Levi T. Griffin
Encyclopedia
Levi Thomas Griffin was a politician from the U.S. state
of Michigan
.
, was named for his maternal grandfather, Levi Thomas of Utica, New York
. He moved with his parents to Rochester, Michigan
in the fall of 1847. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School
at Ann Arbor
in 1857. While studying for the bar
in Detroit
, he was employed as a court deputy in the Federal District Court through the assistance of a fellow University of Michigan alumni, William A. Moore, who was then Assistant United States District Attorney. Griffin was admitted to the bar
in May 1858 and in November moved to Grand Rapids
, where he begin to practice in the office of prominent Western Michigan lawyer Lucius Patterson. After a fire destroyed the offices in April 1860, along with most of the records of Kent County
, Griffin returned to Detroit where he was employed in the law offices of Moore until January 1862, when they formed a partnership named "Moore and Griffin".
, as Supernumerary
Second Lieutenant in Company C of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and was mustered into service on August 13, 1862. He was promoted to full Second Lieutenant on December 18 and assigned to duty as Brigade Inspector. On February 1, 1863, he was promoted to First Lieutenant, and then on April 15 as regimental Adjutant
. On February 24, 1864, he was commissioned as Captain, and on September 15 was assigned as Acting Assistant Adjutant General
of the Second Cavalry Division
. On December 25, he became Acting Assistant Adjutant General
of the Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi
, with Major General James H. Wilson
commanding. He was mustered out of service on July 1, 1865 and was subsequently brevet
ted major
of United States Volunteers
by President Andrew Johnson
on March 13, 1866 for gallant and meritorious service during the American Civil War
.
under the name "Griffin and Dickinson". In 1883, he formed a new partnership, "Griffin & Warner", with Carlos E. Warner, who had become a partner with Moore after Griffin left. In 1888, the firm became "Griffin, Warner, Hunt & Berry". In 1890, when Berry retired and Hunt was elected assistant prosecuting attorney for Detroit, the firm's name returned to "Griffin & Warner". The firm was dissolved January 1, 1896.
Griffin was the Fletcher professor of law in the University of Michigan Law School
1886-1897. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court
in 1887.
In November 1893, Griffin was elected a Democrat from Michigan's 1st congressional district
to the Fifty-third Congress
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Logan Chipman
, serving from December 4, 1893 to March 3, 1895. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1894, losing to Republican John Blaisdell Corliss
.
Levi Griffin resumed the practice of his profession and became pension agent in 1896 and 1897. He died in Detroit and was interred in Woodmere Cemetery.
. He was married October 8, 1867, to Mary Cabot Wickware of Detroit. They raised three children: William, Laura Moore, and Mary McClaren Griffin.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Early life
Griffin, born in Clinton, Oneida County, New YorkClinton, Oneida County, New York
Clinton is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. It was named for George Clinton, a royal governor of the colony of New York....
, was named for his maternal grandfather, Levi Thomas of Utica, New York
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
. He moved with his parents to Rochester, Michigan
Rochester, Michigan
Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...
in the fall of 1847. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in 1857. While studying for the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, he was employed as a court deputy in the Federal District Court through the assistance of a fellow University of Michigan alumni, William A. Moore, who was then Assistant United States District Attorney. Griffin was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in May 1858 and in November moved to Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, where he begin to practice in the office of prominent Western Michigan lawyer Lucius Patterson. After a fire destroyed the offices in April 1860, along with most of the records of Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...
, Griffin returned to Detroit where he was employed in the law offices of Moore until January 1862, when they formed a partnership named "Moore and Griffin".
Military life
Griffin was commissioned by Governor Austin BlairAustin Blair
Austin Blair , also known as the Civil War Governor, was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan...
, as Supernumerary
Supernumerary
A Supernumerary is an additional member of an organization. A supernumerary is also a non-regular member of a staff, a member of the staff or an employee who works in a public office who is not part of the manpower complement...
Second Lieutenant in Company C of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and was mustered into service on August 13, 1862. He was promoted to full Second Lieutenant on December 18 and assigned to duty as Brigade Inspector. On February 1, 1863, he was promoted to First Lieutenant, and then on April 15 as regimental Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
. On February 24, 1864, he was commissioned as Captain, and on September 15 was assigned as Acting Assistant Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the Second Cavalry Division
Cavalry in the American Civil War
Cavalry in the American Civil War was a branch of army service in a process of transition. It suffered from emerging technology threats, difficult logistics, and sometimes misguided or inept commanders...
. On December 25, he became Acting Assistant Adjutant General
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the Cavalry Corps of the Military Division of the Mississippi
Military Division of the Mississippi
The Military Division of the Mississippi was an administrative division of the United States Army during the American Civil War that controlled all military operations in the Western Theater.-History:...
, with Major General James H. Wilson
James H. Wilson
James Harrison Wilson was a United States Army topographic engineer, a Union Army Major General in the American Civil War and later wars, a railroad executive, and author.-Early life and engineering:...
commanding. He was mustered out of service on July 1, 1865 and was subsequently brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
ted major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
of United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers
United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U. S. Vol., or U.S.V.Starting as early as 1861 these regiments were often referred to as the "volunteer army" of the United States but not officially named that until 1898.During the nineteenth century this was the United States federal...
by President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
on March 13, 1866 for gallant and meritorious service during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Post-war
After the war, Griffin returned to practice law in Detroit in his partnership with William A. Moore. On September 1, 1875, formed a new partnership with Donald M. DickinsonDonald M. Dickinson
Donald McDonald Dickinson was a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Dickinson was born in Oswego County, New York, and moved with his family to Michigan when he was two years old...
under the name "Griffin and Dickinson". In 1883, he formed a new partnership, "Griffin & Warner", with Carlos E. Warner, who had become a partner with Moore after Griffin left. In 1888, the firm became "Griffin, Warner, Hunt & Berry". In 1890, when Berry retired and Hunt was elected assistant prosecuting attorney for Detroit, the firm's name returned to "Griffin & Warner". The firm was dissolved January 1, 1896.
Griffin was the Fletcher professor of law in the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
1886-1897. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
in 1887.
In November 1893, Griffin was elected a Democrat from Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States Congressional district containing the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well as part of the Lower Peninsula. Currently the district is represented by Republican Dan Benishek.-Geography:...
to the Fifty-third Congress
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Logan Chipman
John Logan Chipman
John Logan Chipman was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, serving as United States Representative to Congress....
, serving from December 4, 1893 to March 3, 1895. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1894, losing to Republican John Blaisdell Corliss
John Blaisdell Corliss
John Blaisdell Corliss was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Early life:Corliss was born in Richford, Vermont, to Hezekiah and Lydia Corliss...
.
Levi Griffin resumed the practice of his profession and became pension agent in 1896 and 1897. He died in Detroit and was interred in Woodmere Cemetery.
Religion
In 1873, he converted from Presbyterian to Episcopalian, being confirmed in St. John's Episcopal ChurchSt. John's Episcopal Church (Detroit, Michigan)
St. John's Episcopal Church is located at 2326 Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan . However, the business address is 50 E Fisher Fwy, Detroit, MI. It is the oldest church still standing on Woodward...
. He was married October 8, 1867, to Mary Cabot Wickware of Detroit. They raised three children: William, Laura Moore, and Mary McClaren Griffin.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
- Image of Griffin at the Archives of Michigan Digital Collection
- Address by Griffin at presentation of a portrait of Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice James V. CampbellJames V. CampbellJames V. Campbell was a member of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1858-1890.Campbell was born in Buffalo, New York but was brought to Detroit at a very young age. Campbell served as a law professor at the University of Michigan for much of the time he was on the Michigan Supreme Court.-Sources:*...
, April 24, 1888