Notes on Simon Griffin of Keene, New Hampshire

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Lewis Harris - lharris4@tampabay.rr.com
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Simon Griffin mustered in military service 4 June 1861.

He was Captain of Goodwin Rifles, Co B, 2nd NH Volunteers that was at the first battle of 
Bull Run, 21 July 1861.  A description of this battle showing Griffin's position is given in
"Great Battles of the Civil War" by John Macdonald (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1988)19.

He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 6th NH Volunteers on 26 Oct 1861.

In April 1862 he was in a battle at Elizabeth City, NC.
He was at the battle of Camden, NC,19 April 1862.
On 22 Apr 1862 he was commissioned Colonel.
In July he went with the 9th Corps of NH in the second battle of Bull Run.
He also was in the battle of Chantilly, South Mountain and Antietam.
He was with General Ulysses S. Grant at Vicksburg and joined forces with General William
Sherman in his campaign against General Joe Jackson.
In the spring of 1864 he commanded the 2nd Brigade of the 2nd Division that joined the Army 
of the Potomac near Rapidan River and was at the battle of the Wilderness on 6 May 1864.
For his skillful and gallant action at the battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse on 12 May 1864
he was nominated a Brigadier General.
General Griffin was at the battles of North Anna River, Tolopotamay Creek, Bethsaida Church 
and Cold Harbor.
The engagements at Weldon Railroad, Poplar Spring Creek, Hatcher's Run and Petersburg 
culminated in the attack on Fort Sedgewick led by General Griffin. There is a quote from 
him in "The Civil War;  Death in the Trenches, Grant at Petersburg" by William C. Davis,
ETAL,Time-Life Books,Alexandria,VA,1986(45)

He was promoted to Major General of volunteers and joined in the pursuit and capture of 
General Lee's army ,and, with the war over mustered out on 24 August 1865.  He was the 
highest ranking officer of any volunteer in NH.

He returned home and represented Keene several times in the state legislature and served 
two terms as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He is the author of "A History of the Town of Keene" (Keene,NH,Sentinel Printing Co,1904). 

The source for much of this information is "A Sketch of the Author" in this book, by Rev.
Octavius Applegate,Jr.,M.A.