The Personal papers series includes genealogical information, correspondence, personal diaries, photographs, military records, and other materials.
Griffin's correspondence--primarily with his wife and father, Samuel H. Griffin--includes an 1849 letter concerning a trip to the California gold fields; letters from an 1860 journey from St. Joseph, Missouri, to the gold fields of Pikes Peak, Colorado; and 133 letters to relatives and friends from 1861-1864 written while he was an officer in the Union army from 1861-1864. Much of this correspondence was concerned with home affairs, but they also express admiration for the men in his company and criticism of the officers and of the political intrigues in company promotions. There is a good account of a march and skirmishes in the swamps of Louisiana along the railroad with camps among the alligators and mosquitoes, a description of Ship Island and its sickness and hardships, and reports of the fall of New Orleans, the battles of Baton Rouge, Port Hudson and those on the march with Sherman. Letters from McMinnville, Tenn. tell of the building of a bridge and fortifications and of the friendly relations between himself and the Michigan troops and the people of the area. There are also letters on Griffin's fatal wounding; letter, 1836, of Isaac Griffin describing life in the Niles area; a letter by his son Edwin C. in which he describes the Grand Army of the Republic convention held in Detroit, 1882. Correspondents include John Bennett, Isaac Griffin, Paschal A. Pullman, Lucius M. Wing, and John Woodruff.
Griffin's diaries also provide first-hand reports of his experiences before and during the Civil War. The 1853 volume details his time in California gold fields; the 1856 volume details a trip from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah; and a brief 1859 volume documents his journey from St. Joseph, Missouri to Pikes Peak, Colorado. The remaining two diaries provide a window into Griffin's experiences with the Union Army, giving good descriptions of troop movements, conditions in the army and countryside, and observations on the commands under which he served. The 1862 diary describes the Mississippi campaign under General Butler in which Griffin was a captain in Company A, 6th Michigan Infantry. The 1864 diary tells of Sherman's Georgia campaign in which Griffin was killed as a lieutenant colonel in the 19th Michigan Infantry.
The series also includes military and civilian records such as commissions, resolutions, and miscellaneous items in addition to photographs of Griffin (in uniform) and of his father, Samuel H. Griffin.