Emanuel McNiece [old papers spell it McNeese. I use McNiece because that spelling was used consistently by Ocie] was the son of William T. McNiece 179*-184* who was married on Jan 25, 1810 to Margaret "Peggy" Bailey, 1790-1850+ possibly the daughter of James. Peggy lived with John B. Cason in 1850 census so it generally assumed that William had died by then. William was the son of Henry 1763-1799 and Rachel Gesling [probably daughter of Charles Gesling , revolutionary soldier, and Sally. Charles Gesling was bondsman in 1786 for the marriage of Rachel. It is possible that he was a brother or uncle rather than her father]. Emanuel's siblings were Martha Ann Holton, Vincent, Rachel, William Thomas, Henry, Ann, James, and Jackson.
Emanuel was married three times: first on Jan 2 1846 to Mary Grace 1824-1857, second on Aug 19 1858 to Mary Elizabeth Bryan 1838-1865 [daughter of Theophilus Bryan] and third on Mar 8 1866 to Elizabeth Weathers 1836-Mar 21 188*.
He had the following children: Martha [Cobb] 1848, Martha Virginia [Roquemore] 1859- , Penny Jane [m. a McNiece](FAG # 46328460) ; Mary Frances [Vaughn], Henrietta [Byrd] 1857- (FAG # 143877069) , Oceana [Franklyn] 1859- , William Jackson 1862- , James Edward 1860-1924, Sally Lou [Hendricks] 1865, William Henry 1854, Radford 1868-1868, Robert 1874-, Cassie (Carrie?) 1869- , King Emanuel 1871 (FAG # 143870280) .
He was [probably] the Civil War veteran who returned home on May 27, 1865.
The early McNiece family was from Houston County, Georgia, and Emanuel lived around Barbour County Alabama where he was probably buried.
Some family histories indicate that this McNiece family is descended from Isaiah McNiece who was from Ireland. This is in error. The Henry McNiece / Gesling ; William T. McNiece / Bailey family is Scottish. My family was told by James McNiece, Emanual's son that the family was from Scotland. James even had a residual Scottish accent although that might have been by design rather than natural.