Joe Keen: 2020

Nicholas Keen and wife Samantha Alzada Williams Keen

Cemetery where Nicholas is buried

Nicholas Keen Grave

Birth: Apr. 7, 1831
Neshoba County Mississippi, USA
Death: Mar. 24, 1908
Desdemona
Eastland County
Texas, USA

Nicholas was the son of Josiah and Betsy Keen. He served in the Confederate States Army. Along with Pleasant L. Williams, his brother-in-law, he enlisted in Louisiana, April of 1862 and served in F company, 31st. regiment. He served until the close of the civil war. When Nicholas was mustered out of the southern army, it was late one afternoon at Vicksburg Mississippi. There were eight men to gather and they were very anxious to get across the river to Their homes and family's in Louisiana. A small skiff was the only means of transportation and Nicholas was the only one of them capable of rowing a boat so Nicholas and one other man at a time went across. He had to work hard and steady to get them all across. After all these trips, they all got over safely about one o'clock the next morning. By this time the men were all tired and exhausted so they lay down on the Louisiana sand on the banks of the Mississippi river and slept until daylight then they continued Their Journey home on foot.Nicholas fought in the battle of Vicksburg and there were many trials and tribulations that he had to endure. He tells of one time at night he slept on an improvised bed of poles laid across a small ravine which had running water in it. On this he had one blanket. This was his bed for eight nights.

On the 17th of November,1899 Nicholas appeared before the commissioners of the county of Mills in the state of Texas to plead for his confederate pension. He was sixty six years of age at the time and was suffering with asthma and a broken thigh bone. His application was approved in February of 1900.

On July 30, 1901 Nicholas appeared before the commission to the Five Civilized Tribes in order to be recognized as a Mississippi Choctaw Indian along with his four minor Grandchildren, Josie, Jessie, Eppie and Clemmie Walker. They were part of a claim filed by himself, his brother Daniel Keen and several of Their Children. All claims were later denied by the commission and none of the Keens were ever registered on the Dawes Rolls as Choctaw Indians. Nicholas and Daniels Grandfather, Daniel Davis was said to be a full blooded Choctaw. Their Mother Elizabeth Davis Keen therefore being one-fourth Choctaw. (Note: see Dawes packet below. Nicholas was living in Indian Territory when he applied. This contains information on the other Keens who were part of this application)

Context: Nicholas was Josiah Keen's son (this is the older Josiah not the younger namesake in the application), and Josiah was Joseph Keen's brother (Joseph was Henry Keen's father. C.C. Keen was Henry's Son - my Great Grandfather).