Myles Keogh of Orchard, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn whilst serving as Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army on June 25th 1876. Keogh’s horse, Comanche, survived the Battle. He lived a long and apparently enjoyable life often leading military parades.
Comanche was just one of only two horses in US history to be given a funeral with full military honours. The other horse given a funeral with full military honours was Black Jack. Black Jack was the rider-less horse with boots reversed in the stirrups at the funeral of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
When Comanche died on November 7th 1891 he was believed to be 29 years old. He was preserved and the taxidermy horse can be seen in the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas. Black Jack died in 1976 having served in the military for 29 years. He was cremated and buried at Fort Myer, Virginia.
Black Jack, died in the year 1976 On This Day.
Photo by cliff1066™ 
Black Jac