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DEATH OF COLONEL WATSON.
227
prudent, but disregarding his safety, his eye beaming with patriotic enthusiasm, his bosom swelling with pride as he glanced at his men, his arm
extended, sword in hand, pointing to the enemy, he refused to retire until he
had made two ineffectual charges on the plaza and other parts of the
city.
The battalion advanced up the street under a terrific fire from all sides,
" as far as brave men could go. There was no going any farther." x Here all
those who had succeeded in getting this far, halted as if by mutual consent,
and sought shelter. In about ten minutes time, Colonel Watson, rallied his
command and again charged up the street, about fifty yards farther, when
Colonel Garland, finding the enemy strongly posted and in overwhelming
numbers, ordered a retreat. The gallant survivors of the battalion, who
"were unable to fight or do more than they had
done," now retired from the city in good order. Upon
emerging into an open field, Captain Kenly, finding
that he was the senior officer present, rallied the battalion, and led them down to make another attack on
the fort. Greatly to his surprise, however, upon Hearing it, he found that it had been captured by the
. American troops, when it turned its fire on the Baltimore Battalion as it charged into the town. Captain
Kenly was now ordered to shelter his men in a ditch,
from the fire which was as hot and incessant as ever,
and wait for further orders. He marched as directed,
and while waiting for orders, the sad intelligence reached him of the death of
the gallant Watson. It appears that Colonel Watson, in retiring from the
city, inclined a good deal to the left, and became separated from the main
body of the battalion. In company with Lieutenant Bowie, who had remained
with him, he met another column advancing to the attack, which he joined
with the few men he had with him, and fell a few moments afterwards, struck
in the neck by a musket-shot, which severed the jugular vein, killing him
instantly.2
COL. WILLIAM H. WATSON.
1 Kenly's Memoirs, etc., p. 110.
2 William H. Watson was the only son of
Thomas A. and Rebecca H. Watson, and was
born on the 30th day of August, 1808, in Baltimore City. Upon the completion of his education, he chose the profession of law, and
entered as a student under the instruction of
his uncle, Colonel William H. Freeman, then
favorably known as one of the practitioners of
the Baltimore bar. He was admitted to the bar
of Baltimore County Court on the 14th of January, 1829, and, about the same time, he married the daughter of Captain Lemuel G. Taylor.
He practiced his profession in the various courts
of Baltimore with considerable success, until
December, 1835, when he was appointed a
magistrate by Governor Veazy. While acting
in this capacity, in the fall of 1836, he was
chosen a member of the First Branch City
Council from the second ward. In 1838, he was
elected a member of the House of Delegates,
and again in 1843, when he was chosen to the
responsible station of Speaker of the House of
Delegates.' He was, subsequent to this, aide on
the staff of Governor Pratt, with the rank of
colonel, captain of the Independent Blues (a
Baltimore militia company), and, upon the
breaking out of the war with Mexico, he was
commissioned, by the governor, lieutenant-
colonel of the battalion he commanded when
killed. He was, also, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Columbian Fire Company.
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000258 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | DEATH OF COLONEL WATSON. 227 prudent, but disregarding his safety, his eye beaming with patriotic enthusiasm, his bosom swelling with pride as he glanced at his men, his arm extended, sword in hand, pointing to the enemy, he refused to retire until he had made two ineffectual charges on the plaza and other parts of the city. The battalion advanced up the street under a terrific fire from all sides, " as far as brave men could go. There was no going any farther." x Here all those who had succeeded in getting this far, halted as if by mutual consent, and sought shelter. In about ten minutes time, Colonel Watson, rallied his command and again charged up the street, about fifty yards farther, when Colonel Garland, finding the enemy strongly posted and in overwhelming numbers, ordered a retreat. The gallant survivors of the battalion, who "were unable to fight or do more than they had done," now retired from the city in good order. Upon emerging into an open field, Captain Kenly, finding that he was the senior officer present, rallied the battalion, and led them down to make another attack on the fort. Greatly to his surprise, however, upon Hearing it, he found that it had been captured by the . American troops, when it turned its fire on the Baltimore Battalion as it charged into the town. Captain Kenly was now ordered to shelter his men in a ditch, from the fire which was as hot and incessant as ever, and wait for further orders. He marched as directed, and while waiting for orders, the sad intelligence reached him of the death of the gallant Watson. It appears that Colonel Watson, in retiring from the city, inclined a good deal to the left, and became separated from the main body of the battalion. In company with Lieutenant Bowie, who had remained with him, he met another column advancing to the attack, which he joined with the few men he had with him, and fell a few moments afterwards, struck in the neck by a musket-shot, which severed the jugular vein, killing him instantly.2 COL. WILLIAM H. WATSON. 1 Kenly's Memoirs, etc., p. 110. 2 William H. Watson was the only son of Thomas A. and Rebecca H. Watson, and was born on the 30th day of August, 1808, in Baltimore City. Upon the completion of his education, he chose the profession of law, and entered as a student under the instruction of his uncle, Colonel William H. Freeman, then favorably known as one of the practitioners of the Baltimore bar. He was admitted to the bar of Baltimore County Court on the 14th of January, 1829, and, about the same time, he married the daughter of Captain Lemuel G. Taylor. He practiced his profession in the various courts of Baltimore with considerable success, until December, 1835, when he was appointed a magistrate by Governor Veazy. While acting in this capacity, in the fall of 1836, he was chosen a member of the First Branch City Council from the second ward. In 1838, he was elected a member of the House of Delegates, and again in 1843, when he was chosen to the responsible station of Speaker of the House of Delegates.' He was, subsequent to this, aide on the staff of Governor Pratt, with the rank of colonel, captain of the Independent Blues (a Baltimore militia company), and, upon the breaking out of the war with Mexico, he was commissioned, by the governor, lieutenant- colonel of the battalion he commanded when killed. He was, also, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Columbian Fire Company. |
