McNeill's Raiders

Confederate Captain and the leader of McNeill’s Rangers, John Hanson McNeill died from wounds received earlier on November 10^th 1864.

John Hanson McNeill was born June 12^th 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 15^th 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 18^th Virginia Cavalry on September 5^th 1862, commonly called McNeill’s Rangers.  They led attacks and made raids on Union camps, wagon trains, and railroads.

On October 3^rd 1864 while leading an early morning raid in which the McNeill Rangers attacked the Union 8^th 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 10^th 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

Take The Focus To Charlestown

The Battle of Charlestown fought October 18^th 1863 was a part of the Bristoe and Mine Run Campaigns.

General Robert E Lee sent Confederate Brigadier General John D Imboden’s cavalry on a raid into the Shenandoah Valley to attack the Union garrison at Charlestown, West Virginia.  Lee was hoping this would move some of the Union forces in his front.  Imboden got to Berryville on October 17^th 1863 where the Cavalry skirmished with a company of the Union 1^st New York Cavalry, driving them into Charlestown.  The Union Commander Colonel Benjamin L Simpson was inexperienced having been in service only 17 days, believed that Charlestown was not the target, and so choose not to move his small force to Harpers Ferry.

Imboden advanced at dawn on October 18^th 1863 driving the Union pickets in along the south of Charlestown.  The Union 9^th Maryland made a stand in the Jefferson County Courthouse, and left one company from the Loudoun Rangers Cavalry and the 6^th Michigan Cavalry to “take care of themselves”.  Imboden offered to negotiate a surrender with Simpson, but the Union General refused.  The Union Cavalry tried to fight their way out of Charlestown and head for Harpers Ferry, but northeast of town they ran into the Confederate 18^th Virginia Cavalry and the 62^nd Virginia Mounted.  The Union troopers found a weak spot in the Confederate right, cutting their way out.  The Cavalry lost 2 men killed, and 17 made prisoners.

Imboden still in Charlestown had his artillery brought up, and demanded the Union surrender a second time.  When Simpson turned him down again Imboden had the town shelled.  Under fire Simpson abandoned the courthouse and moved his men to a field near where the cavalry had fought.  Imboden had men in the woods facing the field, they fired and deadly volley into the Union soldiers.  Simpson finally surrendered.

The remains of the 6^th Michigan and Loudoun Rangers were joined by the 17^th Indiana Battery and Cole’s Maryland Cavalry from Harpers Ferry, arrived to reinforce the garrison, but were about 15 minutes to late.  There was a fierce fight throughout the afternoon, but they were not able to drive Imboden off.  Around 5 pm the 34^th Massachusetts Infantry arrived at the fight having marched 18 miles from Barrysville.  They attacked Imboden, who choose withdraw under the cover of darkness with his prisoners and supplies stolen from Charlestown.