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Source: Henry F. Griffin, Sr. and Mrs. Oneal Jenkinson of Pinewood, descendant of Nelson Griffin).
Nelson's first wife was his first cousin Harriet Weeks, daughter of Chosel and Tabitha Weeks. She was 15 years older than Nelson. Nelson and Harriet were living at #155 on the 1860 Clarendon Census. They lived very close to their kin: his brother Thomas was at #153, Uncle James 0. Weeks was at #157, his father and her uncle, Dempsey Griffin was at #160.
Nelson was a Confederate soldier and his records are at the National Archives and S.C. Archives. He enlisted as a private in Co. C., Rutledge Reg., S.C. Cavalry on Feb. 14, 1863 in Clarendon District by a Lt. Morrison for the duration of the war. This company formerly served as Co. A Manigault's Battalion, S.C. Volunteers. It was temporarily attached to the 6th or Byrd's Battalion, S. C. Infantry, and finally became Co. D., 4th Reg. S. C. Cavalry. The 4th, Rutledge's, Regiment was formed by the consolidation of the 10th and 12th Battalions S.C. Cavalry and Capts. Pinckney and Rutiedge's Independent Companies, S.C. Cavalry. The recruit Nelson Griffin was ordered to report at 'this camp on Feb. 28th to received bounty due". He received pay on Feb. 28, 1863 from Major Smith. He received pay from Capt. McCurry on April 30, 1863 plus $24.40 for the use of his horse. Capt. McCurry paid him again on June 30, 1863. Nelson's record carried the notation that he was AWOL from August 2, 1863 to August 23, 1863 and that during that time he lost 40 rounds of ammunition. Nelson requested a transfer on Sept. 13, 1863 to Co. 1, 23rd S.C. Volunteers. A note on his service records in Washington states "See personal papers of T. A. Bradham, Co. I, 23rd S.C. Vol.". Evidently wounded, his last record was at Jackson Hospital, Richmond, Virginia when he was on the receipt roll for clothing on August 18, 1864.
Surviving the war, he came home to Harriet and on the 1870 Census they were living at #202 Calvary Twp. P. 0. Manning, Clarendon County, SC. In their household was Henrietta Childers 30, enumerated as domestic servant, and John Childers, 10 years old and Sarah Childers, 1 year old. Harriet was childless. She died sometime between the 1870 Census and 1875 as Nelson's first baby by his second wife was born in 1876. Nelson married 2nd to Caroline Letitia Graham, daughter of John Christopher and Rebecca H. Stukes Graham and sister to Eliza Lucinda Graham, the 3rd wife of Dempsey Griffin. Caroline Letitia was 15 years younger than Nelson. On the 1880 Clarendon Census, they were #224 Calvary Twp. Living with them was a J. B. Brown 20 years old, single laborer. Mrs. Oneal Griffin Jenkinson of Pinewood, granddaughter of Nelson, in conversation in 1973 said that Nelson's sister Caroline Griffin Wells' daughter Theodocia lived for awhile in Nelson's home before her marriage to William Thomas Kolb. |
1826 - 1900 (74 years)
