Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/148

 O'NEAL

O'NEALL

Liturgy (1835); Sermons and Charges (3 vols. 1851), andliymns, metre psalms, and poems. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 6, 1858.

O'NEAL, Edward Asbury, governor of Ala- bama, was born in Madison county, Ala., Sept. 20, 1818; son of Edward and Rebecca (Wheat) O'Neal. His parents, both natives of South Carolina, were of Irish and Huguenot ancestry. His fatlier died when he was but four years old. He was graduated at La Grange college, Ala., and studied law in the office of James W. McClung. He was married, April 12, 1838, to Olivia, daughter of Dr. Alfred and Eliza (Jones) Moore of Alabama. He was admitted to the bar in 1840; settled in practice in Florence, Ala.; was solicitor of the state, 1841-45, and an unsuccessful can- didate for representative in the 31st congress in 1848. He enlisted a company for the 9th Alabama regiment, of which he was commissioned major in 1861 and lieutenant-colonel the same year. He was promoted colonel and transferred to the 26th Alabama regiment in Marcli, 18G2, and com- manded the regiment in Rains's brigade, D. H. Hill's division, Longstreet's right wing of the Confederate army, in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg and Seven Pines, being severely wounded at the latter. He commanded Rodes's brigade, D. H. Hill's division, in the Maryland campaign until relieved to resume command of his regiment, two days before the battle of Boons- boro, when lie was again severely wounded. He returned to the army in the winter of 1863 and succeeded to the command of Rodes's brigade when that officer took charge of the division in the battle of Chancellorsville, and was wounded while leading the brigade. At the battle of Gettysburg he commanded the brigade during the entire three days' fight and on the retreat in Virginia, and resumed the command of his regi- ment in the battle of Mine Run, May 5, 1864. His regiment was then sent to Alabama to recruit, and his next service was in northern Georgia, where he was assigned to Cantey's brigade, Walthall's division, Polk's corps. Army of the Mississippi, and succeeded Gen. James C. Caiitey in the command of the brigade, when that officer took command of the division, being relieved soon after Gen. John B. Hood assumed command of the army. He was on detached service till the close of the war; was promoted brigadier- general, but the interruption of mail communi- cation with Richmond prevented liis receiving the commission, and he was mustered out as colonel, and resumed the practice of his profes- sion in 1865. He was a member of the state con- stitutional convention in 1875, and cliairman of

the committee on education; a presidential elector on the Hancock and English ticket in 1880, and governor of Alabama for two terms, 18S2-S6. He died in Florence, Ala., Nov. 7, 1890.

O'NEALL, John Belton, jurist, was born near Bobo's Mills, Newberry district, S.C, April 10, 1793; son of Hugh and Anne (Kelly) O'Neall; grandson of William and Mary (Frost) O'Neall, and of Samuel and Hannah (Belton) Kelly, and a descendant of William O'Neall, the immigrant, who landed in AVilmington, Del., in 1730. John Belton O'Neall was graduated at South Carolina college in 1812, and studied law in the office of John Caldwell. He was in military service for a short time during the war of 1812, and was admitted to the bar in 1814. He was married, June 25, 1818, to Helen, daughter of Capt. Sampson and Sarah (Strother) Pope of Edgefield, S.C. He repre- sented the Newberry district in the South Caro- lina legislature in 1816, 1822, 1824 and 1826, and was elected speaker of the house of representa- tives in 1824 and in 1826. He was an associate judge of the supreme court of South Carolina, 1828-31; judge of the supreme court, 1831-50. and president of the court of law appeals and of the court of errors, and chief justice of the supreme court of the state, 1850-64. He was president of the Greenville and Columbia railroad, 1847-53. He was brought up as a Quaker, abandoned the use of spirituous liquors and tobacco; joined the Baptist church in 1832, and was president of the State Temperance society, 1841-63, of the Sons of Temperance of North America, 1852-54, and of the Southern Baptist convention, 1858-63. He was major-general of the state militia for several years, and also served as lieutenant-colonel on the staff of Governor Pickens in 1816. He was a trustee of South Carolina college, 1817-21, and 1822-63, and received the degree LL.D. from Col- umbian university, D.C.,in 1846, and from Wake Forest college, N.C. He is the author of: The Drunkard's Looking Glass (1840); Digest of the Negro Law (1848); Annals of Xeirbei^nj (1858), and Bench and Bar of Sonth Carolina (2 vols. 1859). He (lied near Newberry, S.C, Dec. 27, 1863.

O'NEALL, John Henry, representative, was born near Newberry, S.C, Oct. 30, 1837; son of Henry Miles and Betsy (Edmundson) O'Neall; grandson of Henry and Mary (Miles) O'Neall, and of John Edmundson; great-grandson of Wil- liam and Mary (Frost) O'Neall, and of Samuel Miles, and greaf^-grandson of Hugh and Anne (Cox) O'Neall. Hugh O'Neall came from An- trim, Ireland, to Christiana. Del., in 1730. John Henry O'Neall was left an orphan in 1844: was reared in the family of his grandfather, Henry O'Neall. Newberrj', Greene county, Ind.; attended the district schools, and worked on the farm until 1859. He was a ward of John Belton