William Vance McNeely Civil War File

Scott County Arkansas
Civil War Pension Files
WILLIAM VANCE McNEELY
Contributed by Pat McNeely

William Vance McNeely, b. Blount County, Tenn. about 1831. Moved from Hamilton County, Tenn., to Iron County, Mo., then to Scott County, Ark. He is listed in 1865 tax rolls. This is the same William McNeely listed as first pastor or Ione Missionary Baptist Church in the minutes contained on the Scott and Logan county USGENWEB sites. William moved to Christian County, Mo. about 1887. He died 1899 and is buried near Nixa, Mo.

He is listed with pension file #575906, certificate #724643. His widow, Augusta S. McNeely, collected widow's pension upon William's death, widow's pension file #700384, certificate #504878. His service was from 15 Nov 1863, discharged at Clarksville, Ark., 8 August 1865. He entered service as Private and was discharged as Sergeant with the Company "C" 2nd Arkansas Infantry.

SERVICE: Skirmish at Clarksville December 15, 1863. Affair at Jacksonport, Ark., November 21, 1863. At Fort Smith till March, 1864. Steele's Expedition to Camden March 23-May 3. Prairie D'Ann April 9-12. Moscow April 13. Limestone Valley April 17 (Detachment). Jenkins' Ferry, Saline River, April 30. Duty at Little Rock till July and at Lewisburg till September. Ordered to Little Rock September 10, and duty there till October 18. Escort train to Fort Smith October- November. Moved to Clarksville December 31, and duty there and at Fort Smith till August. Mustered out August 8, 1865.

Pension application was filed 10 February 1891, under the provisions of the Act of June 27, 1890. He collected until his death on 5 March 1899. Augusta S. (White) McNeely collected her pension until 12 May 1893 when she remarried. I believe she remarried in Topeka, Kansas, but I'm not sure. Among lots of information, William states he and Augusta S. White were married 25 Dec. 1889 in Christian County, Mo., Rev. James Holderby. His previous wife was Lucinda B.M. Cannon, d. 6 Dec. 1887 at Christian County, Mo. (She was a Confederate widow by the way) His children are Mary M. Hamby, b. August 13, 1854 and J.C. McNeely, b. Dec. 28, 1856.

On Augusta's claim, she gives the name of William's first wife. Louisa F. Fitzgerald. Mary Hamby signed a statement for Augusta. She states that she is the daughter of the late William V. McNeely and his first wife who died in the year 1865. Her father remarried and his second wife died the 6th day of December 1887. Found at National Archives, Washington DC, 30 June 2005.