John McNeil Jr.

John McNeil Jr. (March 25, 1784 – February 23, 1850) was an officer in the United States Army. He distinguished himself in leading the bayonet charge which secured victory in the Battle of Chippewa. For his conduct in this battle, and in that of the Battle of Bridgewater, where he was severely wounded, he was successively brevetted as lieutenant colonel and colonel.[1][2] In 1824 he received the brevet rank of brigadier general in recognition of his superior service as a brevet colonel for 10 years. He later received appointment as Surveyor of the Port of Boston, a post he held from 1830 to 1841. The husband of Elizabeth Andrews Pierce, son-in-law of Governor Benjamin Pierce, and brother-in-law of President Franklin Pierce, after retiring McNeil lived at the Pierce family home in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. He died in Washington, D.C., on February 23, 1850, and was buried at Congressional Cemetery in Washington.

John McNeil Jr.
Portrait on display at the New Hampshire State House. Painted by Henry Willard, and donated by McNeil's daughters
Born(1784-03-25)March 25, 1784
Hillsborough, New Hampshire, US
DiedFebruary 23, 1850(1850-02-23) (aged 65)
Washington, D.C., US
Place of burial
Congressional Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1807–1830
RankColonel Brevet Brigadier General
Unit11th U.S. Infantry 1st U.S. Infantry
Commands held1st U.S. Infantry
Battles/warsWar of 1812
RelationsBenjamin Pierce (father in law)
Franklin Pierce (brother in law)
Benjamin Kendrick Pierce (brother in law)
Other workSurveyor of the Port of Boston

War of 1812

He was born Hillsborough, New Hampshire. McNeil was educated in Hillsborough, served in the New Hampshire militia from 1801 to 1812, and attained the rank of captain. He entered the United States Army as a captain in the 11th U.S. Infantry regiment on March 12, 1812. He was appointed major on August 15, 1813.[3][4]

Battle of Chippawa

General Winfield Scott having given the necessary orders, cried out to the battalion of Major McNeil—the 11th infantry, which had not a recruit in it—on the left,— " The enemy say we are good at long shot, but cannot stand the cold iron! I call upon the Eleventh instantly to give the lie to that slander !"—" Charge!" he added, as the shot from Towson's guns ploughed through and through the British ranks. " Charge !—Charge!" he repeated in thundering tones, rising up in his stirrups, and waving his men on with his sword.[5]

This masterly charge, so well conceived and executed, put an end to the contest. The front lines of the enemy staggered, and rolled back in a confused mass on the reserve. All caught the infection of defeat, and the slope leading down to the Chippewa was soon darkened by a cloud of fugitives. The pursuit was ordered, but was checked when the Americans reached the stream, by the hostile batteries that frowned on the opposite shore.[5]

General Scott and his men held their ground manfully, till the arrival of General Brown, who had hurried forward with his suite, in advance of the brigades of Generals Ripley and Porter, as soon as the firing was heard. Meanwhile, the 11th and 22nd infantry, under Colonel Brady and Major John McNeil Jr., both of whom were severely wounded, having expended their ammunition, were withdrawn from action, and the whole brunt of the battle in front, was sustained by the 9th infantry, commanded by Major Leavenworth.[5]

Major General Jacob Brown's Report To The Secretary Of War, July 7, 1814:

"...I cannot deprive myself of the pleasure of saying that... Major McNeil the 11th. Col. Campbell [of the 11th] was wounded early in the action, gallantly leading on his regiment."[2][3][4]

He was brevetted lieutenant colonel for the Battle of Chippawa July 5, 1814.[6]

Battle of Lundy's Lane

For the Battle of Lundy's Lane July 25, 1814, in which his leg was severely wounded, he was brevetted Colonel.[4][6]

Post-war service

McNeil was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel 1st U.S. Infantry on February 24, 1818. He received the brevet of Brigadier General on July 25, 1824, to recognize 10 years of superior service as a brevet colonel. he was promoted to the permanent rank of Colonel as commander of the 1st U. S. Infantry on April 28, 1826.[7][8]

Post-military career

He was appointed Surveyor of the Port of Boston in 1829 and resigned his Army commission on April 23, 1830. McNeil was a Democrat, and held his patronage appointment until 1841, when he was replaced as a result of the Whig victory in the 1840 presidential election.

McNeil later resided at the Pierce family home in Hillsborough, and was active in Democratic Party politics.

He died in Washington, D.C., February 23, 1850,[4] and was buried in Washington's Congressional Cemetery.

Family

In 1811 McNeil married Elizabeth Andrews Pierce (1788–1855), the daughter of Governor Benjamin Pierce and his first wife. Elizabeth A. Pierce was the half-sister of President Franklin Pierce and Colonel Benjamin Kendrick Pierce.[9]

The children of John McNeil Jr. and Elizabeth Andrews Pierce included:

  • John Winfield Scott McNeil (1817–1837), an Army First Lieutenant who was killed in action during the Second Seminole War.
  • Frances Maria McNeil (c.1818–1892), the wife of New Hampshire Judge Chandler Eastman Potter.[10][11]
  • Benjamin Pierce McNeil (1825–1853), who studied law in New Hampshire and served as an officer in the New Hampshire Militia before joining the Army. He died in Boston while serving as a First Lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery.[12]
  • Elizabeth A. McNeil (1820–1915), the wife of Brigadier General Henry Washington Benham.[13]

References
  1. Godwin, Parke, The cyclopaedia of biography: a record of the lives of eminent persons, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1880.
  2. Ripley, George, The American Cyclopaedia a Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge, D. Appleton and Company, 1875.
  3. Drake, Francis Samuel,Dictionary of American biography, including men of the time: containing nearly ten thousand notices of persons of both sexes, of native and foreign birth, who have been remarkable, or prominently connected with the arts, sciences, literature, politics, or history, of the American continent, J.R. Osgood and company, 1876.
  4. Walton, Eliakim Persons, Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont: Record of the Governor and Council ... 1813-1822 Volume 6 of Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont, Vermont. Council of Safety, 1777-1778, Authors Vermont, Vermont. Conventions, 1775-1777, Vermont Council of Safety, 1777-1778, Vermont. Governor, Vermont. Supreme Executive Council, Vermont. Board of War, 1779-1783, J. & J. M. Poland, 1879.
  5. Jenkins, John Stilwell, Jackson and the generals of the War of 1812", J.L. Gihon, 1854.
  6. Paul G. Pierpaoli jr. McNeil, John in John C. Fredriksen (ed.) The Encyclopedia of the War of 1812: A Political, Social, and Military History, ABC-CLIO, 2012 p. 459 ISBN 9781851099566
  7. Powell, William Henry, List of officers of the army of the United States from 1779 to 1900, L. R. Hamersly & co., 1900.
  8. Heitman, Francis Bernard, Historical register of the United States Army: from its organization, September 29, 1789, to September 29, 1889, The National Tribune, 1890.
  9. Stearns, Ezra S. (1908). Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire, Volume 3. Lewis Publishing Company. p. 1086.
  10. "Death Notice, Frances McNeil Potter". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 28 March 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  11. The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Volume XIII. James T. White & Company. 1906. p. 137.
  12. Potter, Chandler E. (1856). The History of Manchester. C. E. Potter. p. 188.
  13. New York State Society, Sons of the American Revolution (1894). Yearbook: Sons of the American Revolution. The Republic Press. p. 63.
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