TAYLOR COUNTY  GA  Bios   Neisler, Hugh

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http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taylor/bios/neisler.txt

Hugh Neisler, farmer, Butler, Taylor Co., Ga., son of
Hugh M. and Caroline (Howard) Neisler, was born in Lee
County, Ala. in 1841. His great-grandfather, John
Neisler, was born near Van Weil, kingdom of Wurtemburg,
Germany. He migrated to America between 1730-40, and
settled in Charleston, S.C., where he opened a shop and
worked at his trade, shoemaking. As he prospered, he
invested his surplus earning in negroes, and after some
years went to Orangeburg District, S.C., where he
ultimately became a large slave-owner and an extensive
planter. 

His grandfather, Hugh Neisler (son of the
above), was born in Cabarrus County, N.C.. Having
thoroughly prepared himself for the practice of medicine,
he migrated to Georgia and located at Athens, Clarke Co.,
where he married Miss Rachel, daughter of William and
Elizabeth (Chiawing) Mitchell, established a fine
practice, acquired a handsome competency, and reared and
liberally educated his children, all of whom were born
there. When Dr. Neisler settled in Athens, there were
Indians all around the town, and the few houses composing
what was to become the leading classical city in the
South, were clustered around the college buildings; the
country around was sparsely populated and but small areas
were under cultivation. There were then no artificial
obstructions in the Oconee, and in their season shad were
abundant, which the Indians caught and sold to the
citizens at ten cents apiece. 

Mr. Neisler's father was
born in Athens, March 4, 1804, was well educated, and
graduated with honor from the University of Georgia. He
then attended the medical lectures in Philadelphia, and
graduated from one of the celebrated colleges at that
city. As a science, he held medicine in the highest
appreciation, but he disliked the practice, and in a few
years he retired from it and engaged in teaching. He
taught in Columbus and at Summerville, Ala., with great
success. He was a fine classical scholar, and could read
many modern languages with ease. He also gave much
attention to botany, and conducted an extensive
correspondence with distinguished botanists in this
country and Europe. He had a small farm with a delightful
home about five miles from Butler, where he had a
splendid orchard and vineyard, in attending which he took
great delight. He lived to be seventy-nine years of age,
and for thirty years before his death, he had fully
identified himself with, and taken the greatest interest
in everything promising to promote the welfare of Taylor
County.

William Mitchell, great-grandfather of the subject of
this sketch, was a son of William and Sarah (Letcher)
Mitchell, and clandestinely married Miss Elizabeth
Chiawing when but eighteen years of age. Coming to
Georgia, he settled in Clarke County and engaged in the
practice of law, and died at the house of his father,
four miles north of Athens, July 27, 1808. He left a son,
William Letcher Mitchell (grand-uncle of Mr. Neisler),
who attained to considerable distinction as a scholar and
lawyer. He was born in Henry County, Va., in 1805,
graduated from the University of Virginia in 1825 with
the first honor, read law with Capt. John Semple, one of
the most talented lawyers in the state, at Louisville,
Ky., and was licensed to practice by Judges Perkle and
Monroe. He returned to Georgia and taught in the academy
of Hillsboro, Ga., in 1828-29 and in 1830, was appointed
tutor of mathematics in the University of Georgia, a
position which he held four years. He then returned to
the practice of his chosen profession, in which continued
with success and distinction until he died. Mr. Neisler's
maternal grandparents were John and Priscilla (Cheeves)
Howard. He was a native of England, but an eminent
merchant of Salem, Mass., where he lived until he died in
1856. Mr. Neisler was reared on the farm, but received a
good common school education; studied Latin and some of
the higher branches of education. He enlisted in 1862 in
Company E, Capt. W.S. Wallace, Forty-fifth Georgia
Regiment, participated in quite a number of important, as
well as sanguinary battles, and experienced much hard
service and many hardships. He was engaged in the
following among other battles: Cedar Run, Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsville, Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House,
Jericho Ford, Turkey Ridge, Petersburg, etc. At Cedar
Run, he was wounded and sent to the hospital at
Lynchburg, where he remained for two months, and then
returned to his command. He was taken prisoner near
Petersburg and sent to Point Lookout, Md., where he
remained three months. With considerable zest Mr. Neisler
relates the following interesting incident: After the
surrender, on or about June 1, 1865, Maj. Brady, in
command of the post at Point Lookout, not satisfied with
the hundreds of United States flags festooned and
floating everywhere, while hundreds of prisoners were
being paroled, conceived the idea of testing the loyalty
of the ex-Confederates to the flag. So he proceeded to
plant a lofty pole as a flag-staff in front of his
office. The prisoners surrounding the office awaiting
their parole papers, knowing the object, moodily and
sadly watched the workers. In silence, and some instances
with bitterness, they looked on as the pole was raised,
the flag hauled up and thrown to the breeze from its top.
In silence they listened to Maj. Brady as he spoke
eulogistically in praise of the stars and stripes and the
Union they represent. Sorrowfully some of the utterances
fell upon their ears, and with stern resolve and closed
lips they resented his words and resisted his appeal.
When he concluded and requested three cheers for the flag
there was no applause, not a single response, the
assemblage was as silent as the grave. The silence was
absolutely painful, they disdained loyalty, however true,
under apparent arbitrary military dictation. After the
war, he returned to his home, soon made money but lost
it; made another start, and has since been as successful
as he wished. In 1892, against his inclination and
protest, he was nominated by the Democrats to represent
Taylor County in the general assembly, they asserting
that he was the only man in the county who could defeat
the Populists. He was elected, and when the general
assembly met and the name of Neisler was announced from
Taylor, an unexpected whoop from the gallery startled the
audience. Editor Wynn of the Fort Valley Leader couldn't
repress his joy. In that body he was placed on the
committees on the deaf and dumb asylum, general
agriculture, and excuses of members. Mr. Neisler was
married in 1873 to Miss Sarah Early Montfort, born in
Taylor County in 1852, daughter of Joel E. and Mary E.
(Dugger) Montfort. Of the children which have blessed
this union four are living: Martha M., Hugh Mitchell,
Willie E., and Sarah Letcher. Mr. Neisler is a royal arch
Mason, and himself and wife are eminently exemplary and
useful members of the Methodist Church. He enjoys to the
fullest extent the confidence and unaffected esteem of
his fellow countrymen, and socially, no family ranks
higher than his.

{Note: from Memoirs of Georgia 1896]
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