John McNeil Jr. (March 25, 1784 – February 23, 1850) was an officer in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. He distinguished himself in leading the bayonet charge which secured victory in the

Battle of Chippewa The Battle of Chippawa, also known as the Battle of Chippewa, was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during its invasion on July 5, 1814, of the British Empire's colony of Upper Canada along the Niagara River. This battle ...

. 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.Ripley, George, ''The American Cyclopaedia a Popular Dictionary of General Knowledge'', D. Appleton and Company, 1875. In 1824 he received the brevet rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in recognition of his superior service as a brevet colonel for 10 years. He later received appointment as Surveyor of the

Port of Boston The Port of Boston ( AMS Seaport Code: 0401, UN/LOCODE: US BOS) is a major seaport located in Boston Harbor and adjacent to the City of Boston. It is the largest port in Massachusetts and one of the principal ports on the East Coast of the United ...

, 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 Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

, after retiring McNeil lived at the Pierce family home in

Hillsborough, New Hampshire Hillsborough, frequently spelled Hillsboro, is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,939 at the 2020 census. The town is home to Fox State Forest and part of Low State Forest. The main village of the t ...

. He died in Washington, D.C. on February 23, 1850, and was buried at

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...

in Washington.

War of 1812

He was born

. McNeil was educated in Hillsborough, served in the New Hampshire militia from 1801 to 1812, and attained the rank of captain. He entered the

as a captain in the

11th U.S. Infantry The 11th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army. In 2007, the 11th Infantry was reflagged as the 199th Infantry Brigade, as part of the "Transformation of the US Army" effort. Today, the 11th Infantry Regiment is part of the ...

regiment on March 12, 1812. He was appointed major on August 15, 1813.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.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.

Battle of Chippawa

General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

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.Jenkins, John Stilwell, ''Jackson and the generals of the War of 1812", J.L. Gihon, 1854. 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. 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. Major General

Jacob Brown Jacob Jennings Brown (May 9, 1775 – February 24, 1828) was known for his victories as an American army officer in the War of 1812, where he reached the rank of general. His successes on the northern border during that war made him a national ...

'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 f the 11thwas wounded early in the action, gallantly leading on his regiment." He was

brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

lieutenant colonel for the

Battle of Chippawa The Battle of Chippawa, also known as the Battle of Chippewa, was a victory for the United States Army in the War of 1812, during its invasion on July 5, 1814, of the British Empire's colony of Upper Canada along the Niagara River. This battle a ...

July 5, 1814.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

Battle of Lundy's Lane

For the

Battle of Lundy's Lane The Battle of Lundy's Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara, was a battle fought on 25 July 1814, during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one o ...

July 25, 1814, in which his leg was severely wounded, he was brevetted Colonel.

Post-war service

McNeil was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel

1st U.S. Infantry :''This article deals with the history of the current 1st Infantry Regiment of the United States Army. For the history of an earlier 1st Infantry Regiment, see 3rd US Infantry'' The 1st Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army ...

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.

Post-military career

He was appointed Surveyor of the

in 1829 and resigned his Army commission on April 23, 1830. McNeil was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, 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, and was buried in Washington's

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

and Colonel

Benjamin Kendrick Pierce Benjamin Kendrick Pierce (August 29, 1790 – April 1, 1850) was a career officer in the United States Army. He was a son of New Hampshire Governor Benjamin Pierce and brother of President Franklin Pierce. Benjamin K. Pierce was a veteran of the ...

. 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. *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. *Elizabeth A. McNeil (1820-1915), the wife of Brigadier General

Henry Washington Benham Henry Washington Benham (April 17, 1813 – July 1, 1884) was an American soldier and civil engineer who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Biography Benham was born at Cheshire, Connecticut. He graduated at the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNeil, John Jr. 1784 births 1850 deaths United States Army personnel of the War of 1812 United States Army generals People from Hillsborough, New Hampshire New Hampshire Democrats Burials at the Congressional Cemetery