Edgar Alfred Griswold was born on August 2, 1836, in Naples, New York, to Alfred and Mary Griswold. His father was a blacksmith who owned $100 of personal property by 1860. He grew up and attended school in Naples, and by 1860, he was working as a carpenter. He owned $1,500 of real estate and $800 of personal property.

 

In November 1862, he received a commission as a captain in the 148^th New York Infantry. The regiment took part in the Battle of Cold Harbor. He was “severely wounded” in the left army in May 1864, and he spent the next six months recovering. He mustered out on November 30, 1864.

 

He returned to Naples after the war, and he married Ida Marks around 1865. They had at least four children: William, born around 1866; Mary, born around 1869; Josephine, born around 1873; and Ida, born around 1880. He applied for a federal pension in August 1865 and eventually received one. He worked as a “lumber manufacturer,” and by 1870, he owned $7,500 of real estate and $3,650 of personal property. He employed at least two servants. He lived in Naples for the rest of his life, and he died there “after a long illness” on November 27, 1913.

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