Thomas H. Neill
Encyclopedia
Thomas Hewson Neill, a native of Pennsylvania, became a general in the American Civil War
, serving in the Army of the Potomac
in some of its most important campaigns.
on April 9, 1826. Educated in local schools, he attended the University of Pennsylvania
before transferring to the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
. He graduated 27th of a class numbering 38 members in 1847. Neill served on the frontier, usually with the 5th U.S. Infantry, before the outbreak of the Civil War. He also taught briefly at West Point. At the outbreak of the war Neill was a captain, having reached that rank on April 1, 1857.
in the Department of Pennsylvania. Then he was made colonel
of the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry, which he led in Darius Couch’s division of IV Corps
Army of the Potomac in the Peninsula Campaign
and the Seven Days Battles
. Neill was injured in the ankle at the Battle of Malvern Hill
. Neill next served under Couch in the Maryland Campaign
. He became a brigade commander in the second division of BG Albion Howe in VI Corps
at the Battle of Fredericksburg
. Neill was promoted to the rank of brigadier general
on April 15, 1863, his rank postdated to November 29, 1862. During the Chancellorsville Campaign, Neill brigade led the advance of Howe’s division at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg
, also known as the Second Battle of Marye's Heights, when VI Corps, under MG John Sedgwick
drove Jubal Early’s division away from the Heights. His brigade also fought in the Battle of Salem Church
. Neill has his horse shot from under him in the fight for Scott's Ford, Sedgwick's means of escaping across the Rappahannock River
from converging Confederate attacks.
VI Corps served as the army’s reserve in the Battle of Gettysburg
. By the end of the battle, Neill’s brigade was on the far right flank of the army’s infantry line, positioned on Wolf Hill. It engaged in skirmishing with the Confederates of Edward Johnson
's division, which was engaged on Culp's Hill
. Neill Avenue, on Wolf Hill, in the Gettysburg National Military Park
is named for him. Neill led John Baillie McIntosh
's cavalry brigade, his own brigade and some artillery in the pursuit of the Confederate army toward Fairfield Gap beginning on July 5, 1863. His report for Gettysburg emphasizes that part of the campaign.http://www.civilwarhome.com/neillgettysburgor.htm
When VI Corps was reorganized in the winter of 1863-1864, Neill retained his brigade; but Howe was replaced by BG George Getty
. Getty was wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness
, and Neill commanded his division for most of the Overland Campaign
of Ulysses S. Grant
. Getty returned early in the Siege of Petersburg
, and Neill became a staff officer in XVIII Corps
of the Army of the James
. Then he served as inspector general
on the staff of MG Philip Sheridan
in the Valley Campaigns of 1864
. There is no record of his service in the Civil War after December 1864. He received brevet
promotion as a major general
of volunteers and brigadier of regulars for his war service on March 13, 1865.
After the war, Neill reverted to regular service as a major in the infantry. (He had been promoted to that rank on August 26, 1863.) He became lieutenant colonel
of the 1st U.S. Infantry on February 22, 1869. Neill became a cavalry commander, leading the 8th U.S. Cavalry beginning in 1879, when he became a colonel
. He also was commandant of cadets at West Point for four years. Neill served in Texas
before retiring on disability in 1883. Neill died in Philadelphia on March 12, 1885. He is buried at West Point.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, serving in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
in some of its most important campaigns.
Birth and early years
Neill was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on April 9, 1826. Educated in local schools, he attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
before transferring to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. He graduated 27th of a class numbering 38 members in 1847. Neill served on the frontier, usually with the 5th U.S. Infantry, before the outbreak of the Civil War. He also taught briefly at West Point. At the outbreak of the war Neill was a captain, having reached that rank on April 1, 1857.
Civil War
When the war began, Neill served on the staff of the Department of Annapolis and then on the staff of Gen George CadwaladerGeorge Cadwalader
George Cadwalader was a general in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War and American Civil War.-Biography:He was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, studied law, and was admitted to the bar...
in the Department of Pennsylvania. Then he was made colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry, which he led in Darius Couch’s division of IV Corps
IV Corps (ACW)
There were two corps of the Union Army called IV Corps during the American Civil War. They were separate units, one serving with the Army of the Potomac and the Department of Virginia in the Eastern Theater, 1862–63, the other with the Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater,...
Army of the Potomac in the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
and the Seven Days Battles
Seven Days Battles
The Seven Days Battles was a series of six major battles over the seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, away from...
. Neill was injured in the ankle at the Battle of Malvern Hill
Battle of Malvern Hill
The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter's Farm, took place on July 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, on the seventh and last day of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. Gen. Robert E. Lee launched a series of disjointed assaults on the nearly impregnable...
. Neill next served under Couch in the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
. He became a brigade commander in the second division of BG Albion Howe in VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)
The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Formation:The corps was organized as the Sixth Provisional Corps on May 18, 1862, by uniting Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin's Division, which had just arrived on the Virginia Peninsula, with Maj. Gen. William F. Smith's...
at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
. Neill was promoted to the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
on April 15, 1863, his rank postdated to November 29, 1862. During the Chancellorsville Campaign, Neill brigade led the advance of Howe’s division at the Second Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg II
-References:** Catton, Bruce. Glory Road. Garden City, NY: Doubleday and Company, 1952. ISBN 0-385-04167-5.* * -External links:* *...
, also known as the Second Battle of Marye's Heights, when VI Corps, under MG John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He was the highest ranking Union casualty in the Civil War, killed by a sniper at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.-Early life:Sedgwick was born in the Litchfield Hills town of...
drove Jubal Early’s division away from the Heights. His brigade also fought in the Battle of Salem Church
Battle of Salem Church
The Battle of Salem Church, also known as the Battle of Banks' Ford, took place on May 3–4, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, as part of the Chancellorsville Campaign of the American Civil War....
. Neill has his horse shot from under him in the fight for Scott's Ford, Sedgwick's means of escaping across the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
from converging Confederate attacks.
VI Corps served as the army’s reserve in the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. By the end of the battle, Neill’s brigade was on the far right flank of the army’s infantry line, positioned on Wolf Hill. It engaged in skirmishing with the Confederates of Edward Johnson
Edward Johnson (general)
Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
's division, which was engaged on Culp's Hill
Culp's Hill
Culps Hill is a Battle of Gettysburg landform south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a heavily wooded summit of . The east slope is to Rock Creek , 160 feet lower in elevation, and the west slope is to a saddle with Stevens Knoll with a summit lower than the Culps Hill summit...
. Neill Avenue, on Wolf Hill, in the Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery...
is named for him. Neill led John Baillie McIntosh
John Baillie McIntosh
John Baillie McIntosh , although born in Florida, served as a Union Army brigadier general in the American Civil War. His brother, James M...
's cavalry brigade, his own brigade and some artillery in the pursuit of the Confederate army toward Fairfield Gap beginning on July 5, 1863. His report for Gettysburg emphasizes that part of the campaign.http://www.civilwarhome.com/neillgettysburgor.htm
When VI Corps was reorganized in the winter of 1863-1864, Neill retained his brigade; but Howe was replaced by BG George Getty
George Getty
George Franklin Getty was an American lawyer, father of industrialist J. Paul Getty and patriarch of the Getty family.-George Franklin Getty:...
. Getty was wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
, and Neill commanded his division for most of the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. Getty returned early in the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, and Neill became a staff officer in XVIII Corps
XVIII Corps (ACW)
XVIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War.- Origins and makeup :The XVIII Corps was created on December 24, 1862, and initially composed of five divisions stationed in North Carolina, making it one of the largest in the Union Army , placed under the command of General...
of the Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
. Then he served as inspector general
Inspector General
An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...
on the staff of MG Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
in the Valley Campaigns of 1864
Valley Campaigns of 1864
The Valley Campaigns of 1864 were American Civil War operations and battles that took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia from May to October 1864. Military historians divide this period into three separate campaigns, but it is useful to consider the three together and how they...
. There is no record of his service in the Civil War after December 1864. He received brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
promotion as a major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of volunteers and brigadier of regulars for his war service on March 13, 1865.
After the war, Neill reverted to regular service as a major in the infantry. (He had been promoted to that rank on August 26, 1863.) He became lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the 1st U.S. Infantry on February 22, 1869. Neill became a cavalry commander, leading the 8th U.S. Cavalry beginning in 1879, when he became a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
. He also was commandant of cadets at West Point for four years. Neill served in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
before retiring on disability in 1883. Neill died in Philadelphia on March 12, 1885. He is buried at West Point.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals