[3] Keane stayed on the half pay of the 73rd until 7 November 1799 when he exchanged into the 44th Regiment of Foot, which was stationed at Gibraltar.

The regiment sailed to join the Egypt campaign in October, and while Keane went with them he did so as aide de camp to Lord Cavan and served under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby.

Keane continued with his brigade until replaced by Major-General Thomas Brisbane on 23 March 1813, at which point he finally took up the 5th Battalion of the 60th.

The War of 1812 in North America was still however ongoing, and in April Keane was initially planned to be part of the reinforcements sent over to fight in it.

While travelling there he learned at Madeira that after defeat at the Battle of Baltimore and the death there of Major-General Robert Ross, the remnants of the main British force had retreated to Jamaica.

[3] Keane took command of these troops upon his arrival on 25 November and took his enlarged force to the Mississippi River where they landed on 8 December.

At the Battle of New Orleans on 8 January 1815 Keane commanded the left assaulting column and was severely wounded in the groin.

Returning to Europe, Keane missed the Battle of Waterloo but was afterwards selected as a casualty replacement in the army.

[4] The Duke of Wellington wrote to Keane saying that:I assure you that it was with the greatest pain that I gave the order to remove you from the Staff of this army.

It will always give me the greatest pleasure to have your assistance again[5]Keane's next official duties came in 1818 when on 19 January he was appointed Governor of Saint Lucia.

On 22 July 1830 Keane was promoted to lieutenant-general and he returned to England, having also been appointed colonel of the 94th Regiment of Foot the prior year.

[5] When the First Afghan War began later in the year, in December Keane brought a portion of his force to join the Army of the Indus that had been created for the conflict.

[4][6] Keane captured Kabul on 6 August and after leaving a garrison force in the country he returned with the Bombay Army to India.

News travelling slowly, it was only after his return in 1840 that he learned he had been created Baron Keane on 12 August the previous year.