LeGrand McNeil was born around 1855 in North Carolina. McNeil worked as a laborer and resided in Anson County, North Carolina, with his wife Mary McNeil (née Ratliff). McNeil was charged with larceny on April 22, 1878, and sentenced to two years in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. McNeil was recorded in the North Carolina State Penitentiary's Descriptive Register for the Years 1869-1884 as prisoner number 2674. In the descriptive register, McNeil's race is noted as Black. McNeil was twenty-three years old when he was arrested. McNeil was noted as possessing no formal education, meaning he could not read or write at that time. During his incarceration, McNeil was leased to the Western North Carolina Railroad Company to work on railroad construction. He was discharged on March 5, 1880.