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John Keane, 1st Baron Keane, GCB, GCH (6 February 1781 – 24 August 1844) was an Irish-born British soldier. He entered the army at the age of 11, and served in the wars against Napoleon. He held the rank of major-general at the Battle of New Orleans, where he was wounced twice. He subsequently served as a colonial governor in a number of British possessions. He was elevated to baron in 1839.
He died of natural cases in 1844.
John Keane in Trail of Glory[]
John Keane was one of the prominent leaders of the British military force that attempted to seize New Orleans in December, 1814. That invasion met defeat in January, 1815, at the Battle of the Mississippi.
Keane was the de facto commander of the British Army in December, 1814. It was understood that he'd be replaced by Edward Pakenham before any attack was launched. General Robert Ross was nonethless skeptical of Keane's ability to be aggressive when the time came, a concern he shared with Admiral Alexaner Cochrane, the overall commander of the entire British expeditionary force. Cochrane, aware of the pending peace between the U.K. and the United States, had no choice but to continue plans to attack; the British government hoped to take New Orleans before the peace was concluded.[1]
However, Ross's concerns proved correct. While Keane was able to take the east bank of the Mississippi River with a fraction of his forces, including the plantation of Major Gabriel Villeré, the British blundered by letting Villeré escape. Keane compounded the error by bivoacing on Villeré's plantation rather than marching on to New Orleans. Despite the best efforts of Colonel William Thornton, Keane did not budge, convinced that Villeré would have warned the forces in New Orleans, and therefore destroy his small force.[2]
- ↑ 1812: The Rivers of War, ch. 36.
- ↑ Ibid., ch. 37.
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