John Keenan was a United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...

, for his actions in the Indian Wars

Indian Wars

American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...

 of the western United States

Western United States

.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...

.

Biography

Keenan was born in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, probably in the 1840s, and immigrated to the United States. During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, he served with the 38th Ohio Infantry

38th Ohio Infantry

The 38th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 38th Ohio Infantry was organized in Defiance, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on September 1, 1861 under the command of Colonel Edwin D. Bradley.The regiment was...

. He then traveled to San Francisco, California

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

, 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

Hualapai

The Hualapai or Walapai are a tribe of Native Americans who live in the mountains of northwestern Arizona, United States. The name is derived from "hwa:l," the Hualapai word for ponderosa pine, "Hualapai" meaning "people of the ponderosa pine"...

 in northwestern Arizona Territory

Arizona Territory

The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....

. 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

Fort Stanton

Fort Stanton was a U.S. military fort built in New Mexico in the United States. It was established to protect settlements along the Rio Bonito in the Apache Wars...

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, 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

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 and Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

. His exact burial place is uncertain, but is believed to be in or near McIntire, Iowa

McIntire, Iowa

McIntire is a city in Mitchell County, Iowa, United States. The population was 173 at the 2000 census.-Geography:McIntire is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....

.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and organization: Private, Company B, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, August to October 1868. Entered service at:------. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 24 July 1869.

Citation:

Bravery in scouts and actions against Indians.

See also

• List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars