James Preston NEAL (VETERAN 2 WARS)

COLONEL
Mexican American War
Civil War Confederate
March 24, 1820 - January 7, 1896

*Obituary
The Springdale News
Friday, January 17, 1896

NEAL, James P. - {from The Fayetteville Daily News, 8th inst.} Yesterday evening Col. James P. Neal died at the ripe age of seventy six years at his home, Prairie Grove. He had lived in this county since the year 1829 and was elected mayor of Fayetteville in 1851 and subsequently re-elected, holding the office four years. In 1847 he volunteered in the war with Mexico, rising to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. After that he returned to the practice of law in this city and in 1849 he married Miss Adeline Bean. On account of his wife's ill health he moved to Austin, Texas where she died. At the outbreak of the war he joined the Confederate service and was an elector, casting his vote for Jeff Davis as President. In 1869 he married the widow of his brother who was killed in a skirmish with the Federals near Clarksville. He established the town of Prairie Grove, building there the first store and serving as its first postmaster. The funeral obsequies will take place to-morrow at Prairie Grove where he will be buried by the side of his pioneer mother.

*Obituary
Fayetteville Democrat
Thursday, January 9, 1896

The announcement was received by telephone from Prairie Grove yesterday morning that Col. J.P. Neal had passed to the great beyond Tuesday evening and that he would be buried today. A number of our citizens went to Prairie Grove this morning to be present at the funeral exercises and pay a last tribute to the venerable pioneer and respected citizen who has passed away full of years at the close of a useful life. We take the following biographical sketch from "A History of Northwest Arkansas:"

James P. Neal (one of the old residents of Washington County, Ark., who is now retired from active business life), was born in Butler County, Ky., March 24, 1820, and is a son of William Neal, and a grandson of Thomas Neal. The latter was a Virginian, whose ancestors were Irish, and one of the early settlers of Kentucky, in which State William Neal was born, reared and married. His wife's maiden name was Sinai Harreld [or Harrold], whose parents were also Virginians, of English ancestry. After Mr. Neal's death, which occurred when James P. was a child, she married again, and in 1829 moved to Arkansas with her husband, Rev. Andrew Buchanan, a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, locating on the land on which the Colonel now resides. Here Col. Neal was reared on the farm, and in 1847 volunteered in the Mexican War, marching through Texas into Mexico. He arose to the rank of first lieutenant, and served in this capacity until the close of the war, being mustered out at Comargo [Kentucky] in 1848.

Previous to his entering the army he had read law, been admitted to the bar, and had practiced his profession in Fayetteville, and after returning home he resumed his profession, which he continued until 1853, when he was elected mayor of Fayetteville, and held the office until 1854. In 1849 he was married to Miss Adaline Bean, daughter of Capt. Mark Bean, and cousin of the late Col. Tom Bean, the Bonham, Tex., millionaire. In 1854 he moved to Austin, Tex., owing to his wife's failing health, where she died in 1863. During the war Mr. Neal was actively engaged in furnishing the Confederate army with supplies. He was a presidential elector, and voted for [Jefferson] Davis for his second term.

In 1868 he returned to Prairie Grove, Ark., then made historic by the battle of December 7, 1862, between the Federal and Confederate forces, commanded respectively by Gens. Blunt and Hindman. In 1869 he was married to the widow of his brother, Col. William T. Neal, who was killed by the Federals in a skirmish near Clarksville, Ark., in 1864. In 1872 he established the town of Prairie Grove, built the first store and engaged in merchandising, being also appointed postmaster of the town. He held this position until 1887, when he was obliged to resign on account of failing health, and is now living at his beautiful suburban residence, free from the cares of business life, surrounded by the lovely groves and grand old trees made memorable by the incidents of the battle, where that famous old spring comes bubbling forth with its crystal water, -where both Federals and Confederates slaked their thirst and bathed their bleeding wounds. Col. Neal has held many positions of trust, and has done much to build up the town. His donations of real estate to public and charitable buildings have been munificent.

He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and a worthy and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. His first union resulted in the birth of six children, only two of whom (Nora and Sam Bell) grew to mature years. To his last union three children were born; James Preston, Sinai Belle and Jay Dudley. Mr. Neal wrote and published many interesting sketches of the early times in Arkansas.

Contributed on 9/27/15 by judyfrog
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Record #: 1099916

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