author

Henry M. (Henry Moore) Neil

b. 1832

A Civil War artillery captain from Ohio, he later turned his battlefield memories into vivid historical writing. His best-known work brings the chaos and courage of close combat into sharp focus.

1 Audiobook

A Battery at Close Quarters

A Battery at Close Quarters

by Henry M. (Henry Moore) Neil

About the author

Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1832, Henry M. Neil was a Union officer who served during the American Civil War. Sources connected with his military record identify him as Captain Henry M. Neil of the 22nd Ohio Battery, and later bibliographic records list him as the author of A Battery at Close Quarters, a paper he read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion in 1909.

His writing is remembered for its direct, experience-based view of artillery combat. A Battery at Close Quarters recounts fighting around Iuka and Corinth and has remained available through major public-domain archives, which suggests a lasting interest in his firsthand account of the war.

Neil was born on August 4, 1832, and died on January 5, 1929. Genealogical and memorial records tie him closely to Columbus throughout his life, where he was also buried at Green Lawn Cemetery.