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Note: Cornelius or "Neil" Naylor a son of Samuel and Nellie was an accomplished miller for the Weir family. He was the miller for the Milford mill in Prince William county and was in attendance there when the Union army came through and removed some belongings of the Willcoxon family. One story in the Neil "remained at the mill until after the Union army came to Manassas." During the Civil War Cornelius stayed in the Manassas area and on the day before Thanksgiving 1863 travelled to Point of Rocks Maryland to buy food. At that time any supplies were being blocked from coming into the Confederate states lest they aid the Confederate soldiers. People who travelled across the border to Maryland were allowed to purchase food for family use and Cornelius returned with $16.95 worth of supplies. Cornelius' job as a miller ended when the Milford Mill was sold in 1866. On Dec 31, 1867 Cornelius, a widower, married Anna Robertson; he had three children from his previous marriage, Adeline, Mary and Martha. In 1870 Neil was living in Centreville, Virginia where he worked as a farm laborer and mechanic. Upon his father's death on Christmas eve 1872, Neil inherited a portion of the family farm. It is not known exactly when Cornelius died but his mother requested in her will dated 8 November 1881, that "he shall during his lifetime have a home in the house now occupied by me, and that he shall occupy the room adjoining the kitchen." The 1880 census for Concordia county , Louisiana pg 124, has Nahl Nailor a black male age 60 born in Virginia; perhaps Neil Naylor moved to warmer climates.
"Deposition of Neil Naylor (colored)
My name is Cornelius Naylor; I am about 50 years old; I am a farmer and mechanic and miller, according to circumstances. I live near the Village of Manassas on the farms where I was born and raised. I am not interested in this claim in any manner. I was raised by the grandfather of the claimants in this case. I was his slave when the war broke out.
I became free by the results of the war, and have ever since acted for myself. My father purchased his freedom when I and my brothers and sisters were children. He also purchased 50 acres from my old Master, Wm. J. Weir. My father and family have ever since lived on it, and I live on it now. I am not in debt to the claimants nor to any of their relatives.
I was present at the mill when two large wagon loads of boxes and crates of furniture and house hold goods belonging to Mrs. Wilcoxson, the mother of the claimants, were brought there from towards Manassas a short time before the evacuation of Manassas by the Southern army. I was running the mill until after the union army came to Manassas. Soon after which I saw one large wagon load of the same boxes taken from the mill by U.S Soldiers and carried away towards Manassas on U. S Army Wagons. Mrs. Wilcoxson died while these things were at the mill. She died at her brother's house about 8 or 9 miles from Manassas."
Cornelius Naylor was the son of Samuel and Nellie Naylor born about 1820. His b
Southern Claim # 21726 Richard M Weir, Prince William County, Guardian of John W Wilcoxson and Hattie B Wilcoxson , transcribed by Michelle A Krowl ;"Northern Virginia Genealogy" , Vol. 2 July 1997 No. 3 pg. 131.
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