The Alaska daily empire., 1917-02-16
GEO. 3. GRlGSBY'S
 FATHER DIES AT
 BIRMINGHAM, ALA,
Was Former Alaska Off, ciaI and Originator Of Rough Rider
 Cavalry.

Col Melvin Grigsby, originator of the idea of Rough Rider cavalry, frontiersman, leading lawyer of South Dakota, of which State he was a former Attomey-General, former Unit. ed States District Attorney of Alaska for the Second Division, father of Attorney-General George B. Grigsby, of this city, died last night at Birm- ingham, Alabama, aged 72 years, of pneumonia. News of his death was received this morning by Attorney General Grigsby. Col. Grigsby was en route to Florida at the time of his death. and his wife and son, John T. Grigsby, were at the bed side when death came.
 Col. Grigsby has had a remark able career. In a National sense his most important act was as originator of the Rough Rider cavalry idea and as Colonel of the Third United | States volunteer cavalry in the Span fish war. He wrote the sections of the law which authorized the rais- | ing of the Rough Rider regiments, including the Roosevelt regiment. In lhis State, and Dakota Territory be. fore Statehood, he was an active Header at the bar. in politics and in civic matters, and this activity con tinued up until his last illness.
 Col. GrigSby was born in Wlscon- sin in 1S45. At 16 years of age he enlisted in the Union army and served throughout the Civil War. Returning, he was graduated from the Wisconsin State Normal School at Platteville, Wis, and later studied law, being admitted to the bar in | 1871. In 1872 he immigrated to Da- kota. locating at Sioux Falls, where he lived until the time of his death except for two years at Nome, where he was United States District At torney. The trip from Wisconsin to Dakota was made on horseback. Early in his career as lawyer he formed a partnership with former Senator Pettigrew. which was dis solved when the latter became a United States Senator and quit the practice of law. He served several terms in the Territorial Legislature. In 1896 he left the Republican party and supported William J. Bryan for President. He was elected Attor- ney.General of South Dakota on the Fusion ticket in that year and served for two years. While Attorney-Gen- eral he wrote 15O opinions, constru- ing statutes, etc, for State officers, and was sustained by the courts in every opinion that was contested.
 He was appointed Colonel of the Third United States volunteer cav airy, regiment that he raised him self, by President Mckinley and served in that capacity until the regiment was finally disbanded after the Spanish war ended.
 | He was appointed United States District Attorney at Nome in 1902 land served for two years. It was this appointment that brought his son, present Attornoy-General George E. Grigsby, to Alaska. The latter has been a resident of this Territory since that time.
 Col Grigsby is survived by two sons, besides Attorney-General Grigs. by-Sioux K. Grigsby, ad John T. Grigsby of Sioux Falls. All of his sons are lawyers. though one of. them has been giving his attention to his duties as officer of bank, organized by his father, for some time. He also is survived by his widow, daughter. Miss Fannie Grigsby, and his father, who is 97 years of age.
 The funeral will be at Sioux Falls,