Confederate
Captain and the leader of McNeill’s Rangers, John Hanson McNeill died from
wounds received earlier on November 10th 1864.
John Hanson
McNeill was born June 12th 1815 in Moorefield, Hardy County,
Virginia [now a part of West Virginia], the son of Strother and Amy (Pugh)
McNeill. He was known in the family as
Hanse. He moved first in 1838 to Bourbon
County, Kentucky, and then in 1848 to Boone County, Missouri, where he went
into the cattle business, and would become a Methodist minister.
When the
Civil War started McNeill commanded Company B in the 4th Missouri State
Guard. He was with them at Boonville,
Carthage, Lexington and the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. While on recruiting duty he was captured and
held as a prisoner of war in St Louis, Missouri, before escaping June 15th
1862, and traveling back to Virginia.
McNeill went to Richmond, Virginia where he requested permission to form
an independent command to operate in West Virginia. Richmond gave him command of Company E in the
18th Virginia Cavalry on September 5th 1862, commonly
called McNeill’s Rangers. They led
attacks and made raids on Union camps, wagon trains, and railroads.
On October 3rd
1864 while leading an early morning raid in which the McNeill Rangers attacked
the Union 8th Ohio Cavalry that was guarding the bridge at Meems
Bottom near the town of Jackson, Virginia, McNeill was wounded. He was taken first to the home of Reverend Addison
Weller, and then moved to Hill’s Hotel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was there over a month later that McNeill
died on November 10th 1864.
He was first buried in Harrisonburg, but a few months later his body was
moved to the Olivet Cemetery in Moorefield, West Virginia.
If you’re
interested in reading more, check out The McNeill Rangers: A Study in Confederate Guerrilla Warfare
4 comments:
Inconceivable points. Sound arguments. Keep going the truly amazing work.Gettysburg Museum of History
The 14th PA cavalry was also there at Meeks Bottom Bridge...The historic marker is wrong...A detachment of the 14th....Robert Monahan was captured and paroled. ... The marker was placed with facts in error.... God bless all those men....
Brian Monahan...704 Washington St. EASTON, pa...
My great was captured there...14th PA Cavalry detachment...The Historic Marker is wrong..... Call me to change it....610.258.5329...
Brian Monahan...704 Washington St. EASTON, pa...
My great was captured there...14th PA Cavalry detachment...The Historic Marker is wrong..... Call me to change it....610.258.5329...
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