Col. Philemon Hammond Griffith

As Washington specified, all but Rezin Davis were original members of the company. Thomas Price’s old company (later under Otho Holland Williams) went to Philemon Griffith, with Thomas Hussey Luckett, Adamson Tannehill, and Henry Hardman as his subordinates. However, Hardman (the only one of the officers not an original company member) soon thereafter resigned, leading to a new commission granted by Congress on 17 September to Elijah Evans.31

page 9: Sgt. Adamson Tannehill was one of these riflemen who were promoted, receiving his commission dated 1 January 1776 as third lieutenant in Capt. Otho Holland Williams’ Independent Rifle Company,41 formerly commanded by Thomas Price. Congress approved Tannehill’s subsequent promotion to second lieutenant on 11 July 1776 when Capt. Philemon Griffith’s Company was formed during the Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment’s organization. Such a policy gave the six new companies experienced leaders and filled gaps in the leadership of the three original companies. However, when combined with normal attrition and the need to grant furloughs to some men to get them to reenlist, the policy left the older element of the regiment temporarily weak. In fact, as of early July 1776, only about forty of the approximately 240 enlisted men in the three original companies had reenlisted.42 Therefore, as previously stated, Washington temporarily consolidated the three companies into a single provisional force at that time until their numbers were supplemented by new recruits.

References in vahistorical.org site 30 Ford, W. C., ed., 1906, Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789: Library of Congress, Volume V, Resolves of 11 July 1776, Washington, D.C., p. 540. The third lieutenant in Richard Davis’ Company is incorrectly identified as Henry Hardman in this Congressional document—apparently due to a transcription duplication of the name of Philemon Griffith’s third lieutenant. Rezin Davis was the officer originally recommended by Washington to fill that position in Davis’ company.Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 93, Microcopy M246, Roll 126, Frames 174-176 [at end of Roll 126]).

Reference for above: http://www.vahistorical.org/sites/default/files/uploads/tann.pdf

31 Ford, W. C., ed., 1906, Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789: Library of Congress, Volume V, Resolves of 17 September 1776, Washington, D.C., p. 764. Evans’ date of rank was set retroactively at 8 August 1776 (twenty-eight days after those of the other officers in Griffith’s company), as recorded on the 16 May 1777 muster roll of Capt. Alexander Lawson Smith’s composite company (U.S. National

• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: Nov 20 2017, 2:42:15 UTC

[Name is pronounced fih-LEE-muhn]

A REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERAN who served in the following engagements: • The Siege of Boston • The Battle of Fort Washington

His death notice from the 17 May 1838 edition of the Army and Navy Chronicle:

DEATHS. In Frederick county, Md. on the 29th ult. Col. PHILEMON GRIFFITH, in the 82d year of his age. Col. G. was attached to the Old Maryland line, unrivalled [sic] for its deeds of heroic daring in the revolutionary struggle—and held the rank of Captain in the regiment commanded by Col. Stevenson, of Va., and Lt. Col. Rawlins, of Md. [Page 320]

From the Friday morning, 10 May 1782 session of the Maryland General Assembly:

A petition from Philemon Griffith, a captain in col. Rawlings's late regiment, praying to be allowed the depreciation of his pay while in ſervice, was preferred and read. [Later that evening...] ORDERED, that Mr. Bayly, Mr. Thomas, and Mr. Forreſt, be a committee to conſider and report on the petitions of Philemon Griffith, John Uſher Charlton, and James Fernandes.

From the Thursday morning, 23 May 1782 session of the Maryland General Assembly:

THE committee, to whom was referred ſundry petitions on the ſubject of depreciation, beg leave to report, that by the reſolution of congreſs of the 10th of April, 1780, all officers and ſoldiers then in ſervice were entitled to the benefit of that reſolve, but that the law of this ſtate, which paſſed at October ſeſſion in the ſame year, does not extend ſo far ; wherefore your committee are of opinion, that a ſupplement to the law ought to paſs, allowing depreciation to all thoſe who were in ſervice on the 10th of April, 1780, which would comprehend the caſes of colonel Thomas Pryce, captain Levin Handy, and Charles Gough ; with reſpect to the petitions of major Philemon Griffith, captain Mountjoy Bayly, captain James Fernandes, and Mr. John Uſher Charlton, your committee beg leave to report, that although their petitions are founded in truth, yet that all those officers who reſigned antecedent to the ſaid 10th day of April, 1780, are under the ſame circumſtances with thoſe gentlemen, and are equally entitled to the indulgence of the legiſlature. All which is ſubmitted to the conſideration of the honourable houſe. By order, W. H. McPHERSON, clk.

An article regarding Dr. Charles Alexander Warfield from the 20 April 1811 edition of the Baltimore Federal Republican and Commercial Gazette:

"...In an account published of the proceedings of the Washington Society on the 22d of February last, in the Federal Republican, it is stated that Dr. Warfield was the first man in Maryland who declared for American Independence.—I shall give a brief recital of the circumstances. Dr. Warfield at a very early period in the dispute of Great Britain and her then colonies, was of opinion that no reconciliation short of an acknowledgement of independence to America could ever be entered into, compatible with the true interest and honor of this country—The more he deliberated on this point, the more he was satisfied with the correctness of this opinion. And let it be remembered in March 1776, some months before congress had declared the U. States independent, Dr. Warfield procured a set of type, and printed some hundreds of labels with red ink, with the words "Independence forever, or death in the pursuit of it." One of these he wore in his hat. He zealously impressed on the minds of his acquaintance the necessity of this measure, and boldly pronounced the further connection with Great Britain impracticable. The first persons he met with after finishing his labels, were, Mr. James Connor, now a resident of Baltimore county ; col. Philemon Griffith, now residing in Frederick county, and Mr. Beale Gaither, residing at this time in Montgomery county ; all of them men of character, truth and respectability, (who should they see this statement will recollect the circumstance,) to each of these gentlemen he presented a label : they each accepted one and wore it in their hats..." [Page 1]

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 22 2019, 18:41:56 UTC