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Watson Brothers (Civil War correspondence)
2015.006.w.r
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Watson Brothers Civil War correspondence
Creator:
Watson, Jason Lee
Creator:
Watson, James Harvey
source:
Beattie, Laura May
Identifier/Call Number: 2015.006.w.r
Identifier/Call Number: 997
Physical Description:
0.1 Linear Feet
(2 folders)
Date (bulk): 1862 January 20 - 1864 October 15
Abstract: This collection contains six correspondence from brothers James Harvey Watson and Jasonon Lee Watson to their cousin Elisha
during the Civil War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: Civil War 1
Container: 14-15
Container: 1-2
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Laura May Beattie. Legacy collection from Andrew Carroll.
[Item title, Box number, Folder number], Watson Brothers Civil War correspondence (2015.006.w.r), Center for American War
Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collection contains six correspondence from James Harvey Watson and Jason Lee Watson to their cousin Elisha Watson during
the Civil War. The sixth letter is addressed to "Dear Brother" but it is unsigned. James and Jason were Corporals in Company
E, 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry for the Union Army. They enrolled in the fall of 1861. In March 1862 they joined the main
army of General Curtis at Batesville, Arkansas. They spent the winter in southern Missouri. In the spring of 1863 they traveled
south along the Mississippi River and engaged in the Battle of Vicksburg. On May 22, 1863, Jason was killed in action. His
body was found the following day by his brother James.
In their letters they describe the conditions in the camp, the weather, the morale of the soldiers, their health, and some
skirmishes with Rebels they were involved in. In the letter dated May 9, 1862, James writes "I would be very glad to see the
end of this war and see this country once more united under the same old flag under which our fathers fought and bled when
throwing off the yoke of oppression." He also describes his opinions of the south's cause, saying that the people who are
too poor to own slaves have been misled by educated slave owners into believing the north is imposing on their way of life,
but laments the fact that these poor people are too ignorant to realize this.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence -- American Civil War
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Politics and culture
Siege of Vicksburg (Mississippi : 1863)
Beattie, Laura May