b. 1843 Tubbercurry, County Sligo, Ireland. d. 18/03/1906 McIntyre, Iowa.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 13/08/1868 vicinity of Black Mountains, Arizona.
Keenan was born in Ireland, probably in the 1840s, and immigrated to the United States. During the American Civil War, he served with the 38th Ohio Infantry. He then traveled to San Francisco, California, and re-enlisted in the Army in 1866.
By August 1868, Keenan was serving as a private in Company B of the 8th Cavalry Regiment. Over the next two months, his company was constantly engaged in fights against the Hualapai in northwestern Arizona Territory. For his actions during these engagements, Keenan was awarded the Medal of Honor the next year, on July 24, 1869.
Keenan continued to fight in the Indian Wars until 1871. Afterward, he was sent to Fort Stanton, New Mexico, to recover from a wound received in battle. While there, he worked as a groundskeeper and carried out various chores around the fort. During one of these chores, a burning ember hit him in the eyes, leaving him nearly blind. He left the military and lived in Minnesota and Iowa.
MOH CITATION:
Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.
BURIAL LOCATION: ST PATRICK’S CEMETERY, MCINTYRE, IOWA.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: BELIEVED TO BE FAMILY.
