The O'Neal Genealogy Association Newsletter

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TOGA NEWS Volume III, Issue 10, October, 2003

I was first made aware of the illustrious hero, John O'Neail, in the book, "Confederate Spy: Rose O'Neale Greenhow", by Nash K. Burger. On pages 5-6 Mr. Burger writes:
"The O'Neales had been among the earliest of the settlers in Lord Baltimore's colony, establishing themselves in the south near the old town of Port Tobacco. There they had prospered and grown numerous, and branches of the family turned up in other parts of the colony, especially northward along the Potomac. By the time of the American Revolution, there were O'Neales all the way up to Allegheny County in the Blue Ridge.
The O'Neales were especially numerous and prosperous in the rolling countryside above the old river port of Georgetown, and in Washington, where the nation's capital was established following the revolution. In this Potomac country the O'Neales intermarried with prominent families of Maryland and Virginia, and in time could claim as a distant relative President George Washington himself.
In her girlhood, during the winter months, Rose would sit before the fire and listen to the tales her grandmother told of the prowess of the O'Neales in Ireland long ago, in the American Revolution, in the winning of independence, and in the more recent war of 1812.

'The O'Neales are descended from Neale, the great Irish warrior of olden times', the old lady would say proudly. 'In the Revolution the O'Neales fought to make Maryland free. You see the coat of arms there on the wall, Rose. You see the motto: Semper Paratus Patriae Servire -- Always Ready to Serve the Country.
Maryland has been our country a long time now. Remember that!'

Grandmother O'Neale always ended her remarks with the admonition, "Remember!"

Rose liked best the story of John O'Neill (O'Neale, O'Neal, O'Neil-the spelling of the name was uncertain in those days) who, in 1813, from the shores of Havre de Grace on Chesapeake Bay, defied a British fleet with a few militiamen and three small cannons. When the others fled John fought on alone. He was taken prisoner and was almost hanged; but his courage so impressed his captors that he was released.

"The O'Neales," said Rose's grandmother, "have never feared man, beast, or devil. Remember that!"

Rose remembered."

I thought this an interesting story and looked around our family tree to see if we had a John O'Neale who would be a likely candidate. Finding nothing I went elsewhere. As luck would have it, I hit paydirt in the book, A PICTORIAL FIELD-BOOK OF THE WAR OF 1812. BY BENSON J. LOSSING, 1869.
As it turns out John was not one of our O'Neale's, but he was an O'Neil nonetheless and his story is worth sharing. So, without further ado, here is the story of John O'Neil, the hero of Havre De Grace and the War of 1812.