American Historical Ephemera & Photography

2 3/8 x 3 1/8 in. tintype portrait of a mustachioed Union private wearing a frock coat, the buttons highlighted in gold (few creases to plate, including significant horizontal crease near the center of the plate, image has darkened, some wear to emulsion). Uncased.
Provenance: Descended directly in the family of Isaac P. Griffith. 

Although the image lacks period identification, the private is identified as Isaac P. Griffith as per a Griffith family descendant. 

Isaac P. Griffith (1839-1909) was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, to Reverend Levi and Ann (Vance) Griffith on 9 March 1839. Before 1850, the Griffith family moved to New Market, Highland County, Ohio where Levi Griffith served as the preacher at the New Market Baptist Church. Tragedy would strike the family the next year when Levi Griffith passed away. This left his mother Ann with two young sons, Isaac, age 12 and Levi, age 7. By 1860, the family moved to Pella, Marion County, Iowa where Isaac was a farmer. 

Griffith enlisted on 1 June 1861 from Pella, Marion County, Iowa. He mustered into Company A of the Iowa 3rd Volunteer Infantry as a private on 8 June 1861. His company was involved with the Battle of Shiloh (6-7 April 1862). On 1 May 1863 he was promoted to the rank of Saddler. Shortly thereafter, he fought in Vicksburg (18 May- 4 July 1863). 

Griffith returned home in April of 1864 and married Catherine Dickson on 17 April 1864. By 22 July, he returned to battle and was fighting near Atlanta, Georgia. Isaac was a POW in Atlanta for three days 28-31 July 1864. From Atlanta, Griffith and his company joined Sherman’s Army for the March to the Sea (also known as the Battle of Savannah, 15 Nov 1864 to 21 Dec 1864). A Griffith family story passed down from generation to generation states that Griffith was a wagon master for General Sherman. While this cannot be confirmed, he and his company served with Sherman. Griffith was discharged on 9 August 1865 at Atlanta, Georgia, and returned to Iowa.

Isaac and Catherine Griffith had four children, Zella, born 1866, Florence, born 1868, Maude, born 1870 and Charles, born 1873. Tragedy would again strike the family in 1874 when Catherine died. Charles was less than a year old when his mother died.

He married Martha Alice (Carter) Stewart on 11 October 1874. She was a widow with two children, Lillie and Anna of her own. They made their home in Pella, Iowa for over 25 years where Isaac worked as a farmer and a teamster. In 1882, Griffith moved to Hand County, South Dakota. The rest of the family joined him in August of the same year. Like his forefathers, Griffith and his family were some of the first pioneers in this area.

After having lived there only a few months, Griffith was elected the first County Sheriff of Hand County and served two years (1882-1884). He would later serve as a sheriff in his local community. By 1900, Griffith was working as a carpenter, and in 1903 Isaac and his wife moved to Olympia, Washington to be near his children and grandchildren. Griffith was a farmer, teamster, soldier, sheriff and carpenter. He passed away on 7 January 1909 in Olympia, Washington, and is buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Tumwater, Washington.