Captain Myles Keogh
Here in Holy Family BNS we are fifteen miles from where Capt. Myles Keogh was born. Capt. Myles Keogh died with General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.If you want to visit a school that is fifteen miles from where he died please click on this link.
Another excellent link re Capt. Myles Keogh is
http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/plains2.html
Capt. Myles Keogh was born at Orchard, Leighinbridge on the 25th of
March 1840. He was to die 36 years later at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, in
Montana.Into those 36 years he packed an eventful and exciting life. His career started at
the age of 20 when he joined the army of Pius x. He was a lieutenant in the Battalion of
St. Patrick and distinguished himself with bravery in the defence of Ancona.
When the war to unite Italy ended Myles Keogh went to America looking for further adventure and excitement. The American Civil war had just broken out and Myles joined the Federal Army. He took part in 80 battles, was decorated many times and was wounded only once. At one stage in the Civil war he was in charge of 3,000 men.
After the civil war he joined the 7th Calvary as Captain under the leadership of Lieutenant -Colonel george Custer.
In 1876 a large scale campaign was launched against the Sioux. It was at the battle of the Little Big Horn that the Indians won their only battle. Commanche, Myles Keogh's horse was the only survivor.The Seventh calvary, along with Capt. Myles Keogh was wiped out. Below you see a drawing made by Indians of the actual battle.
Sioux accounts of the battle indicate great efforts made by one calvary officer to rally his men. The Sioux chief, Red Horse, spoke of an officer who rode a horse with four white feet as the bravest he had ever seen.
Below you have a photograph of the monument commemerating the battle.
