Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1852-11-17

fceTS OF Tue LUHtutcHtat anu 3tdIE lines, 10
wit: that SOME RECORD PROOF Of the fact that
the claimant lcus an officer should be RE-
ouired. There are eases 10 which this rule
has been relaxed. and where overwhelming
parol proof has been held sufficient In the
case Of DR.. Griffin, the allowance Of the claim
rithout such record proof, after the Secreta-
nv had required it, would have subjected any
Commissioner of Pensions to censure; and
presume no agent who values his reputation
for fairness would insist upon such allowance,
without producing the proof which bad been
thus properly demanded.
1t was simply and only because ! could not
End such proof at an earlier day. that per-
mitted this case to slumber until the winter
Of 1850 81. when, fortunately such proof was
found and presented and thus was the very
objection raised BY the Secretary in 1885 met
and removed The allegation. insinuation,
innu,ndo 0. whatever may be the appropri-
ate term applicable to the interrogatory of
Mr. "Veritas' on this point. is. 10 all its length
breadth. height, and depth. utterly untrue.
unfounded, and calunnistory. And bad this
correspondents of yours taken the trouble to
inspect the papers on which this claim was
allowed, instead of erediting the representa-
tions Of misehievous slanderers (whom he pro-
fesses SO much to abhor) he would have proved
himself more worthy Of the character he as
sumes and saved himself the modification Of
retraesipg unfounded aspersions or of persist
ing in their diffusion. Upon the hypothesis
that be is gentleman, he will be obliged to
make the ''amende honorable
And now, sir, for the enlightenment and
ediicaton Of your inquisitiye correspondent.
as well as Of all others who may now or here
after, either from sense Of public duty or
from the prompt:ngs Of private malace, choose
to distinguish themselves by assailng claims
which they could not themselves realize, re-
fer them to volume 10, page 3s6, of
Henings Statutes at Large, for RECORD proof
of the creation Of NAVAL HOSPITAL in Vir~
glnia, And for the more particular and es-
pecial qualification Of the same parties, re
fer them to TWO certificates of the present
first auditor of Virginia, filed amongst the
papers on which this claim was allowed both
taken from the revolutionary records found in
the attic story of the Capitol, one bearing
date Mey Goth. 1880. and the other bearing
date November 9th 1850, proving conclusive
ly that Dr. Corbin Griffin was the surgeon Of
that hospital located at Yorktown.
These two certificates, obtained from Au-
dtor Johnston. of Virginia, one Oh the 25th
November. 1850, and the other on the first
day of April, 1851, brought the claim strict
y within the rule laid down by the Secretary
in 1885, (the creation of napal hospital
having been shown by the ldlc above cited,
and rendered it incontestable and impregna-
bic. The requirement Of the Secretary Of
the Treasury, made in 1885, aras fully com
plie1 acith and satisfied and the Commits
sioner Of Pensions was obliged. in conformi-
with the plain and expires opinion given by
the Secretary, to allow the claim, because the
record proof which had been required uas
furnished
And, noU. sir, what becomes Of your cor
respondents third inuendo, imputing colu-
sion and corruption to the Commissioner aud
to the agent?
shall here take leave of your correspon-
dent, who may adopt such source in this mat.
ter as he thinks an honorable man should
take.
l ask permission, however. to use your col
umns further. i1 order to present a condensed
view Of the proofs in this case, SO that every
intelligent reader may see that the imputation
implied in the charge of recovering an unjust
claim does not attach to me as the agent
am more anxious to do this, because sew
eral newspaper attacks have been made upon
this claim, originating with, and mostly ema-
mating directly from, an unsuccessful agent
,rho, failing 10 recouer this claim for want
Of record proofs, has suddealy discovered that
the claim acas mfouaded, and who has dis
torted facts and belied history to compass ma
licious ends
Besides the auditors certificates and the
aet of assembly to which have sufficiently
advertcd as furnishing record proofs to sus
tain the claim, there are the dispositions Of
six officers and soldiers of the revolution, all
proving expressly and distinctly that DR..
Corbin Griffin was the surgeon of the naval
hospital at Yorktown, and serped to the end
of :he rar. As sample of these dispositions
| copy the following given by the late Com
modore James Baron, who was himself an Of
6eer in the Virginia navy in the revolution
He says:
"T'eos wU acquainted ,eith DR.. cor5ia Griffin IL
the revolutionary car, and also personally ae-
quaiuted Nth his son, Thomas Griffin, o. Yorktoun
Dr. CorJin Griffin @as in serriee as surgeon in the
napy and naral hospitaf al Ioraern 10 The close Of
The mdrn
Tie other fire depositions of his contem-
poraries are equally clear and strong.
The select committee on revolutionary
claims in the house of delegates of Virginia,
in 1885, reported as follows upon the petit
tien for land bounty, to wit
"That they find the proofs filed in support OF
the petition for bounty land FULLY TO SUSTAIN the
service Of Corbin Griffin as q surgeon in the navy
and aarat hosiaoi until the end Of the revolutionary
war;
The claim for land bounty. was then refer
red to John ii. Smith, Esq, who was appoin-
ted State commissioner by the General AS
senib'Y to report on revolutionary claims
Mr.. Smith made an elaborate report on the
case (Which is too long for insertion here) on
the 22d of August 1885, and concluded the
same by recommending the allowance Of land
bounty by the executive of Virginia.
His report is filed with the other papers in
4