Robert Ira Griffin was born in Arkansas in October 1844, [1] the son of Robert Ira Griffin and Margaret Elizabeth Wilson. [2] Bob Ira's father was dead by 1850, when the census found his mother heading the household in Point Remove township in Conway County, Arkansas. Six-year old Bob Ira was attending school. [3]
By 1860 Bob Ira's mother had died as well, and he was living with his grandfather, Robert Wilson, in Pope County. Robert Wilson, 72, was a farmer and a widower. [4] He did not remain a widower, however, but, according to family stories, remarried to a woman very much younger than himself. Bob Ira related that his grandfather's new wife was overly friendly to him, making Bob Ira, who was extremely fond of his grandfather, quite unhappy. His problem was solved by the initiation of hostilities in the Civil War. Bob Ira seized upon this opportunity to enlist in the Confederate forces and avoid an uncomfortable home situation. A horse lover and skilled rider, he enlisted in Stirman's First Battalion of Arkansas Cavalry, Company F. This service required that the soldier provide his own mount, so Bob Ira's grandfather must have supported his decision to serve.
died on 19 February 1937 in Appleton, Pope Co. AR. [x]Robert Ira Griffin and Minerva Ann McCarley had the following children:
| i. | Mary Griffin | ||
| ii. | Ira Griffin | ||
| iii. | Kate Griffin | ||
| iv. | John Henry Potts Griffin | ||
| v. | Anne Griffin | ||
| vi. | Piety Ethel Griffin |