Adam Sylvester Neel, named for James Sylvester, one of the captors of Santa Anna, was born in Fort Bend County, near Stafford’s Point, on the 25th of August, 1844. His father was William T. Neel, a native of Louisiana, who came to Texas with William Stafford. He was a young man and unmarried at the time, and was not entitled to as much land as heads of families, but located a labor near, Stafford’s Point, at which place he built a home, and afterwards located a league in the west on the Medina River during the Presidency of General Lamar. He married Mary, the daughter of William Stafford, who was the mother of Adam S. Neel.
When the Mexican army came William Neel and wife had two children, James D. and. William T. Neel. They went with the Stafffords and returned with them, and while their home had not been burned, a party of Mexicans had been there and thoroughly pillaged the place, carrying off and destroying the property, even the bread tray was found in the well. Two more children were born, Sarah and Adam S. Sarah was not married, and died with yellow fever at Hodge’s Bend during the terrible epidemic of 1853. The family at the time were living in Richmond, and fled from the scourge, but Sarah had contracted the fatal malady and died at the Bend while on the way to Stafford’s Point.
Adam S. Neel married Miss Ellen Stafford at Richmond, and their children were Cain, Aletha and Sylvester. Aletha married John Irions, and their home is in Louisiana. Adam Neel and his wife live near Richmond, on the east bank of the Brazos.