Riley H. McClellan was born January 18, 1844, in Bradley County, Tennessee. He was the son of Andrew Dow McClellan and Mary L. Clark Hess. Riley had two brothers; Charles Price McClellan, and Green Wells McClellan. He also had two half-brothers; William R. (Bill) Hess, and James Anderson Hess.
Riley married Oratrix Vina "Vinie" Chastain on March 28, 1863, near Fort Payne, Alabama. To this union was born one daughter; Mary L. McClellan who married Robert Scott in Fort Payne, Alabama.
Riley enlisted in Co. B, 1st Regiment, Alabama Vidette Cavalry, on September 15, 1863, at Stevenson Alabama. Riley's service record shows he was captured December 1863. His pension records show he was in Andersonville Prison.
Shortly after the war Riley shot and killed a man in Fort Payne, Alabama. The reason of the killing is unknown. He then eloped with a Pyrena Clark to Mississippi without divorcing Vinie McClellan. He lived a number or years in Mississippi where a daughter and son was born; Francis A., and Daniel Webster. Pyrena Clark died after 1871. Riley then returned to Fort Payne with his two children.
Riley married Nancy Mahala Little on June 27, 1875, in Fort Payne, Alabama. Nancy was the daughter of John Little and Delilah Aldridge. Nancy had no knowledge of Riley still being married to Vinie McClellan.
Riley and Nancy had three of their children born in Fort Payne. Riley moved his family to Birch Tree, Missouri in 1880. They later settled at Montier, Missouri. Six of their nine children were born here.
The names of Riley and Nancy's children were; Susan Lodema, Charles Price, Green Wells, Margaret Susana, Martha Ellen, William "Billy", Nancy Mary, Andrew Harrison, and Bertha.
On May 20, 1912, Riley filed for his pension only to find his wife Vinie was already receiving half of his pension. He then had to file for a divorce from Vinie in the Shannon County Court in order to receive his full pension. This is when Nancy learned she was not legally married to Riley. Supposedly, she cried and stated that she had nine children and was not married.
Riley died December 31, 1913, at Montier, Missouri.
Service records compiled by Glenda Todd and used with her permission. This and other information about the history of the First and the men who fought with the unit
can be found in her book, First Alabama Cavalry, USA: Homage to Patriotism.