!SOURCE: Rev. Dr. Donald MacKinnon and Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS:
THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN, Section III, "Cadet Families", Edinburgh, The
Clan MacLeod Society, 1970, pp. 285-287.
Neil, born in 1825, is famous in the history of the Hebrides as the
''Maidsear" (or Major). Despite a limited education at Geary, he left his
parents at the age of 18 and engaged in several kinds of employment in
the Lowlands. Finally he decided to enlist in the Royal Artillery at
Aberdeen in 1850 as a private soldier. He used every opportunity to
educate himself to gain promotion. In Woolwich, he fell in love with a
local girl, whose parents were very rich. They regarded the poor soldier
from the Hebrides as no match for their daughter Mary and forbade their
meetings with the tragic result that the girl died of a broken heart.
Neil, who had the bardic gift of poesy, composed a hauntingly lovely
Gaelic song to her memory, beginning with the words "''S ann air feasgair
Dia-Ciadain". Step by step Neil was promoted in the Royal Artillery from
sheer merit and gallantry until after 32 years of Service, he rose to the
rank of Major. He fought in the battles of the Alma, Balaclava and
Inkerman in the Crimean War. The sight of the feathered bonnets of dead
Highlanders at the Alma infuriated him and he used the artillery with
deadly effect on the retreating Russians. At Balaclava, he blew up a
Russian field magazine with a well directed shot. At the battle of
Inkerman, his gun and men were cut off from the main body of the British
Army and left in the midst of Russians: all his men were killed, and he
was left alone to fire on the Russians, until he was relieved by the 57th
Regiment of Foot. He had a marvellous escape as he kept on firing
grapeshot into the Russian ranks. When they saw that their firing had no
effect on him, a Russian officer came creeping behind him and aimed at
his head with the revolver. At this critical moment one of the 57th
Regiment, which had come into view, noticed the Russian officer. He had
actually one shot in his gun, which he meant to keep as a last recourse to
save his own life, if in difficulty, for his ammunition was done. He fired
that shot at the Russian officer and put the bullet through his head
before he fired the revolver. Major Neil came through the Crimean War
without a wound although some shots went through his cap and clothes.
After the capture of Sebastopol he returned to Britain. In 1857 he sailed
to India to suppress the Mutiny. In 1860 he was in China and took part in
the capture of the Taku forts and the city of Peking. He was actually the
first man to climb the walls of Peking and took away seven of the
tablecloths that had been in the Emperor of China''s private place of
worship on the wall. After a period of further service in India, the
gallant Skyeman returned to Britain in 1877. Two years later, he was
serving in Ireland during the Agrarian troubles in that country. In 1881
he retired from military service, and received the Crimean Medal with 4
clasps. He was also the Master Gunner of the Tower of London for some
years. He had always been keenly interested in religion, and was a
member of the first military Bible class ever organised. After retiring
from the army, this great soldier devoted himself to church matters and
frequently served on Committees and often attended the General
Assembly. On occasions, he toured the Hebrides on behalf of the church
and the state of religion there. On one such occasion he visited the
island of Berneray in Harris and he made such a moving and eloquent
appeal in Edinburgh on his return that sufficient finance was soon
collected to build and endow the present Church of Scotland on that
island. The building was completed in 1887. Major Neil MacLeod passed
the evening of his days at Eskbank in Dalkeith and lived hale and hearty
to a grand old age. He never married and his younger sister Anne kept
house for him until the end.
!SOURCE: Alick Morrison, THE MACLEODS -- THE GENEALOGY OF A CLAN,
Section V, "Appendix: The MacLeods of Trumpan and Millivaig",
Edinburgh, The Associated Clan MacLeod Societies, 1976, p. 15.
Neil, born in 1825, famous as Major Neil MacLeod, who was unmarried.