Blount County AlArchives Biographies.....Griffith, T. J.  1847 - after 1893
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 13, 2004, 3:30 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
   T. J. GRIFFITH, a prosperous farmer of Blount county, was born in 1847 and
reared on the farm where he now lives, son of Robert G. and Mary E. (Van Zandt)
Griffith. The father was a native of Wales, born in 1802, came to America about
1812 and first settled in Pennsylvania, but for many years roamed over a large
portion of the United States and Mexico, and was in Texas while it was yet a
republic, and for two or three years followed surveying in Texas. While in the
territory he had several narrow escapes from being trampled to death by buffalo,
and on one occasion he shot one of the animals, and, as he thought, killed it,
as it fell when shot, but when he got to the spot it got up and made a charge
upon him and came nearly ending his life. In 1847 he came to Alabama and settled
in Morgan county, where he engaged in tanning and also followed slave-trading;
in 1830 he settled in what is now Blount county, on the farm where his sons T.
J. and R. G. Griffith now live, and opened it up out of the unbroken forest,
converting it into a fine plantation. It now comprises about 1,200 acres. In
1841 he was appointed by the governor as major of the state militia. In 1844 he
was married and has born to him the following children: Thomas J., born in 1847;
Mary W., born in 1849; Robert G., born in 1851; Margaret L., born in 1853, and
Alice E., born in 1856. The mother was born in 1822, in Tennessee, a daughter of
Jacob and Permelia (Staples) Van Zandt. Her father was a native of South
Carolina, of German descent, and her mother, Permelia Staples, was a daughter of
John and Sarah (Stovall) Staples, both natives of South Carolina. Robert G.
Griffith, the father, was a well-educated man, and, although he came to America
a poor boy, he lived to be one of the wealthy men of the state. He died in 1856,
beloved by all who knew him. T. J. Griffith was reared on the old homestead
farm. He attended common schools of the neighborhood, and in 1864 enlisted in
Capt. Holloway's company and served about five months, came home on a furlough,
and while at home joined Capt. Gilbert's company of cavalry, and was with Gen.
Forrest from that time till the close of the war, surrendering with Forrest on
the Tombigbee river in 1865. He had been with Gen. Joe E. Johnston in his famous
retreat from Resaca to Atlanta, and did courier duty. After the war he returned
home and attended school a short time, and 1877 he began the study of medicine
with Dr. Thomason as his preceptor; in 1879 he entered the Vanderbilt
university, at Nashville, Tenn., and attended one course of lectures and then
entered into a partnership with his preceptor, but after practicing about two
years he became tired of that profession and engaged in merchandising for seven
years, then retired to the farm and since that time has devoted his entire
attention to farming and stock raising. In 1880 he married Mattie Jackson,
daughter of Isaac and Martha (Owen) Jackson, both natives of North Carolina, who
came to Morgan county, Ala., in a very early day. Mr. Jackson was one of the
prominent citizens of the county and served as sheriff and also as
representative. To this union three children have been born - Leroy, Thomas and
Maggie. The mother was born in 1860, in Morgan county, Ala. She is a member of
the Baptist church, while he is a Free Mason and one of the leading and
representative citizens of the county.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 505-506

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