James C. Neill
| James Clinton Neill | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1788 North Carolina, USA |
| Died | 1848 Grimes County, Texas |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch | West Tennessee Militia, Republic of Texas Regular Army, Militia, and Rangers |
| Years of service | 1812-1844 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | San Antonio de Béxar and the Alamo, The Army of Texas at Gonzales |
| Battles/wars | Texas-Indian wars |
James Clinton Neill (c. 1788 – 1848) was a 19th-century American soldier and politician, most noted for his role in the Texas Revolution and the early defense of the Alamo. He was born in North Carolina.
James Clinton Neill was born in 1788 in Rowan County, North Carolina, the third child (and third son) of James Neill and Hannah Clayton Neill. William Clinton Neill (James Clinton's grandfather), was a captain in the American Revolution, who along with five of his sons, including James Clinton's father James, fought in the War for Independence. James Clinton's uncle, Lieutenant William Neill, was killed at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill. The Clinton middle name comes from both his paternal grandfather and grandmother, Captain William Clinton Neill and his wife Mary "Polly" Clinton Neill.
By at least 1807, some members of the James Neill family had moved to south-central Tennessee, in and around Bedford and Marshall counties. In this vicinity, James Clinton married Margaret Harriett Ferguson in 1807. It is likely that James Clinton Neill was acquainted with a near-neighbor around those parts at the same time, David Crockett, another Tennessean who would become a Texas Revolution hero. Like Crockett, J.C. Neill fought in the Creek Indian War, enlisting with the West Tennessee Militia (protecting present day Alabama). He enlisted on October 1, 1813 and was discharged on March 15, 1815. He participated in the latter part of the War of 1812, during the Creek War. Although wounded, he fought in the decisive battle against the Red Sticks, at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
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