Newly unearthed documentation from Civil War veteran Brigadier General Simon G. Griffin details the sharp contrast between local celebration in Keene, New Hampshire, following the Confederate surrender and the subsequent national tragedy of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination in April 1865. Griffin, who was later breveted Major General of volunteers for gallantry at the Siege of Petersburg on April 2, 1865, and mustered out of service on August 24, 1865, offers a direct perspective on this historical shift.
The intense local rejoicing in Keene erupted after General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, marking the symbolic end of the conflict. The local newspaper, the Sentinel, chronicled the atmosphere on the evening of Friday, April 14, 1865, noting that "The village of Keene was probably never so generally and brilliantly illuminated." Streets filled with participants in a torchlight parade that included fire companies from neighboring areas and musicians from Massachusetts, as buildings blazed with light.
Griffin’s manuscript, published posthumously, juxtaposed this local euphoria with the unfolding national disaster, recording that "at the very hour when that jubilation was in progress President Lincoln was assassinated." The President was fatally shot while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater on that same evening, April 14, 1865. Subsequently, Keene observed the official national day of mourning on Wednesday, April 19, 1865, coinciding with the funeral rites in Washington, D.C., a day marked by shuttered businesses, draped public structures, tolling bells, and solemn religious services across Cheshire County.
General Griffin, a native of Nelson, New Hampshire, born August 9, 1824, and a long-time Keene resident who died there on January 14, 1902, also documented later civic milestones. His writings detailed Keene’s 1903 Sesquicentennial Celebration, which commemorated 150 years since the town's official establishment in 1753. This event, held on July 4, 1903, featured a grand parade culminating in a 'living flag' display constructed from 350 children arranged on a tiered platform, followed by an elaborate fireworks display and a historical oration by the Reverend Josiah L. Seward.
Griffin’s post-war life included five terms in the State Legislature, where he served as Speaker, reflecting his commitment to public service in New Hampshire. Before the war, he had been a farmer and teacher, gaining admission to the bar in Merrimack County in the fall of 1860. His detailed records, including a History of the Town of Keene published posthumously in 1904, provide valuable insight into the local experience of national upheaval and subsequent civic commemoration, particularly the immediate transition from victory celebrations to national mourning.
