Campaign, on December 12, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln nominated Keifer for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from October 19, 1864, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on February 14, 1865. When the VI Corps returned to the Army of the Potomac General Truman Seymour was placed in command of the 3rd Division and Keifer returned to command the 2nd Brigade, taking part in the breakthrough at Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign. Keifer was breveted as a major general, to rank from April 9, 1865, in recognition of his contributions to the campaign. Political career Following the Civil War, Keifer returned to Springfield and resumed his law practice. From 1873 until his death, he served as a trustee of Antioch College. In 1876 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention and the next year went to Congress. From 1881 to 1883 during the 47th United States Congress, Keifer served as the 47th Speaker of the House of Representatives. During his early House years, Keifer was a member of the congressional "Stalwart" faction of the Republican Party led by New York senator Roscoe Conkling. In 1881, Keifer sparred with Maine colleague Thomas Brackett Reed for the position of U.S. House Speaker. He was selected by intraparty colleagues on the 16th ballot, and proclaimed upon mounting the Speaker's rostrum that he would try: Spanish–American War During the Spanish–American War, President William McKinley appointed Keifer major general of volunteers on June 9, 1898. He commanded the 7th Army Corps and the American forces that marched into Havana after Spanish forces withdrew on Jan. 1, 1899. Return to politics After returning to private life on May 12, 1899, he published Slavery and Four Years of War, in 1900. The book was both a commentary on the history of slavery in the United States as well as an autobiography of his experiences during the Civil War. He served as the first commander in chief of the United Spanish War Veterans from 1900 to 1901 and in 1903 and 1904 as the Ohio commander of the Loyal Legion. He again ran and was elected to Congress and served from March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1911. Later life After his political career, Keifer again resumed his law practice and served as the president of the Lagonda National Bank in Springfield, Ohio. He died April 22, 1932