William McNeil

William McNeil is the first of 12 children born to William McNeil and Isabella Smith both from Scotland. The family immigrated to America, sailing on the ship “Hudson.” After arriving in America, they traveled to Nebraska where they joined the William Hyde Company. With other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the company left Nebraska on August 9, 1864.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. On August 22, William was born and named after his father William. Three weeks later baby William died and was buried along the Mormon Trail in Nebraska.

William’s father wrote: “It was on this rough journey crossing the plains in a loaded wagon drawn by oxen over creeks, and rivers without bridges, that my good wife gave birth to our first baby boy. As we journeyed on some days later the indians, called the red skins, were seen at a distance, the dust rising as if they were coming toward the train. Orders were given to pull under the brow of the hill so as to conceal the wagons at the Platte river bank. The result was that the wagon my wife was in, tipped over on both mother and babe. The mother was rescued from under the load but was so badly hurt that she remained forever an invalid. The baby boy was not harmed by the accident but the mother could not nurse or care for the baby so he died and was buried on the plains.”