Jesse Cunningham MCNEILL

                   section 1, row 12


1870 U. S. Census,  Gallatin P.O., Grand Rivers Twp, Daviess County, Missouri:   Jesse McNeill, age 29, born VA, farmer, real estate $400, personal estate $300; Sarah E., age 25, born VA, keeping house; Robert S., age 4, born MO; Elizabeth, age 1, born MO.; in household adjacent to household of William McNeill.

1880 U. S. Census, Illinois, Piatt County, Blue Ridge Township (household adjacent to Jacob VanMeter and Ann McNeill Harness):  Jesse McNeill, age 39, born KY; Sarah E., age 30, born VA; Robert S., age 14, born VA; Jesse, age 7, born MO; Catherine, age 6, born MO; Richard D., age 3, born IL.

Children as listed in Joanne Eustice, Two Brothers from New Jersey, p. 22.

McNEILL AND HIS RANGERS  (Evans, General Clement A. Ed. ; Confederate Military History Vol III p 116, Confederate Publishing Co, Atlanta, 1899)(See Notes for father, John Hanson McNeill, for earlier history of McNeill's Rangers):

His son, Lieut. Jesse C. McNeill, succeeded to the command, but on account of his youth General Early hesitated to give him full control. Chafing under this lack of confidence, young McNeill was anxious for some opportunity to display his daring, and finally it was presented. The adventure which he proposed in February, 1865, was no less than to enter the town of Cumberland, on the Potomac, and Baltimore & Ohio railroad, pass unchallenged through the garrison of 6,000 or 8,000 soldiers, and make prisoners Gens. George Crook and B. F. Kelley.

Comrade J. B. Fay, of Maryland, had proposed such a scheme to the elder McNeill, and he took part in the planning of the expedition. Fay was a native of Cumberland, and several times during the war had entered it, even remaining at one time in safety an entire week. On account of his well known courage and discretion, it was agreed that he should reconnoiter, ascertain the location of pickets, the sleeping apartments of the generals, and gain all other information necessary to success. A lad from Missouri, C. R. Hallar, a member of the Rangers, whose coolness and courage had been often tested, accompanied Fay, and without loss of time the north side of the Potomac was reached, friends were found and interviewed, the situation around Cumberland ascertained, and when the night of this adventure ended the two bold Confederates were safely away near Romney, enjoying breakfast with their friend, Vanse Herriot.
Lieutenant McNeill had been engaged during this time in selecting and preparing 25 men, well mounted and armed, whom he moved slowly toward the Potomac in the direction of Cumberland. The rendezvous was reached, where McNeill's men were joined by about 12 others from Company F. Seventh Virginia, and Company D, Eleventh Virginia, Rosser's brigade.

When Fay and Hallar had reported, a night ride was at once made over mountain and valley, on icy roads and through snow drifts of such uncertain depth on the mountain top, that the men were compelled to dismount and lead their horses. The Potomac was crossed before daylight; but notwithstanding their fatiguing haste, it was too late to reach Cumberland over the unpicketed national road, as had been planned. Dauntless, however, the men refused to abandon the enterprise, and resolved to advance on a shorter route, guarded by two lines of pickets. McNeill, Fay, Vandiver and Kuykendall riding in advance, encountered a Federal cavalry picket within two miles of Cumberland, whose challenge was first answered by "Friends from New Creek," and next by a quick charge, a pistol shot and the capture of the party. From these captured pickets the countersign "Bull's Gap" was extorted, and the prisoners themselves, mounted on their own horses, were forced to accompany the Rangers until the adventure was ended.

The second picket post, a mile nearer the city, was taken by a ruse. It consisted of five men of the First West Virginia infantry cozily enjoying the early hours before day in a shed behind a log fire. At the approach of McNeill's party one of the pickets picked up his musket and advancing a few steps made the usual formal challenge, which Kuykendall answered according to army regulations. But the Rangers continued to crowd up and with a dash closed in around the fire, capturing the pickets without firing a gun.

This success secured for McNeill the entry into the slumbering city without alarm being given. With the promptitude which the nearness of daylight demanded McNeill detailed two squads of ten men each to make the captures. Sergt. Joseph W. Kuykendall, Company F. Seventh Virginia cavalry, a special scout for Genera] Early, who knew Kelley personally, as he had once been a prisoner in his hands, was charged with the pleasure of reversing the old conditions by the capture of this general. Sergt. Joseph L. Vandiver, who had the style of a field marshal, and could easily pass for a full general, was appointed to take General Crook. Fay, Hallar and others were detailed to cut all telegraph lines, while specific instructions to guard various points were given to the remainder of the troop.

These dispositions being made, the command moved on the pike into Green Street, around the Court House hill, crossing Chain bridge, and marched up Baltimore Street, the main thoroughfare, in the dim light of approaching morning. Some people were astir, but the intrepid Rangers rode on carelessly, whistling well known Federal army tunes and now and then guying a sentinel. The first halt was made in front of the Barnum house, since then named the Windsor, where Kuykendall's squad proceeded to their work, while the others rode on to the Revere house, where General Crook was sleeping. Kuykendall's band dismounted without exciting the suspicion of the sentry, who was easily disarmed by Sprigg Lynn, the first man in advance.

Entering the hotel and going to the second floor, Major Melvin, Kelley's adjutant-general, was caught in his bed, and the information gained that the General was in the adjacent room. He was at once awakened and told that he was a prisoner. "Prisoner " said the nervous officer; "to whom am I surrendering?" Kuykendall satisfied his anxiety on that point by saying: "To Captain McNeill, by order of General Rosser."

That was so sufficient under the circumstances that the general and his adjutant were soon dressed and mounted on the horses of two troopers, who, yielding their saddle seats to their captives, rode behind out of the city.

The Revere house party penetrated that hotel without further trouble than disarming the careless sentry and having the door opened by an agitated little negro, who exclaimed: "What kind of men is you, anyhow?"

General Crook's room was entered after a courteous knock at the door, and the curt reply, " Come in, " from the general. Vandiver, Gassman, Daily, Tucker and others promptly accepted the invitation. With the air of a general in authority Vandiver addressed the surprised Federal officer by saying: "General Crook, you are my prisoner"

"By what authority, sir?" said Crook, who had not yet risen from his bed. "General Rosser, sir; Fitzhugh Lee's division of cavalry, " was Vandiver's emphatic reply. General Crook rose out of his bed in astonishment, saying: "Is General Rosser here?" "Yes, sir," said Vandiver without a moment's hesitation; "I am General Rosser. We have surprised and captured the town." General Crook could not gainsay the bold declaration and submitted at once. He said, in referring to the event at a later day, that Vandiver "looked to him like such a man as Rosser might be," and doubtless he did.

The Rangers now secured headquarter flags, and riding quietly down Baltimore street entered the government stables, and chose several fine horses, among them General Kelley's favorite charger, Philippi. All being now well mounted, the Rangers rode away more rapidly, disarming guards as they went and announcing to sentries that they were General Crook's body-guard going out to fight some rebels. Excited and jubilant, they hastened away over the snow-clad roads, pursued unavailingly by parties of Federal cavalry, and after fighting back their pursuers, or eluding them, reached a point of safety from which their distinguished prisoners were sent to General Early's headquarters.

In the twenty-four hours they had ridden ninety miles, much of the time at night, while the route traversed included mountains, hill and streams, upon which lay the snow and ice of winter.

This famous exploit, which received special mention in a report of Gen. R. E. Lee to Secretary Breckinridge, was the last notable service of the Rangers. Lieutenant McNeill now received his captain's commission, but the war presently ended, and the command was paroled.

Subsequently he married and removed to Illinois. The men returned to civil occupations and became honored citizens, in various professions and callings, not only in the Virginias and Maryland, but in other States of the North and South.

New York Times, p. 1, Wednesday, February 23, 1865:    "   The capture of Gens. Crook and Kelley at Cumberland , by rebel raiders, excites some merriment, in spite of its acrious character.  It is known that the Secretary of War has been very much dissatisfied with the frequent incursions of guerillas into the Valley of the Shenandoah, and had more than once called the attention of the Commander of the department to the necessity of being more vigilant, and of being nearer the front himself.  Only the day before the capture he had repeated his dispatches on thjois subject.  That two Major-Generals, one of them the Department Commander himself, should be quietly seized in their beds, with their staff of officers, at a point so far removed from apparent peril as Cumberland, is not creditable to their watchfulness."

Obituary, Champaign County News, March 5, 1912:   " . . .  "Captain Jesse McNeill died at 4:30 a.m., Monday at his home in Mahomet.  he had been ill for a year.

"Captain McNeill was born in Bourbon, Ky., in September, 1841.  At the age of one year his parents moved to Virginia.  In 1848 they moved to Missouri and remained there until the war when he joined General Price's command, confederate army.  He was captured soon after and placed in prison in St. Louis, but escaped and returned to Virginia, where he enlisted with the army again and was appointed captain and remained until the close of the war.  While captain he won national distinction by the successful capture of Generals Cook and Kelly at Cumberland, Va.  With sixty-five picked men he rode twenty-six miles within federal lines and escaped without the loss of a man.  After the war he came to Illinois, where he resided on a farm near Mahomet several years, afterwards moving to Mahomet.

"He was united in marriage with Miss Sherrard of Virginia in 1865.  To them were born thirteen children, six of whom survive as follows:  R. F. of Mahomet, J. C. Jr., of New Holland, R. D. of Seymour; Mrs. Kate Roberts and Mrs. Margaret Smith of Champaign, and Mrs. Sallie Bell of Garret.

"The funeral will take place at  o'clock today at Mansfield.  Interment will be made at Mansfield."