennessee after the injury. He did spend months in the hospital recovering from August to December, but we might wonder where he was from December to his mustering out on June 12, 1864. It is very probable he remained in the hospital, but those records were not created. Being so close to his home and family it seems that they would have had some contact.


Francis Orray Ticknor was a confederate sympathizer, a physician working in a Confederate Hospital and living in Torch Hill, Columbus, Muscogee, Georgia.  F. O. Ticknor appears in the Georgia, Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860-1864 at ancestry.com. Serving in Muscogee County, he mustered in on 2 Jul 1864, with
Captain S.J. Pemberton Captain, Apotheoary, Company of Calvary, under Major G. O. Dawson.   It would seem unlikely Dr. Ticknor and Volney Griffin ever crossed paths. In other research I have seen where Confederate Doctors did treat Union soldiers, but if this was the case the treatment would have been brief due to Volney's entrance into the hospital in Knoxville seventeen dates after his injury.

As to the soldier Isaac Newton Giffin, there are two possible matches in the census records, but nothing was found in the Confederate Military records. In 1850 Census there is an Isaac N. Giffin, age 5, living with his father Isaac Giffin, in Middle District, Dickson, Tennessee. In the 1860 Census there is a J. N. Giffin age 13 living with his father Isaac Giffin in North and East of Cumberland River, Montgomery, Tennessee. The Confederate Military records are not complete, but with further research one might locate medical records of that time period.

So, my conclusion is that Volney Giffin is probably not the subject of the poem "Little Giffin." He was of similar appearance and age, and received an injury in about the same time period that required extensive medical attention. For both young men, one Confederate and the other Union, there is no record showing either directly related to the poem. If someone out there has further information please share, post a comment or send me an email.

This was an amazing project and after working on the research of Ruby Marie Harvey last night, I have determined that she is probably only indirectly related to the family of Volney Giffin. The best part of the project is making contact with relatives of Ruby who are very interested in the manuscript collection and I can now pass it on to them.

Happy genealogy hunting to all of you addicted genealogists out there.