I was reading through some old news accounts tonight and found this story from the Nashville Daily Gazette, dated November 17, 1861: Skirmish at Strawberry Plains-----
A correspondent of the Knoxville Register thus describes a visit he lately made to James Keelan, the man who so nobly defended the bridge at Strawberry Plains against an attack upon the property of Union men. He was shot in three places- the back, thigh and elbow. His hand was severed at the wrist. Many gashes are found upon his person. Twenty attempts were made to cut his throat. When i saw him he was perfectly calm and sensible, bearing his pains with patience and fortitude. He will probably recover. He is a poor man with a large family depending on his labor for the subsistence of life. He fought 16 men, probably killing their leader whilst in the act of firing the bridge and finally drove the enemy away without them accomplishing their fiendish purpose. He did all that a human could. "they have killed me, but i saved the bridge". He is a hero and has physically done more for the welfare of his country than any man in the Confederacy.
