There were three brothers who enlisted and fought in the Civil War for the Union Army. The eldest, Willard Griswold, enlisted June 21, 1861; Hartford, Connecticut and mustered into the 5th Reg. Infantry, Co. F., July 22, 1861; rank of Corporal. The next year Russell enlisted on 8 June 1862 in Hartford, Connecticut and was assigned the rank of Private in Co. D, 14th Connecticut Infantry. Loren enlisted July 14, 1862; mustered into the 14th Reg. Infantry, Co. D, Aug 20, 1862

For Russell and Loren the war went as follows:

On August 23,1862, in Hartford, Connecticut, the 14th regiment was mustered into federal service, and one month later, received its baptism of fire. On September 17,1862, at Bloody Lane during the battle at Antietam, the 14th Regiment's soldiers and officer, "although under fire for the first time, behaved with great gallantry" despite their limited training.

On the 17th of Sept., 1862, this new regiment was plunged into the battle of Antietam, losing heavily, but winning the encomium of "behaving like veterans." The scene of its engagements was the Roulette farm and near the "Sunken Road," where it was engaged sharply for several hours, and under fire all that day and the following day.

As Company D of the 14th Connecticut scurried into a farmer's lane during the Battle of Antietam, an artillery shell burst among its ranks, killing three men and tearing apart Loren Griswold's left arm. The 20-year-old private from Vernon, Loren Griswold was never quite the same after suffering the grievous wound on William Roulette's property. Not only did the young soldier later lose his arm to amputation, he also lost his brother, 30-year-old Russell, who was among those killed by the shell burst.

Russell Griswold