Griswold married Caroline on August 12, 1837, and the couple had two daughters. Following the birth of their second daughter, Griswold left his family behind in New York and moved to Philadelphia. His departure on November 27, 1840 was by all accounts abrupt, leaving his job with Horace Greeley's "New York Tribune", and his library of several thousand volumes. He joined the staff of Philadelphia's "Daily Standard" and began to build his reputation as a literary critic, becoming known for his savagery and vindictiveness.