Samuel Ryan Curtis was born in 1803, attended West Point from 1826 to 1830, served as a colonel in the Mexican War, became mayor of Keokuk and a member of Congress, was colonel of the 2nd Iowa Infantry and brigadier general in 1861, major general from 1862 to 1866, and died in 1866. Keokuk honored its soldiers of 1861 to 1865, including Company A, 1st Iowa Cavalry; Company C, 3rd Iowa Cavalry; Company A, 2nd Iowa Infantry; Company H, 6th Iowa Infantry; Company E, 7th Iowa Infantry; Company I, 15th Iowa Infantry; Company C, 17th Iowa Infantry; Company A, 18th Iowa Infantry; Company A, 30th Iowa Infantry; Company C, 37th Iowa Infantry; Company C, 45th Iowa Infantry; Company F, 7th Missouri Infantry; Company H, 10th Missouri Infantry; Company H, 15th Missouri Infantry; and Company C, 10th U.S. Infantry.