This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: SteveShervey Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.griffin/3069.2.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Wow, the mother lode. Great information. When Henry Griffin emigrated in 1861, he was on his own. He lived in a boarding house in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, and worked in the mines. He enlisted in the First Mich Cav in 1861. You wonder why these guys did it, he wasn't a long time American. They are definitely from Whimple, Devonshire, England. I've got their data from there. Charles and eliza Griffin were , what I would consider, very old to have emigrated. Their first farm was in Rockton, Illinois. I'm gonna check on a Bridget Griffin. I do know they had a spinster daughter who is buried with them in Guthrie. If you go onto my site, "Hill family of California", there is some writeups about them. They sold some acreage to Henry, who was also given some as a vet. I have copies of the Bills of sales of the land in Grove City, Adair county, Iowa. Evidently , when they got too old to farm , they moved down to be with their family in Iowa. After they were buried there,! Henry and Emily moved up to London, Ontario, Canada, and are buried there in Woodlawn Cemetery. I have been in contact with them there, and they are wonderful people, and very historically sensitive. They were getting ready to have a memorial for Canadian vets who served in the Union Army, and weren't aware that Henry was a vet. Henry's unit, the First Mich Cavalry went on to be the most fabled American Cavalry unit in the whole war. It was commanded by George A. Custer at Gettysberg, and was the primary reason for the Union holding the line. Custer and the First Cav stopped JEB Stuart and the whole dang Confederate Cavalry from hitting the backside during pickett's charge. Very interesting stuff. This naturalization information is really very cool. I'm going to go to the archives and see if I can get copies. My GGrandfather married the daughter of Henry and Emily. Her name was , for some reason, Eliza Jane Consenta Griffin. My family up there was right over the borde! r from Rockton, in Wisconsin. Eliza Jane Consenta Griffin became a Hi ll, after marrying John R. Hill. They , along with John's brother , Isaac, headed out in wagon trains for North Dakota, and ended up in Nebraska where my Grandfather was born. I just had contact with the Nebraska Hill family the other day for the first time. They evidently have some good photos , and some good documents. John Hill's brother, Isaac, kept a diary of the war, and included in it was his unit's meeting of Abe Lincoln. He spoke of the war, and then his reasoning for heading for North Dakota, and about his little daughter CoraBelle. CoraBelle is the Granny to the people in Nebraska. The Diary is fascinating. They have the original, and I have a copy, but a hand made copy from long ago which an Aunt of mine gave to me. Well, I'm excited to check out your information, and many thanks for the response. Best Regards, STeve Shervey Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.