Myles Keogh, Carlowman at the battle of the Little Big Horn, 1876

Just over 140 years ago, Captain Myles Keogh from Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow, US 7th Cavalry, rode out with Custer across the Montana plains to confront a large group of Indians. 

A handsome, charismatic dragoon, Keogh was a hero of the US Civil War and came through that conflict without a scratch. He was far from the only Irishman in the regiment: at least one in 7 and possibly as many as 1 in 4 of the 800 troopers in the 7th Cavalry were Irish. Names like O’Neill, Kenney, Martin, Rooney, Ryan, Hanley, McVeigh, O’Hara and Flanagan abound.  But like all the other troopers under him he died that day. 

​You can read his extraordinary story in pdf form on www.publishing.ie.

Download the PDF of his story (2mb)