The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-10-27

shall here take leave Of your correspondent,
who may adopt such course In this matter as he
hinSs an honorable man should take.
ask permission, however, to use your columns
iurther In order to present condensed view of the
proofs in this case, that every intelligent reader
may see that the imputation implied in the charge
OF recovering anunust claim does not attach to me
as the agent.
] am the more anxious to do this because several
newspaper attacks have been made upon this claim
originating with, and mostly emanatng directly
from, an unsuccessful agent, toh0 failing TO recover
THIS claim for want Of record proofs, has suddenly
discootred that the claim Infounded, and who
has distorted facts and belied history to compass
malicious ends. . .-.....
Besides the auditors certificates and the act of
Assembly to which have sufficiently adverted as
furnishing record proofs to sustain the claim there
arc the dispositions of sir officers and soldiers of the
Revolution, all proving sIpressy and distincty that
DIR. Corbin Griffin was the surgeon of the naval
hospital at Yorktown. and serued TO the end of the
,car As sample of these dispositions ] copy the
following. given by the late Commodore James
Barron. who was himself an officer in the Virginia
@! ioas trsh acquainted tDith DIR. Corbin Griffin
~ me Revolutionary toar, and am also personally
acquainted tcih his son, Thomas Griffin, Of York.
toton. Dr. Coybin Griffin in ssrUice as surgeon
IN the nauy and naval hospital at Yorkto,on to the
ei0ts Of The tpar." a..ntT.rs ...ar. -.r
The other five depositions of his contemporaries
are equally clear and strong. ~
The Select Committee on Revolutionary Claims
in the House Of Delegates of Virginia, in 1885, re-
ported as follows upon the petition for land bounty,
to wit: a....f r.... ~. :.
That they find the proofs fled in support of the
petition Tor bounty land FULLY TO SUSTAIN the SER
vice OF Corbin Griffin surgeon in the navy
and maual hospital until the end the Revolutionary
tDar."
The claim for land bounty was then referred to
John Il. Smith, esq, who was appointed State
Commissioner by the General Assembly to report
on revolutionary claims. Mr.. Smith made an
elaborate report on the case (Which ia too long for
inI prtin hpr oN
cuded the same by recommending the allowance
OF land bounty by the Executive ofVirginia.
His report is filed with the other papers in the
case. f'.. ~ 81 r..t' 49,. .
The Executive of Virginia, upon review of the
proofs and reports, alo,oed land bounty for DR..
GTttins services TO the end Of the tcar, and war
rant has issued accordingly.
Thus sustained by the uniinpeached testimony of
SIX REVOLUTIONARY OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS, by
the report OF the Committee on Revolutionary
Cha ms in the House of Delegates, by the report of
The estate Commissioner appointed to investigate
such claims, by he allowance of land bounty made
by the Governor and Council of Virginia, by record
entries in the books kept during the Revolution
and by the statutory enactment creating that hos
pital of which Dr. Griffin had charge-tIus sustain
ed. the Commissioner of Pensions and the agent
prosecuting the claim for half.pay by innuendo
and by an anonymous writer, who ia ignorant of all
the facts In the case, accused OF collision and
ruption.
Mr.. Editor, have another remark to submit
which Is, thatl challenge and defy the most thorough
and most rigid scrutiny into this claim, and into
any and all other claims allowed by any of the
Departments to me as the agent and attorney; and
that If this claim, or any other recovered BY me,
shall be found by the report of any committee of
Congress, by the report of any person
by any Secretary or by the President, to have been
improperly allowed, will, to the extent OF the Pc
cuniary benefit have received in such case or
cases, refund the amount to the Government. Per-
NIT me to add, that shall not again be drawn into
any discussion in the public papers, of matters
which ought to be discussed and decided elsew here,
unless assailed over a responsible name.
am, sir, very respectfully,
VESPASIAN ELLIS.