Robert E. Neill
Leming, Atascosa County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Williamson County, Tennessee, in 1827, Robert E. Neill migrated with his family to what is now Caldwell County, Texas, at the age of four. At age nine, while grinding corn meal for the Texas army, he suffered a crushing injury that crippled his left arm. Despite this, he went on to serve in the U.S. Army in 1847, during the war with Mexico. Afterward he was a rancher but volunteered with the Texas Rangers and other units, as needed. His military career concluded with service to the confederacy in the Civil War. Neill retired to his ranch and family. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had five children, and spent their remaining years on their property in Atascosa County. Robert died in 1878.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Robert E. Neill came to Texas as a small boy in the 1830s and, though a childhood accident crippled his left arm, went on to soldier through three of the era's conflicts. He served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War of 1847, rode with the Texas Rangers on frontier duty, and closed his military life fighting for the Confederacy. Afterward he returned to ranching in Atascosa County, where he raised five children and died in 1878.
Why it matters
Neill's life spans the martial history of nineteenth-century Texas—from the war with Mexico to Ranger service to the Civil War—as lived by one determined frontiersman.
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Related people
- · Robert E. Neill
- · Elizabeth Neill
Themes & tags
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