Watson B. Smith Letters
Three letters written by Union soldier Watson B. Smith to his father, Rollin Coleman, in 1863. They includes his personal accounts of his service during the Civil War.
Dates
- 1863 August 17-December 26
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
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Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
Three letters written by Union soldier Watson B. Smith to his father, Rollin Coleman, in 1863. They includes his personal accounts of his service during the Civil War.
Biographical/Historical Note
Watson B. Smith was born to Rollin Coleman and Mary Amanda (Birchard) Smith in Vermont on October 2, 1837. He was the second of five children: Mary Narcissa (born 1835), Rollin Burnham (born 1843), Ellen Amanda (born 1850), and Howard B. (born 1852). Watson Smith enlisted in the Union Army as a Commissary Sergeant in Company C of the 8th Michigan Cavalry Regiment on August 27, 1862. He was promoted multiple times: to Lieutenant on November 6, 1862; to Acting Adjutant General on October 29, 1863; to Captain on April 15, 1864; to Major on November 14, 1864; to Brevet Lieutenant Colonel on March 13, 1865; and finally to Brevet Colonel on September 22, 1865. He was discharged in Detroit on October 6, 1865.
After the war ended, Smith returned to his family, which had relocated to Omaha, Nebraska. He married Frances Reid Coon in Omaha on December 15, 1869 and the couple had one known child, Watson B. Smith, Jr. He later became a Clerk in the U. S. Circuit Court and was murdered on November 5, 1881 over his support for a "blue law" that would force saloons to pay a $1,000 dollar license fee and close on Sunday.
It should be noted that several sources give Watson B. Smith's name as "Watson Richard Smith." The middle initial "B" has here been accepted as authoritative due to its predominance in primary and contemporary newspaper accounts.
Arrangement
This collection consists of one folder.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository