Background
Thomas Hewson Neill was born on April 9, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He was a brother of John and Edward Duffield Neill and the son of Doctor Henry and Martha R. (Duffield) Neill.
Thomas Hewson Neill was born on April 9, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He was a brother of John and Edward Duffield Neill and the son of Doctor Henry and Martha R. (Duffield) Neill.
After an elementary education in the public schools of his native city, Thomas entered the University of Pennsylvania, but left that institution at the close of his sophomore year.
On July 1, 1843, Neill was appointed a cadet at the United States Military Academy. Commissioned brevet second lieutenant of infantry, July 1, 1847, he was regularly promoted through the intermediate grades and made captain on April 1, 1857.
During the Mexican War he served in garrison, and on the frontier until 1853 when he became assistant professor of drawing at the Military Academy, continuing in this capacity till 1857. He was with the Utah expedition in 1858 and remained in the West until 1861, when he was made mustering officer at Philadelphia.
Throughout the Civil War he rendered notable service, which received appropriate recognition. During Patterson's campaign on the upper Potomac in the summer of 1861 he was on General Cadwalader's staff. Commissioned colonel of volunteers on February 17, 1862, he assumed command of the 23rd Pennsylvania Infantry and served with his regiment in McClellan's Peninsular campaign (March to August 1862). For gallantry in the battle of Malvern Hill he was brevetted, July 1, major, regular army. He took part in the Antietam campaign, but his regiment did not participate in the battle of Antietam. Made a brigadier-general of volunteers on November 29, 1862, he assumed command at Fredericksburg, after its previous commander had been wounded, of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, VI Army Corps. At Chancellorsville he took part in the operations of Sedgwick's VI Corps. With his brigade he participated in the assault on Marye's Heights, May 3, 1863, and on the following day defended the rear of Sedgwick's position at Salem Church, for which service he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. After a forced march of over thirty miles, his brigade reached Gettysburg on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, and supported elements of the I and XII corps on Cemetery Hill. The following day he held the extreme right of the Union line. During the pursuit of Lee, he commanded a division made up of his own brigade and McIntosh's cavalry brigade. On May 7, 1864, at the battle of the Wilderness, after General Getty was wounded, he took command of the 2nd Division, VI Corps. He was brevetted colonel, regular army, for gallantry at Spotsylvania and participated in the Cold Harbor and Petersburg campaigns.
On June 21, 1864, he was transferred to the staff of the XVIII Army Corps, where he served until September 12; then joining Sheridan's army in the Shenandoah Valley, he commanded the base at Martinsburg and served as an inspector. Later he was on duty in Washington, D. C. , and in command of Fort Independence.
He reverted, August 24, 1865, to the rank of major, 11th Infantry, to which he had been promoted August 26, 1863. After the war he served in various capacities until February 22, 1869, when he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. The following year, December 15, he was transferred to the 6th Cavalry and went to the frontier to take part in the Indian campaigns. From 1875 to 1879 he was commandant at West Point, and on April 2 of the latter year was made colonel of the 6th Cavalry.
He retired from active service, April 2, 1883, for disability contracted in line of duty, and died in Philadelphia almost two years later.
His wife, whom he married on November 20, 1873, was Eva D. Looney. He was survived by one of their three children.
