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Lieutenant John William O'Keefe

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O'KEEFE, LIEUT. WILLIAM, born in Rathcormac, County Cork, Ireland, May 22, 1839; attended the national schools in his native land; came to the United States in 1853, and settled in New Haven, Ct., where he continued his studies. He enlisted in the Ninth regiment, C. V., Sept. 15, 1861, and was mustered as a sergeant of Company B, Oct. 4, that year. He was promoted first sergeant at Baton Rouge, La., June 1, 1862, and was made second lieutenant of his company, Feb. 7, 1863, at New Orleans, La. He served as such until mustered out in Oct., 1864.

He identified himself with the Fenian movement, and went to Ireland in connection with that movement to assist in establishing the independence of Ireland. But the time had not yet come. He returned to the United States. In 1869, he was married to a sister of Capt. O'Brien of New Haven. Lieut, and Mrs. O'Keefe have had 14 children, six of whom are now living. They were given an excellent education and two of them graduated from Yale. In 1872, Lieut.

O'Keefe was appointed a patrolman on the New Haven police force and served in that capacity for nine years. He was then promoted to roundsman and, in 1882, was made a lieutenant of police. In 1891, he was promoted to a police captaincy. He died in 1920 and is buried in Saint Bernard’s Cemetery, New Haven.
From Pg 410 of Murray’s History:

Early in 1862, Lieut. William O'Keefe, of the Ninth, who was then a sergeant, while on picket guard at Ship Island, Miss., captured a Confederate spy and was specially thanked for the exploit by Gen. Phelps. The spy pretended he could talk only Spanish, but when he found that Gen. Phelps was acquainted with that language, he abandoned all further dissembling.

His extended descendants include Carole & Alison Brown as well as Peter Carton.

Cpl John Alexander
Pvt Albert Andrews

Mus Charles Andre
Pvt Josiah Barker
Pvt David Barry
QM Nathan Bennett
Lt John Bolger

Sgt William Brown
Pvt Dominick Burns
Sgt Bernard Caffrey
Col Thomas W. Cahill
Pvt John I. Cain
Pvt Ambrose Carney
Lt John Carroll
Lt Daniel Carroll
Pvt John Carroll
Lt Patrick T. Claffee
Capt Thomas Coates
Cpl John P. Coen
Cpl Michael P. Coen
Sgt Michael Cronan
Pvt Patrick Cullen
Capt Elliot Curtis
Lt John Curtis
Mus Dennis Deegan
Pvt Levi S. Drew
Capt John Duffy
Lt Fredrick M. Fairchild
Pvt Daniel Farrell
Lt Col Richard FitzGibbon
Pvt Patrick Flanagan
Mjr Frederick Frye
Surg Charles Gallagher
Capt Patrick Garvey

Sgt Daniel Gallagher
Lt William Gleeson
Capt James Graham
Sgt Malachi Hackett
Pvt John Hazlett
Prin Muc John Healy
Lt Col John G Healy
Pvt Edward Heffernan
Sgt Daniel Heffernan
Capt James Hennessey
Pvt Michael Horrigan
Lt Patrick Ingoldsby
Pvt Martin Joyce
Pvt Patrick Kane
Pvt Patrick Lane
Pvt Patrick Larkin
Lt Joseph Lawler
Lt James Lawler
Lt Thomas Lawler

Pvt John Marlow
Capt Michael McCarten
Chap Daniel Mullen
Sgt James T. Mullen
Lt Michael Mullins
Capt Lawrence O'Brien
Lt William O'Keefe
Lt Daniel O'Sullivan
Capt Charles Palmer
Sgt Phillip Reilley
Chap Leo Rizzo
Sgt Timothy Ryan
Capt Gary Scott
Lt John Shaw
Capt Terrance Sheridan
Lt Christian Streit
Sgt Thomas Tallmadge
Capt David C. Warner
Pvt Robert Walsh
Capt Michael Williams
Capt William Wright

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