Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-12-11
ANNIE M'KEENE.
A Guerilla in 1863, q Sister Of
Mercy In 1879.
Now She Cave Her Life Away to
the Cause Of Sweet Charity.


Sister Celeste, who died in New
Orleans while caring for the yellow
fever sufferers, made q strange con.
fession before her death, which, has
Just been made public through the St
Louis Post. In 1862 Quantrelps gang
of guerillas stopped at her fathers
house in Missouri to forage their hor.
ses. Quantrell was invited to take
dinner with the family, and his off,
GERS were invited to come with him.
One who went was
JOHN M'KEENE,
in courage or stature the peer of any
man in the command, and one of th !,
great guerilla chieftain's most trusted
counselors. He had become famous
for daring deeds as well as a hand
some appearance.
Sister Celeste was then girl OF II
years old, and rather pretty. Her
eyes were blacker than an fndisu
maiden's and Is piercing, and her hair
was as straight--a type of women
well known to those who lived in
Western Missouri in those trouble
some days. She made flags, large
and small, which sho gave to those Of
her friends who went out to fight
She had made hcrselfa dress Of red
and white. Any sort of a rebel SOL
dier was tC her q demi-god. The
wild insanity of the times found In
her splendid representative. Her
name, young as she was, had been
spoken throughout half q hundred
counties. She was known at every
Federal post in the state, and the au-
thorities had often threatened to
| BANlsH OR IMPR1soN HER.
As a woman she was as notorious az
John NcKcene was as man. They
had heard of each other many q time
and had longed to see each other
he had said that she was the brayest
woman in Missouri; she had said
he was the bravest man of all the
rough riders of the border. Conse-
quently when they me. at her fathers
table, il was u cordial meeting and
both was more than pleased.
AS the sun went down Qnantrell
and his men rode away; as they pass
cd along In front of the house Annie
stood at the gate and received a sa-
lutte from each man. Then It was
that she wished moro fcrventiy than
ever that she was man that abe
might go along.
| Shortly after Quantrelrs band had
left her fathers house, n number o!
armed mon rode up, called her father
out. shot him down and burned his
house for his hospitality to the gue-
rilla chief. She and her mother fed,
while the men who had killed her
father went in chase of the band
Quantrell was overtaken, there was q
sharp figit, which resulted in The de.
feat and disbandment of the gucrillas.
John McKeene returned to the ruins
of the homestead and learned the
whole story. He met her and the two
| pledged their vows CT eternal ven.
geance. There was moro than that.
She said she would go with him and
deal the blows of death as he did.
ON HORSEBACK
they went 10 an humble preachers
house, aud without alighting, had
him make them man and wife. She
threw away her woman's dress and
donned male attire. She put ON q
belt besides and two revolvers, and
her long hair she tucked under her
hat. On a june morning, 1863, "a
they with half dozen others were
riding along over the prairie near
where now stands the little town OF
Lees Summit, they were met by a
detachment of the 7th Missouri State
Militia. There was q
DESPERATE ENCOUNTER,
in which John Mckeene was shot
dead and Annie McKeenc was shot
through the shoulder. The others OF
the gucrillas escaped. When the Fed.
erals came up to where McKeene and
his wife were lying, one of the sol.
diers leveled his revolver at the head
Of the woman in disguise, but before
the trigger was pulled she threw of
her hat, snatched her long hair down
and sat up before him with the face
of q woman. The revolver was put
up and the mystery solved. She told
them that all she had lived for was
gone, but that she was not ready to
die herself. She begged them to give
her companion the best burial they
could and said she wanted to 20 to
Kansas City. There was tone ol
voice and style Of earnestness about
what she said that touched the hearts
Of tho rough soldiers, and they buried
John McKeene on the broad prairie
but there was not stone nor q piece
of wood within half-dozen miles oi
the place, and nothing was left to
mark the place OF the grave. But il
was such q burial as many poor
man did not get In those days.
Annie McKeene was taken to Kan.
sas City, where she recovered under
the blessed care Of some
SISTERS OF MERCY.
She went to Memphis, Tenn. and
Joined the Catholic Church and re.
solved to devote her life to tho care
of the sick and the distressed. She
became Sister Of Mercy, went to the
front Of tho army, and during the re.
mainder of the war wAs unremittina
in her work of love and mercy. Al.
ter the coming Of peace she went tO
New Orleans and became attached tc
the convent Of the Sisters Of Mercy
In devotion to her mission there wal
not one who surpassed her in earnest
nesa. She was always ready to beal
the heaviest burden and manifested
the fortitude in . good work that sht
had in q reckless guerilla warfare ai
the wife of John McKeene.
| She bore the secret Of her life we'll
1t was memory that had grown ~
cred by her expiation, and around i
was the sweet incense Of . thousand
prayers hat thad gone up out of sou
of tears.
WHEN THE LATE EPIDEMIC CAME
on she was among the foremost to II
to the bedside of tho stricken and th,
Idying. She watched by day and b.
lnight--as faithful nurse % ever sav
the spark Of life 60 out. Not only
with her hands did she aid the suffer
Ing, but in words as well did sh'
j give strength to many . poor heart
Thus she labored and thus she fulflll
ed the sacred vow Of her life, till th
Father Of Mercy claimed the Sister 0
Mercy 80 His own. Annie NICK Keene
Z fof 1858. wss the Sister Celeste who's
&aath IL announced In the notice q
|. ltE EcAd Of this article.
g s. &
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