Colonel Thomas Neel, II

Colonel in Revolutionary War. Killed in war. A monument to them is at the location of their plantation on the south side of the South Carolina side of the Catawba River bridge near Charlotte, NC. There is a road near the Charlotee Airport named Neel Road. Follow it through Steele Creek road ( passed the burial ground of many of the Neels) to the bridge.

Thomas C. Neel is mentioned in the reports of the Battle of Alamance, 1771 and in the correspondence of Governor Tyron of North Carolina.

There is pretty good reason to believe that the movie The Patriot is partially based on Thomas Christopher Neel

Killed in Battle of Stono Ferry in South Carolina in June 1779

A monument was erected by the Kanawha Chapter of DAR to mark the site of the homestead of Col. Thomas Neel and his sons, Col. Andrew Neel and Capt. Thomas Neel. All died in the Revolution fighting for the Patriot cause.

In the late 1750s, Thomas Neel moved down the Great Wagon Road into present-day York County and settled along the Catawba River. He married Jean Spratt, sister of York's first permanent white settler, Thomas "Kanawha" Spratt, and raised a family. He was a founding elder of Bethel Presbyterian Church, established in 1764, and served on the committee to establish the first courthouse in the area.

When the Revolution broke out, Neel took command of a Patriot militia unit and saw action in several battles. He was killed June 20, 1779, at the Battle of Stono Ferry, giving the "last full measure of devotion" to the American cause. He is buried in Bethel Cemetery.

After losing her husband, Jean Spratt Neel also lost two sons. Andrew died in 1780 of wounds received at Rocky Mount, and his twin brother, Thomas, died the next spring.

Even if there were no buildings on the land today, Col. Thomas Neel would have trouble finding the old homestead. The site became the major ferry point for people in the northern part of the county who wanted to cross the river to Charlotte. The Buster Boyd Bridge now crosses Lake Wylie at the same location. And man-made Lake Wylie, the second oldest in the seven-lake Catawba dam system, did not exist in its present form until 1925.

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Colonel Thomas Neel JR, b. 1739, was the son of Thomas and Sarah Neel, and the grandson of Henry and Susannah Simpson Neel. The Neels were early settlers on Cape Fear, NC. In 1760, Thomas SR moved to Mecklenburg Co. NC. Thomas and Sarah had the following children, John, Thomas Jr.,(Col. Thomas Neel), Andrew,James, Margaret, Sarah, and Elizabeth, and one daughter name unknown who married Thomas Lofton, David and Joseph, Andrew, Joseph, and son-in-law Thomas Lofton were among the signers of the Tryon County Declaration. Col. Neel married Jean Spratt, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Clark Spratt. The children of Thomas and Jean were, twins Andrew and Thomas, John, Sarah Neel Johnston (m. David Johnston), Mary Neel Hawthorne (m. Col.James Hawthorne), Jean Neel Leeper ( m. Robert Leeper, Jr.),and Elizabeth Neel Shelby ( m. Pvt. Moses Shelby Jr, ). Andrew, Thomas, and John were all soldiers in the Rev. War. They gallantly gave their lives for their country. After the death of his father in 1779 at the fall of Charleston, Andrew Neel and William "Billy" Hill were elected colonels of the New Acquisition (York Co,SC) Milita. Col. Andrew Neel was killed at the Battle of Rocky Mount 1780. Andrews twin brother, Lt. Col. Thomas Neel was killed March 6, 1781. Lt. John Neel was killed in the Georgia Campaign 1778. He is buried next to his father. In 1764,Thomas was one of four men to select a site for Bethel Presbyterian Church and was one of its first elders. He was elected to the NC General Assembly from Tyron Co. He served as justice of the peace and as a judge of Tyron Co. 1769-1772. In 1772 he served on the Boundary Commission that drew the NC-SC boundary line west of the Catabaw River. He was granted 779 acres located near the Catabaw River in SC. Col. Neel commanded the militia of the New Acquistion at the Battle of The Great Canebrake in 1775 and The Cherokee Campaign in 1776. He was next engaged in Florida and Georgia. His last military expedition was in the defense of Charleston in the spring of 1779. Here he gave his life as a valiant soldier, June 20, 1779. at the Battle of Stono. Col.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=17804372

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Birth: 1739

Brunswick County

North Carolina, USA

Death: Jun. 20, 1779

Charleston

Charleston County

South Carolina, USA

Colonel Thomas Neel JR, b. 1739, was the son of Thomas and Sarah Neel, and the grandson of Henry and Susannah Simpson Neel. The Neels were early settlers on Cape Fear, NC. In 1760, Thomas SR moved to Mecklenburg Co. NC. Thomas and Sarah had the following children, John, Thomas Jr.,(Col. Thomas Neel), Andrew,James, Margaret, Sarah, and Elizabeth, and one daughter name unknown who married Thomas Lofton, David and Joseph. Andrew, Joseph, and son-in-law Thomas Lofton were among the signers of the Tryon County Declaration. Col. Neel married Jean Spratt, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Clark Spratt. The children of Thomas and Jean were, twins Andrew and Thomas, John, Sarah Neel Johnston (m. David Johnston), Mary Neel Hawthorne (m. Col.James Hawthorne), Jean Neel Leeper ( m. Robert Leeper, Jr.),and Elizabeth Neel Shelby ( m. Pvt. Moses Shelby Jr, ). Andrew, Thomas, and John were all soldiers in the Rev. War. They gallantly gave their lives for their country. After the death of his father in 1779 at the fall of Charleston, Andrew Neel and William "Billy" Hill were elected colonels of the New Acquisition (York Co,SC) Milita. Col. Andrew Neel was killed at the Battle of Rocky Mount 1780. Andrews twin brother, Lt. Col. Thomas Neel was killed March 6, 1781. Lt. John Neel was killed in the Georgia Campaign 1778. He is buried next to his father. In 1764,Thomas was one of four men to select a site for Bethel Presbyterian Church and was one of its first elders. He was elected to the NC General Assembly from Tyron Co. He served as justice of the peace and as a judge of Tyron Co. 1769-1772. In 1772 he served on the Boundary Commission that drew the NC-SC boundary line west of the Catabaw River. He was granted 779 acres located near the Catabaw River in SC. Col. Neel commanded the militia of the New Acquistion at the Battle of The Great Canebrake in 1775 and The Cherokee Campaign in 1776. He was next engaged in Florida and Georgia. His last military expedition was in the defense of Charleston in the spring of 1779. Here he gave his life as a valiant soldier, June 20, 1779. at the Battle of Stono. Col. Neel is my DAR ancestor.

Family links:

Children:

 Sarah Neel Johnston (1759 - 1836)*

 Andrew Neel (1761 - 1780)*

 Thomas Neel (1761 - 1781)*

 John Neel (1762 - 1778)*

• Point here for explanation

Inscription:

In Memory of Colo. Thomas Neel who departed this life June 20, 1779 in the 40th year of his age. In memory of John Neel who departed this life May 16, 1778 in the 16th year of his age. The septer'd prince the burden'd slave The humble and the haughty die The poor the rich the base the brave, In dust without distinction lie.

Burial:

Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery

Clover

York County

South Carolina, USA

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Birth: 1739

Brunswick County

North Carolina, USA

Death: Jun. 20, 1779

Charleston

Charleston County

South Carolina, USA

Colonel Thomas Neel JR, b. 1739, was the son of Thomas and Sarah Neel, and the grandson of Henry and Susannah Simpson Neel. The Neels were early settlers on Cape Fear, NC. In 1760, Thomas SR moved to Mecklenburg Co. NC. Thomas and Sarah had the following children, John, Thomas Jr.,(Col. Thomas Neel), Andrew,James, Margaret, Sarah, and Elizabeth, and one daughter name unknown who married Thomas Lofton, David and Joseph, Andrew, Joseph, and son-in-law Thomas Lofton were among the signers of the Tryon County Declaration. Col. Neel married Jean Spratt, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Clark Spratt. The children of Thomas and Jean were, twins Andrew and Thomas, John, Sarah Neel Johnston (m. David Johnston), Mary Neel Hawthorne (m. Col.James Hawthorne), Jean Neel Leeper ( m. Robert Leeper, Jr.),and Elizabeth Neel Shelby ( m. Pvt. Moses Shelby Jr, ). Andrew, Thomas, and John were all soldiers in the Rev. War. They gallantly gave their lives for their country. After the death of his father in 1779 at the fall of Charleston, Andrew Neel and William "Billy" Hill were elected colonels of the New Acquisition (York Co,SC) Milita. Col. Andrew Neel was killed at the Battle of Rocky Mount 1780. Andrews twin brother, Lt. Col. Thomas Neel was killed March 6, 1781. Lt. John Neel was killed in the Georgia Campaign 1778. He is buried next to his father. In 1764,Thomas was one of four men to select a site for Bethel Presbyterian Church and was one of its first elders. He was elected to the NC General Assembly from Tyron Co. He served as justice of the peace and as a judge of Tyron Co. 1769-1772. In 1772 he served on the Boundary Commission that drew the NC-SC boundary line west of the Catabaw River. He was granted 779 acres located near the Catabaw River in SC. Col. Neel commanded the militia of the New Acquistion at the Battle of The Great Canebrake in 1775 and The Cherokee Campaign in 1776. He was next engaged in Florida and Georgia. His last military expedition was in the defense of Charleston in the spring of 1779. Here he gave his life as a valiant soldier, June 20, 1779. at the Battle of Stono. Col. Neel is my DAR ancestor.

Family links:

Children:

 Sarah Neel Johnston (1759 - 1836)*

 Andrew Neel (1761 - 1780)*

 Thomas Neel (1761 - 1781)*

 John Neel (1762 - 1778)*

Inscription:

In Memory of Colo. Thomas Neel who departed this life June 20, 1779 in the 40th year of his age. In memory of John Neel who departed this life May 16, 1778 in the 16th year of his age. The septer'd prince the burden'd slave The humble and the haughty die The poor the rich the base the brave, In dust without distinction lie.

Burial:

Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery

Clover

York County

South Carolina, USA

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@R-2141401751@ Web: South Carolina, Find A Grave Index, 1729-2012 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,70625::0

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1,70625::370839

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@R-2141401751@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

GEDCOM Source

1,60525::87409118

GEDCOM Source

@R-2141401751@ Web: South Carolina, Find A Grave Index, 1729-2012 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,70625::0

GEDCOM Source

1,70625::370839

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@R-2141401751@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

GEDCOM Source

1,60525::87409118

GEDCOM Source

@R-2141401751@ Web: South Carolina, Find A Grave Index, 1729-2012 Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,70625::0

GEDCOM Source

1,70625::370839

GEDCOM Source

@R-2141401751@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0

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1,60525::87409118

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@R-2141401751@ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Yates Publishing Ancestry.com Operations Inc 1,7836::0

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Source number: 1453.000; Source type: Electronic Database; Number of Pages: 1; Submitter Code: TLP 1,7836::882974

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