James Watson (soldier)
Encyclopedia
James Watson was born in Hudson, New York
, in 1850. His mother was from Ohio, and his father from NY. He worked as a laborer. Watson enlisted in the 7th U.S. Cavalry in 1875 in Cincinnati, Ohio
. He was assigned to Company C, and served under Captain Thomas W. Custer. He participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn
River on June 25–26 June 1876, where, as his company approached the bluffs overlooking the river, Watson’s horse and that of another man, Peter Thompson
, gave out. Watson was able to get his horse up again, but the two men were unable to keep up with their company, which was in a battalion under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer
. Watson and Thompson continued on to the river, but were unable to rejoin Custer. They returned to the bluffs and joined the remaining elements of the regiment under Maj. Marcus Reno
.
or tuberculosis
. Watson returned to the Midwest by train with a private from another company, William Slaper, who later recalled that Watson was intending to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan
. No record of Watson’s later life has been found. Noted Indian Wars
historian Walter Mason Camp
, investigating Thompson's curious account, attempted to locate Watson, without success.
Many years later, Slaper would tell journalist and Western historian E. A. Brininstool that he and Watson were friends, but that Watson did not tell him of any adventure with Peter Thompson
at the Little Bighorn. Slaper’s conclusion was that Thompson had made up the story. Brininstool published Slaper’s account in Troopers with Custer in 1925.
Hudson, New York
Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...
, in 1850. His mother was from Ohio, and his father from NY. He worked as a laborer. Watson enlisted in the 7th U.S. Cavalry in 1875 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. He was assigned to Company C, and served under Captain Thomas W. Custer. He participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand and, by the Indians involved, as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, was an armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho people against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army...
River on June 25–26 June 1876, where, as his company approached the bluffs overlooking the river, Watson’s horse and that of another man, Peter Thompson
Peter Thompson (soldier)
Peter Thompson was a Scots-American soldier who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.-Biography:...
, gave out. Watson was able to get his horse up again, but the two men were unable to keep up with their company, which was in a battalion under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
. Watson and Thompson continued on to the river, but were unable to rejoin Custer. They returned to the bluffs and joined the remaining elements of the regiment under Maj. Marcus Reno
Marcus Reno
Marcus Albert Reno was a career military officer in the American Civil War and in the Black Hills War against the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne...
.
Biography
Watson survived the battle and later spoke with members of his company about his adventures with Thompson at the Little Big Horn while separated from the regiment. He was eventually discharged from the army in 1880. Watson suffered from a significant respiratory illness, which may have been asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
or tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Watson returned to the Midwest by train with a private from another company, William Slaper, who later recalled that Watson was intending to go to Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. No record of Watson’s later life has been found. Noted Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
historian Walter Mason Camp
Walter Mason Camp
Walter Mason Camp was a respected editor, author, railroad expert and historical researcher.He was born in Camptown, Pennsylvania, and was educated at the Pennsylvania State College. From 1897 until his death, he was the editor of The Railway and Engineering Review a railroad construction and...
, investigating Thompson's curious account, attempted to locate Watson, without success.
Many years later, Slaper would tell journalist and Western historian E. A. Brininstool that he and Watson were friends, but that Watson did not tell him of any adventure with Peter Thompson
Peter Thompson (soldier)
Peter Thompson was a Scots-American soldier who was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.-Biography:...
at the Little Bighorn. Slaper’s conclusion was that Thompson had made up the story. Brininstool published Slaper’s account in Troopers with Custer in 1925.