"A HISTORY OF THE McNEAL FAMILY IN AMERICA" Descendants of: Andrew McNeil/McNeal & Margaret McDonald or McDaniels Written by Bernice McNeal Bryant Includes an unpublished manuscript written by Franklin McNeal (written between September 1879 and June 1881). Andrew MCNEAL was a native of Scotland and was a Scottish Nobleman (A man of wealth and rank). In the Scottish rebellions headed by Charles Stewart, he took an active part with the insurrection for which his property was confiscated and he was banished. He came to America and settled in Pennsylvania. His family consisted of his wife Margaret McDaniel and one daughter Elizabeth. About a month after they landed in America, twin sons were born, named John and James - or John and William: there is some controversy as to the names but I am of the opinion that the name of James and that in after years John named his oldest son James for his twin brother. Not being accustomed to work he found it vary hard to support his family. Of his life and after his settlement in America of the time and circumstances of his death nothing is known. Neither have I any information of the death of his wife (her name before marriage was Margaret McDaniel or McDonald or of any of the ancestry in Scotland so that it is with John and his descendants that this history will delineate. Owing to the extreme poverty of the family, (John's parents) he was put out to be raised by a neighbor woman who had lost a child about the same age, and later was apprenticed to the tanners trade. There is not much known of his life until he was fourteen years of age. He was captured by the Delaware Indians and remained with them 7 or 8 yrs. His capture must of been in 1756 or 1757 and he remained with the Indians until the Boquett Treaty in November 1764 by the terms of which the whites were to give up all prisoners and the Indians were to give up their prisoners also. Had it been left to his own choice he probably would have remained with the Indians, as they were always very kind to him. When he was first captured be was adopted into an Indian family who had lost a son about the same age. Circumstances of his capture by the Indians: It seems to have been a custom among the boys, and men also, to try to scare each other by running and hallooing “Indians!” He, the hero of this history, John McNeal and another boy had been sent out to tap sugar-maple trees, not fearing Indians so early in the season, it being the month of February 1756 or 1757. They had completed their work and were returning to the fort when the other boy ran past him yelling, “INDIANS!” Thinking it was only a ruse, he did not even look around and did not know of the presence of Indians until one ran past him in quest of the other boy, who succeeded in making his escape. As the boy passed through the gate of the fort the Indian threw his tomahawk at him and it stuck in the post of the gate. Some incidents of his Indian life may be of interest to those who may read this narrative. Perhaps that of his Indian history most interesting and important was a trip to the far west. His home or the place he called home was at the falls of Big Beaver Creek in western Pennsylvania but much of the time was spent in the wandering fashion of life. Of his western trip there were three Indian Chiefs; a Delaware, a Wyandot, and a Cherokee (I think), with him and another white boy named John ROGERS as waiters or servants. They traveled through was is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Dakota and Montana to the head waters of the Missouri River. He know nothing of the names of many of the rivers they crossed. The Mississippi and Missouri were described as “two big rivers.” One traditions says they went as far as Great Slave Lake in northwestern Canada. He mentioned the western country as very cold and disagreeable. It took three years to make the journey and they visited all the principal Indian towns and had consultations with all notable chiefs’ during their journey which the white boys were not permitted to attend. He never knew what the object of the journey was unless it was to unite the different tribes of Indians in a general war against the whites, as they could see that the whites were constantly encroaching on their hunting grounds and driving them farther and father back. If that was the object of the trip the visit was a failure. He used to tell some incidents of his trip which were interesting, showing the hardships of such a wandering life. When the Indians came to what they called the “Wabash Barrens” or Illinois prairie lands they know enough of the country to know in order to camp in the timber where they could have fire they must cross the barrens in the day, so they camped in the last skirt of timber and would start the next morning when the “heath-hens” (prairie chickens) began to crow. They walked as fast as they could until late in the afternoon when the Indians took his and Roger’s packs and guns from them and told them they must run. They ran as fast as they could until dark when they came to the timber and water where they stopped to camp. After resting for a while the Indians told Rogers to go to the stream for water but he was so stiff and sore he could not rise from the ground; the Indians told him to go, so with much difficulty he arose and would walk a very little. They told him to sit and they went for the water and wood themselves. The next day they traveled but a short distance. During his Indian life he visited Niagara Falls several times. On one occasion he told of his Indian floating down the river in a bark canoe with a jug of whiskey (fire water). Through carelessness he got so close to the falls that he found he must go over. He threw down his canoe paddle and took up his jug and drank all he could so as to go to the ‘happy hunting ground’ in good Indian fashion. At one time he and the celebrated Indian Chief “White Eyes’ (so called because he had blue eyes) in their bark canoe floated down the Ohio River on one of its extremely high floods and camped one night where Marietta, Ohio now stands. He marked the height of the water at the time. The river was never known to be so high again until the flood of 1832. They then proceeded on down the river going over the falls where Louisville, Kentucky now stand, in the night. He spent one winter in what is now Tennessee. He liked the country there much better than in the extreme northwest, or his Pennsylvania home. He had many exciting experiences in stream and chase during his Indian life. One one occasion the Indians found a hollow tree with the top broken off and with the appearance that it might be the habitation of bears. With their tomahawks they cut a small tree that was against the large one; then he went up the small one and ran a pole down the hollow in the large tree. He soon punched the bear and heard him start to climb out, so he slid down the small tree, but unexpectedly slid against a limb which stopped his progress. The bear came to the top, put out his paw and took the boy by the shoulder, leaving the mark of three nails to the elbow. The Indians were prepared with their guns and brought the bear down before he could get another hold. On another occasion while hunting in the month of June he lay down to rest and began imitating the bleat of the fawn or young deer. Hearing a noise behind him he looked around and saw a young bear a few feet from him. He sprang to a tree, the bear after him; then began a race around the tree, the bear after him but could not catch him. Circling the tree several times the bear became much enraged; he threw his paws around the tree and began gnawing the bark. That gave the hunter an opportunity hand he chopped off one of the bear’s paws with his tomahawk. This so enraged the bear that he started around the tree again but this time in the opposite direction which gave the hunter the advantage of a right-handed blow with his tomahawk in the bear’s head which killed the bear. Of his western trip he always spoke in very severe terms, as he suffered much with cold and hunger. He told of the snow drifting in the valleys until the deer could feed on the branches of the small trees, the snow crusting over until it would hold them up. The Indians would get the deer to running where they would break through the crusted snow. Then they would run up and kill the deer with their tomahawks. After his release from the Indians he returned to Philadelphia and bound himself as an apprentice to the blacksmith and bell makers trade - his apprenticeship to last four years and his boss was to teach him to read, write and cipher, as an education was then called. Upon completion of his apprenticeship he tried to find his people. His father was dead. He saw his sister once. His mother visited him several times in Philadelphia but he never saw his twin brother after his capture by the Indians. The Indian numerals or their way of counting as far as ten was thus: killy (1), kooty (2), nishy (3), nashy (4), nooshy (5), nawy (6), plany (7), cooshkunk (8), pash kunk (9), Telant (10). During his captivity he learned the Indian language thoroughly and he was chief interpreter in Dunmore’s Campaign against the Indians at Chillicothe, Ohio and Point Pleasant, Virginia and also in the Revolutionary War when it was necessary to converse with the Indians. During the Revolutionary War he was engaged at his trade as a gunsmith and had the name of making the smallest bullet guns then in use. An anecdote is told of how he learned to weld gunbarrels which was then carefully guarded as a great secret and was done with closed doors. Through a crack between the divisions of the shop he watched the process and afterwards had the name of being very skillful in one of the fine arts. At that time there were no factory made guns. As to this history this far, I am somewhat indebted to my cousins Edwin J. Mansfield and Austin J. Pickett. They were grandsons of the hero of this narrative John McNeal. Pickett says the name was spelled. “McNEIL” until after his release from the Indians but I have never heard it from any other source. Having gone this far in his history whether it be right or wrong we will now proceed with him as a citizen with a family and as a mechanic. After completing his trade as a blacksmith he settled in western Maryland where he was married to Miss Anna HOWELL, a daughter of William HOWELL who “lived on the Potomac”, said to be of Welsh extraction - another legend says “Pennsylvania Dutch” - a pioneer settler of the wilds of the new country. He (John) carried on a shop there for some years and at the outbreak of the Indian War he volunteered with Governor Dunmore - Virginia in the summer of 1774. He was in the battles of Fort Pitt where Point Pleasant, West Virginia now stands, at the mouth of the Great Chanukah River. Governor Dunmore at that time commanded an expedition against the Indians at Chillicothe, Ohio. After the battles were fought and won, the volunteers of the army were disbanded with nothing but their guns and powder and left to make their way across the Ohio River and Allegheny Mountains to their homes. In this campaign he met his old Indian friend “White Eyes”, and Indian Chief with blue eyes, one of the chiefs of the western expedition before mentioned. Here White Eyes saved Dunmore’s army from defeat or rather annihilation. A few miles below Chillicothe there was a very narrow place between the river and hill; the side-hill being very rocky. Dunmore was about to march his army single file through this narrow defile. White Eyes seeing the danger begged for and got the command of Dunmore’s army. He divided it into three divisions, marched on division to the top of the hill, one at the bottom and the other midway of the hill. The Indians had secreted themselves and intended to capture and defeat the whole army, but by arrangement their plans were foiled and they soon sent a delegation asking for peace. We now take him up as an emigrant to the country “Northwest of the Ohio River.” There is no record to tell how he with his family crossed the Allegheny Mountains. When he got to the Allegheny River, he in company with some other immigrant families built a boat and floated down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers to Marietta, Ohio, arriving there in the spring of 1796 or 1797.* (See note below) He went to the Land Office of the Ohio Company and drew 100 acres of donation land, Lot No. 28 of the “allotment between Rainbow and Waterford” now in Waterford Township, Washington County, Ohio. At that time of making the allotment of the land he knew nothing of the location or whereabouts of his land so moved from Marietta to near Stanleyville in what is now Fearing township and lived there two years. During that time he learned of his own land in the spring of 1799 moved into a deserted log cabin which stood on 100 acre Lot No. 54 of Rainbow Creek allotment now owned by Joseph Schwindelman which joined his land on the south. He then commenced clearing and improving his land and finally built a log house, moved into it and make it his home during the remainder of his life. In moving from Stanleyville to their cabin home before spoken of, the family had hard luck. The narrative does not say how they got from Stanleyville to the Muskingum River at or near where Devol’s Dam now stands. But they were met there by Ebinezer STARLIN with a heavy cart and three yoke of oxen. They had not proceeded far until the cart broke down and they were obliged to unload. They stored their clothing etc. in a hollow log. They had not proceeded very far when there came up a fearful thunder storm which sent Devol’s Run to its high water mark and carried away the log and everything they had except what they had carried with them. This left them the poorest of poor. As has been stated before in this narrative he was married to Anna HOWELL, daughter of William HOWELL of (I think) Maryland. As to the date of their marriage, I do not know. Their children were: James, who never married, and died at about thirty years of age; Elizabeth, died at nineteen years of age; John, never married; Mary, died at five years of age; Margaret and Susannah twins; Anna; Sarah; William; Andrew, died in 1828, aged twenty-five years, never married; Levi; and David, who died in 1856, aged fifty-two years. NOTE: Emigrated to Morgantown, Va, some time prior to July 1791 and remainded there unitl the spring of 1796, when they floated down the Monogeahala and Ohio Rivers to Marietta, Ohio where they arrived the latter part of April. Letter Written by L. Humiston to Franklin McNeal Otterville, Ill. February 27, 1882 Dear Frank, Since I received your last favor I have been looking over Sister Nancy’s papers now in the hands of her daughter Estella Devol who lives with us and I find the McNeal family record as given her by Aunt Anna. I reposduce it here. Great grandfather Andrew McNeal married Margaret McDaniel. Their children were Elizabeth, William and John, twins. If they had any more children I presume it was after grandfather was captured by the Indians and he knew nothing of them. Grandfather John McNeal married Annie Howell. Their children were James (died at 30 years), Elizabeth (died at 25 about 1828), Levi and David (died in 1856 aged 52). Grandmother’s brother Levi Howell married Jenette Ewings: Their children were: William, John, Abner, Anna, Simeon, Levi, Julia Ann, and Silac. Her brother William Howell married Mary Daniels. Their children sere Sampson (starved to death by the British during the Revolutionary war), Catherine, Levi, Anna, Peter, Phebe, Susannah, James, David and Elisabeth. Her sister Catherine Howell married Benjamin Fields; their children were Elizabeth, Phebe, Ruiland, James, John, William and Thomas. There are no dates given and it is too late to ever expect to find them. I recollect seeing one of the Fields who lived in Kentucky and went to Penn. on a visit and returned by Washington County when I was a small boy. I also recollect a middle-aged man and his son Joseph Howell who visited us about the same time. I like your idea of removing our grandparents to a public graveyard. I have moved 3 of my relatives here to a public yard, who were buried in one corner of Hiram Chandler’s garden. If you sell out and come west you must not fail to make us a call. And here may be too high for you to purchase but it will be but little out of your way if you go further west. We have had a terrible rain here that lasted 3 days during which time 10 inches of water fell as marked by a “rain gauge”. The creeks all were over their low bottom and the Miss. river rose 8 foot in 24 house at Alton which was the most rapid rise ever known of that river. All railroads had to suspend business for 3 or 4 days. If Miles H. comes to Waterford I suppose he will move on George Beebe’s place as George’s wife is not living. Whenever the Catholic get a majority of my neighborhood it is best to let them have the rest of it, as the majority will spoil society and public schools nearly always. We have but one Catholic family in our prairie and all of those except the old lady have renounced the faith and joined other churches. Grafton, Fieldon and Lerseyville in our county have Catholic churches. With 3 or 4 exceptions they are all democrats. We have had a war, wet and muddy winter; but the indications are now that we will have an early spring. Give my good wishes to all friends; Your cousin. L. Humiston. (Note by D. Nitsche) L Humiston is the son of Margaret McNeal and Jason Humiston) JOHN MCNEAL But little is known of his ancestry, his parents were natives of Scotland. One report says he was born on the ocean in their passage to this country. Of this I do not know. From the best information I can gather he was born in the year 1743, his parents being poor, and he being a twin, was given or put out to a neighbor woman to raise, who had lost a babe about the same age. From this time until he was fourteen years of age little is known of his life. At that age he was taken prisoner by the Delaware Indians in Pennsylvania and lived a wandering Indian life for seven years. An incident or two might not be out of place in connection with his Indian life. During his time of capture three Indian chiefs, one Delaware, one Wyandot and one Shawnee (I think) accompanied by himself and another white boy as servants made a tour, starting from Beaver Creek, Pennsylvania, passing through what is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and into Dakota or Montana, to what he expressed as the “head waters of the Missouri”. During their passage to and from they visited all principal Indian towns, consulted all notable chiefs, spending three years in making the round trip. He never knew positively what the object of the visit was unless it was to unite the different Indian tribes in a general war against the whites. If that was the object, they did not succeed. His capture must have been about the year 1757 and remained until what is known as Boquet’s Treaty which was in November, 1764, when by the terms of said treaty he was given up in exchange. If it had been left to his own choice he would have preferred to stay and live his Indian life. After being exchanged (being then twenty-one years of age) he made his way back to eastern Pennsylvania in search of his people and found one sister. I know nothing further regarding his family. After this he went to Philadelphia and apprenticed himself to the blacksmith and bell makers trade, his master agreeing to teach him to read, write and cipher as far as what was then called the “single rule of three”, and he wrote quite a respectable had but was a poor speller. His wife, Anna Howell, according to the best information I can get, was born in New Jersey in 1760. I do not know is what year they were married, but lived in Pennsylvania at the time, but moved to Morgantown, Va. some time prior to July 1791 and remained there until the spring of 1796, when they floated down the Monongahala and Ohio Rivers to Marietta, Ohio where they arrived the latter part of April and drew his donations lot (No. 28 allotment between Rainbow and Waterford) as the time for drawing donation land expired the first of May of that year. They lived on Duck Creek near Stanleyville until the spring of 1799 when they moved to their claim where they resided the remainder of their lives; his death occurring in the fall of October 1819, I think, aged 76. Her death occurred January 31st, 1846. She was for many years a devout and consistent member of the Baptist Church. He never belonged to any church organization. The result of this marriage was quite a large family in the order following: James, Elizabeth, John, Susan and Margaret (twins), Anna, Sarah, William, Andrew, Levi and David. I think there were other children born to them that died in infancy. The best information I can get makes the births and deaths as follows: James born in 1775, died _____; Elizabeth born _____, died _____; Susan and Margaret born July 31, 1779. Margaret died in 1849, Susan died in 1873. Anna born 1793 and when last heard from was still living. Sarah born 1795, died 1876; William born March 25, 1799, died September 9, 1879; Andrew born _____, died 1830 or 1831; Levi born July 9, 1804, died March 28, 1872; David born _____, died 1856. James, Elizabeth, John and Andrew were never married. Susan married Thomas McDonald but never had any children. Margaret married James Shaw by whom she had one son, Levi. Shaw were away and was never heard of again. Levi was bound to David Deming and when about 11 or 12 years of age, also went away and was never heard of again. She then married Jason Humiston by whom she had six children, Giles, Warren, Linns, Hannah, Nancy and Henry. Linns and Hannah Devol are in Pike County, Ill., Henry in Chicago, Ill. The others are dead. Anna married _____ Mansfield by whom she had one son, Edwin. After her husband’s death she married _____ Picket, by whom she had two or three children. After his death she married _____ Edwards, who also has been dead many years. Sarah married Benjamin Brockway. She never had any children. William, the father of this writer, was born near Stanleyville in Fearing Township in this county. He resided in the county his entire life time; his father moving to his donation land in Watertown Township when he was a babe but a few weeks old and that was his home ever afterward. He was trustee of his respective township for many years and in his school district he held the office of director most of the time for 40 years or more. In his neighborhood he bore the name of an honest upright man. In his business transactions had motto was not to get in debt, a rule which it would be well for many others to adopt. His wife, Matilda Bellows, daughter of the late Elias Bellows of Little Hocking, Belpre Township, was born November 21, 1809, died July 13, 1875. they were married March 20, 1828. They had a large family, several of whom died in childhood. The following are the births of those that lived to mature age: Andrew born January 18, 1829; Ira born May 19, 1830; Cromwell born January 25, 1832; Diana born Sept. 5, 1833; Elias born July 2, 1835; Franklin born April 8, 1839; Thomas born May 8, 1848; Ason born March 20, 1850; Margaret born January 5, 1852. Andrew has been a teacher in common schools for many years, farming and surveying at intervals; was county surveyor of Christian County, Illinois in 1866-7; is now serving his third or fourth term as surveyor of Cedar County, Nebraska. Ira died in Illinois in the autumn of 1852, I think. Cromwell studied medicine with P. H. Kelly, MD of Waterford and after graduation at the Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio practiced in Illinois until the outbreak of the Rebellion. In the fall of 1861 he was commissioned as Assistant Surgeon to the 41st Reg. Illinois Volunteer Infantry and participated in the memorable battle of Ft. Donelson February 13, 14, 15, and 16, 1862. In January, 1861 he was married to Ermia H. Munchkton by whom he had one son, Henry C. Diana married James Wilson and is living in Yolo County, California and has five children. Elias married Pamela Hartson, lives in Macon County, Mo. and has five children. Franklin obtained some knowledge of surveying, was deputy surveyor of Christian County, Illinois in 1867 and of Clay County, Kansas in 1871. Returned to this county in 1875 and after a residence in Kansas of five years and has served as Justice of the Peace of Watertown Township for one term. Married Mary Alexander, has two children, occupies the old homestead and owns half of the old donation lot before mentioned in this narrative. Thomas married Elizabeth Lackey of Washington County, Kansas, had one child; is city marshall and street commissioner of the City of Clay Center, Kansas. Ason married Sarah Smith and has two children; lives in this county. Margaret married John J. Stacy, has one child and lives in this county. Levi, second son of John McNeal that raised a family, married Frances Beebe. Of their children now living are Mary, Lavinia, Sardine, Margaret and Rosa. Mary married Wm. Park; has three or four children. Lavinia married Levi Rutter; has four children. Sardine married Mary Brabham and has three or four children. Margaret has been married twice, her husband is _____Blackburn, by whom she has one child. All live in this county. Of David McNeal’s family I know but little. He had three sons: Charles, Benton and Thornton. He went to Missouri many years ago and after his death the family became scattered and finally lost sight of altogether. His wife’s maiden name was Sophronia Willis. The following descendants are known to be living and are the families of Margaret, William and Levi: Grandchildren 15; great grandchildren 44; great, great grandchildren 4. Of the families of Anna and David there are five more grandchildren supposed to be living and perhaps several great grandchildren. The following were successful as common school teachers, and taught many terms: Of Margaret Hummiston’s children were Linus and Hannah; of William’s were Andrew, Diana, Cromwell, Elias, Franklin and Thomas; of Levi’s were Sardine and Rose. ---------------------------------- ADDENDA (1953) By Bernice McNeal Bryant My father, Franklin McNeal, must have written this family history in the 1880’s as the letter from his cousin, L. Humiston, indicates that he was doing research work at that time. As he did not bring it up to date before his death in February, 1912, I shall add to it a few things I can remember hearing when I was a child. The cousin, L. Humiston, was, I presume, a son of one of John McNeal’s daughters as he speaks of Aunt Anna. We became acquainted with Hal Humiston, of the newspaper, The Brooklyn Eagle, and his brother, J. M. Humiston, with the Bell Telephone Co. of Chicago, when they made business trips to the west in the early years of this century. They were no doubt the sons of L. Humiston. Another cousin of my father was Rose McNeil (she always spelled the name). She was the daughter of one of John’s son, --Levi, I think. After being a school teacher in Iowa for many years, she married a Mr. Callahan, and lived the rest of her life in Florida. There is a family record in the old family Bible which in now in the possession of June McNeal Murray (Mrs. Ray), of Winters, California, the daughter of Jessie Stay McNeal, my step-mother, whom my father married a few years after my mother’s death. Our branch of the family is descended from John’s son, William, who continued to live on a part of the original grant of land. At his death his son Franklin, my father, received title to it and held it until 1895 when he sold it to a German immigrant. Thus this part of the donation land Lot No. 28 in Waterford township, Washington County, Ohio, was held by the McNeal Family for nearly one hundred years. The first dwelling were built of logs, and one building which I think was part of the first house my father used for his hogs. I can remember peeking through the cracks between the logs to watch the baby pigs. Not far from this building there was a large cedar tree which was spoken of as being in the front yard of a log house that was destroyed by fire. The new residence, a big frame house of sawed lumber, was built on the other side of the road which ran through the farm. I do not know just when it was built, but I think about 1850. The district school was on our farm just a short distance from our house. My father was a school trustee and often “visited school” on Friday afternoons to hear the children “speak pieces”. I, too, visited frequently and by the time I was five, I was in regular attendance. One of my playmates was Edith Starlin, so the Starlin family, too, must have owned their land for several generations. William McNeal married Martha (or Matilda) Bellows. They had thirteen children, five of whom died in infancy or early childhood. Those who grew up were Elias, Andrew, Cromwell, Margaret, Diana, Tom, Franklin and Aason. (I am not sure the correct order as to age). Elias settled in Missouri and had several children. One son died in Alaska of lockjaw, due to frozen feet. Andrew farmed in Nebraska. Two of his children were Frank and Julia. Aason lived near Marietta, Ohio. One of his daughter, Dee, married a man name Crowell. They came to California and for a number of years around 1907 owned a book-store in Berkely on Telegraph Ave. near the entrance to the University. Tom went to Kansas and later to Oklahoma and Texas. He operated gypsum mills. After his death his only child, Guy, sold the business and moved to El Paso where he and his two sons ran an interstate trucking company. Twice he visited me in Monrovia. Once when we were discussing family history, Guy told me that his father often talked bout the experiences of his grandfather (John) with the Indians. On the long trip to the North west they saw hot water gushing up out of the earth in many places. This sounds like the geysers of Yellowstone. If so, that would mean that our ancestor, John McNeal, was the first white man to see these geysers - about 1760; but history says that the first white man to see the geysers of Yellowstone was John Carter, 1806 or 1807, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition who stayed in the West for several years for fur trapping. Cromwell McNeal was a doctor and served in the War between the States, enlisting while living in Illinois. He died in service due to overwork following a bloody battle. His wife and small son, Henry, returned to Ohio and lived on a farm near Waterford, the town nearest the McNeal land. Margaret’s married name was Stacy or Stacey. She had three sons. Diana married James Wilson and moved to Illinois also. “Uncle Jim" served in the war and received severe wounds from which he never fully recovered. Some time after the war they came to California. (Uncle Jim had been in California previously, looking for gold). They bought land near the little town of Winters in Yolo County, west of Sacramento, and planted it to apricots, peaches and prunes. Their children were Alice, Olive, Charlotte, Frank and Alvin. Uncle Jim died in 1890. “Auntie Wilson” continued to operate the orchards until a few years before her death in 1916. She was then in her 80’s. She was a very sweet kind person and did not like to hear criticism of other people. She would put a stop to it by pleasantly saying, “Well, as the old Quaker used to say, ‘Everyone is queer but thee and me, and sometimes I think thee a wee bit queer’ “. Or it might be, “But you know there is son much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us that it doesn’t behoove any of us to say much about the rest of us”. If she did not approve of doing certain thing, she did not criticize those who did such things - she would just remark, “Well, I’ve never done that in all my live; and that’s only half the story -- I never intent to”. A few thing she thought it was “just as well not to do” were dancing, playing cards and using face powder! She was an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church which was rather strict about many amusements and indulgences. My father, Franklin, served in the latter part of the war; contracted a very severe illness which caused the loss of his blond hair and the growth of now very dark curly hair. Auntie Wilson often laughed about it. She thought it a good joke. After a bit of school-teaching, public surveying, and traveling to other states to visit his brothers he married Mary Alexander, who was bon in Dayton, Ohio, but had moved with her parents to Missouri and lived near the family of Elias McNeal. Later Franklin and Mary returned to the family home in Ohio as William was then getting old and needed help on the farm. I think he died about 1880. In 1887 my father rented the farm and came to Winters, California, for my mother’s health. She died a year later. My father with my sister Blanche and me, returned to the Ohio farm but in 1895 he sold it and came back to California. He bought a small fruit ranch in Solano County just across the county line from Winters. He was happy to spend the rest of his life near his sister, Diana, as they were very congenial and the best of friends. They spent may Sunday afternoons together talking about family history and former times and friends and discussing article that they read in the National Tribune, the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) weekly newspaper, which was published in Washington , D. C. In 1901 or 1902 they went together to Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas to visit their brothers, Andrew, Elias and Tom. It was an enjoyable trip and gave them more pleasant reminiscences. They had a picture taken with Andrew. My father -- Papa or Pop, as my sister and I called him - showed his Scotch ancestry in a number of ways. He was brave, persevering and thrifty; and at times rather strict and stern with his daughters. He did not want anything to be wasted, especially food. Servings on our plates were not really scanty and we could ask for second helpings, but we were told, “Eat what is put before you and eat it all.” Other bits of advice I can remember are: If it is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well.” “Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place.” “Don’t waste your time.” He wanted us to use good English and never hesitated to correct our speech. “I don’t think son” was particularly unpleasant to him. One should say “I think not.” Once when I objected to doing a errand in the rain, I was told, “The rain won’t hurt you. You are neither sugar nor salt. You won’t melt.” But best of all, he wrote in my autograph album when I was eight years old, “Strive to be a good girl and do to others as you would have them do to you -- is the wish of “Your Papa”. Direct descendants of Frank McNeal: Blanche McNeal Cahill Elizabeth Jane Cahill Murphy (Mrs. G. R.) Kathleen Elizabeth Murphy Dorothy Bernice Cahill Munger (Mrs. A. H.) Sidney Eugene Munger Betty Corinne Munger Mary Corlyn Munger Bernice McNeal Bryant (Mrs. O. W.) Wm. Bruce Bryant -- Dorothy Elise Brown Elise Owen Bryant Janet McNeal Bryant Charles Somerville Bryant Helen Bernice Bryant Perrin Laurie Clare Perrin April Hill McNEAL FAMILY RECORD As taken from an old Bible. Born Died William McNeal March 25, 1799 Sept. 9, 1879 Matilda McNeal Nov. 21, 1809 July 13, 1875 William and Matilda married March 20, 1828 Children: Andrew Jan. 18, 1829 Sept. 11, 1904 Ira May 19, 1830 Cromwell January 25, 1832 June 11, 1862 Diana Sept. 5, 1833 Elias July 20, 1835 Lucy April 13, 1837 Sept. 11, 1838 Franklin April 8, 1839 February 3, 1912 Infant Child May 15, 1841 May 18, 1841 Giles June 21, 1842 May 29, 1845 Lorin Sept. 13, 1844 June 5, 1845 Mahala June 18, 1846 April 30, 1849 Thomas May 8, 1848 Sept. 22, 1911 Ason March 20, 1850 December 12, 1903 Charlotte January 5, 1852 Jan. 11, 1861 Margaret January 5, 1852 Elna April 22, 1856 June 7, 1867 "A History of the McNeal Family in America" Written by Bernice McNeal Bryant Includes an unpublished manuscript written by Franklin McNeal, written between September 1879 and June 1881. There is a narrative about John McNeal, as well as other members of his family written on page 624 in The History of Washington County, Ohio 1788-1881 by H. Z. Williams. The orginial manuscript, book, and Addenda is now in the possession of Mrs. Guy "Thelma" McNeal of Odessa, TX. In 1965, Bernice gave the book, manuscript and addenda to Thelma and expressed her wishes in a written letter, about sharing her book with other descendants of John McNeal because she knew of no one else to give it to. Bernice and Thelma had corresponded with each other many times through the years, and Thelma has saved all her letters. For more information about the book, manuscript & Addenda, along with the work of Thelma McNeal and how to contact her, feel free to contact: Debbie Noland Nitsche (Diamonddeb@comcast.net) 2154 Andrea Drive Bensalem, PA. 19020 215-633-8394 Reprinted with permission. By Debbie Noland Nitsche This book and manuscript may be used for research purposes only. Copying and/or reprinting for the use of profit is stickly prohibited.--Thelma McNeal ---------------------------------------------- Photos of the headstones of: John and Anna (Howell) McNeal William & Matilda (Bellows) McNeal http://hometown.aol.com/washcoheadstone/watertown.html Photos of: Ermina H. (Munkton) McNeal (w/o Dr. Cromwell McNeal) Franklin McNeal Ason McNeal Elias McNeal Thomas McNeal Bernice (McNeal) Bryant http://hometown.aol.com/washcopeople2/page20.html ---------------------------------------------- NOTE: Thelma's husband, Guy McNeal is the 3rd Gr. Grandson of John and Anna (Howell) McNeal. Descended from William McNeal. Debbie Noland Nitsche is the 5th Gr. Grandaugher of John and Anna (Howell) McNeal. Descended from Levi McNeal.