Jacob was the son of William & Eleanor Neely (Neeley).
He married Rebecca ? about 1785. Their children were: Thomas, David, James Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary "Polly", Henrietta & Wilkins Neely.
Jacob fought in the American Revolution & is listed in the DAR Patriot Index.

The following is from the "Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements Pension Application of Jacob Neely S 7264" as Transcribed by Will Graves

"State of Mississippi, Copiah County

On this fourth day of December A. D., 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the County Court of the County aforesaid, now sitting and legally Holden by the two associate justices of said court the office of Chief Justice being at this time vacant, Jacob Neely, a resident of said County aged about Seventy years as he verily believe but can not say with certainty how old he is having no record thereof, who being first duly sworn according to law upon his oath deposeth and says makes the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7th 1832: That he was born and raised in Caswell County in North Carolina until he entered the service of the United States as a substitute militia man for one Phillip Prior some time in the Spring prior to the battle of Kings Mountain and the battle of the Cow Pens but the particular year and date he can not now recollect; that he at this time served as a substitute three months and was all the time at the County cite of the county of Caswell in the capacity of aid to his brother, Thomas Neely, who was acting as commissary at the place under Col. Moore who was then Col. of the County; and one Douglass who was Capt. of the Company to which he belonged; that at the end of his three months service he received a written discharge from the said Col. Moore which he has long since lost or left with his brother in Georgia. That shortly after said discharge he enlisted again as a volunteer militia man under the same Capt Douglass and his said brother as Lieutenant and in a few days set off under the command of one Col. Williams for South Carolina and was in the battle of Kings Mountain in which the said Col. was killed and soon after said battle he returned home again in company with and in aid of some of his wounded fellow soldiers and soon after his arrival received a written discharge from the said Capt. Douglass who arrived at home soon after having served two months which discharge is also lost or left with his brother in Ga. and probably lost. Shortly after the battle of Guilford as well as he can recollect, he volunteered again under Capt. Harris and Col. Moore and marched to Hillsboro and thence towards Wilmington in pursuit of the enemy who had captured and carried off from Hillsborough the Governor of the State in order to effect his [?] and that they had a skirmish with the enemy near Wilmington at a place called the brick house, about twelve miles from the city and that Col. Mabin [sic, Mebane]1 of the Continental Army was also along with them as a volunteer and shortly after on his return to Virginia to join his own troops was killed by the Tory Hightower.

2 He further states that he received his discharge this time at Black river about ten or twelve miles from Wilmington and shortly after the news of Corn Wallase's [sic, Cornwallis] defeat and that he served this time three months. He further states that during the whole war after the enemy began to show themselves in North Carolina he stood as a minute man and was very frequently out in pursuit of the enemy, (Tories and British) for weeks and sometimes even a month, of which he can give no particular account, but believes that in the whole he served a years and a half although he had discharges for only eight months as above stated; for all which services he has never rec'd any compensation whatever.

He further states that about the close of the war he removed to the State of Georgia where he resided about fifteen years and then to the State of Alabama where he lived three or four years near Fort
Stoddard and from thence to this State where he now lives about eight or nine years and is intimately acquainted with and known to a great many persons, among whom in his immediate neighborhood are John Willson, Esq., Sam'l Howze, Thos. Lawrence, Isaac Lyons, and John Sibley.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares his name is not on the pension roll of any agency of any state.

Sworn to and subscribed in Open Court the day and year aforesaid. S/ Jacob Neely
Wm Barnes, M. E."

[Note: On Dec. 3, 1870, declarant's son, Thomas Neely, a resident of Rankin Co., Mississippi, filed a claim stating that his father died on July 16, 1845, in his eighty seventh year and that his father did not receive the pension due him. Thomas stated that he was in his 84th year when he filed this claim.


1 Col. Robert Mebane 2 Henry Hightower was hanged for the murder of Col. Robert Mebane. "In September of 1781 the notorious local Tory, David Fanning, led 1,100 men to attack Hillsboro, a center of discontent and also the capital of North Carolina. There they killed 15 Whigs and captured more than 200 others including the Governor and other prominent military and civilian officials. Whig militiamen tried to free the prisoners at Lindley’s Mill on Cane Creek but ran out of ammunition and lost over one hundred men. There were two local Whigs of importance among the dead, Col. John Lutterhell of Haw River and Major John Nall of Bear Creek. The Whig hero of the battle, Col. Robert Mebane was murdered some time later in what is now Williams Township, and his killer, a Tory named Henry Hightower was captured and hanged." Chatham History