Louis Douglas Watkins (–1868) was a soldier in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

Early life

Louis Douglas Watkins was born in the state of Florida, about 1835,Wilson; Fiske 1889, p. 388. but in early life took up his residence in the District of Columbia, where he was living at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War.''The Union Army'' 1908, p. 292.

Military career

On April 15, 1861, Watkins enlisted as a private in Company A, 3rd Battalion, D.C. Infantry; was commissioned first lieutenant in the 14th United States Infantry, May 14; was transferred to the 2nd Cavalry, June 22, and to the 5th Cavalry, August 3. He engaged with that regiment in McClellan's Peninsular Campaign and was severely wounded at the

Battle of Gaines' Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Following the inconc ...

. He was commissioned captain on July 17, 1862, was on mustering and disbursing duty at Cincinnati, Ohio, and aide-de-camp on the staff of General

A. J. Smith Albert J. Smith (born February 28, 1949) is a former American football player, coach, scout, and executive. He served as a part-time scout for several NFL and USFL teams before joining the Buffalo Bills in 1986, serving as a scout and executive ...

during the invasion of Kentucky by the Confederates. He was then appointed chief of cavalry in the

Army of Kentucky The Army of Kentucky was the name of two Union army formations. Both were small and short-lived, serving in Kentucky in 1862 and 1863. Army of August 1862 On August 25, 1862 Major General William "Bull" Nelson assumed command of the forces statio ...

and engaged in General

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter, ...

's raid to East Tennessee in December, 1862. On February 1, 1863, he was commissioned colonel of the 6th Kentucky Cavalry, then stationed at Nashville, and on the staff of General Granger engaged in skirmishes against the Confederates in Tennessee, commanding a brigade in the defeat of the Confederate General

Wharton Wharton may refer to: Academic institutions * Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania * Wharton County Junior College * Paul R. Wharton High School * Wharton Center for Performing Arts, at Michigan State University Places * Wharton, Ch ...

. He commanded the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division,

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

, until September, 1863, and was engaged in guarding the railroad in the Atlanta Campaign, defeating the Confederates in the Battle of Lafayette, Georgia. He was engaged in holding Resaca against the Confederate General

Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of Academic dress#Hood, academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitori ...

, and with the

Army of the Tennessee An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

participated in the pursuit of Hood's

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

, commanding the 1st Cavalry Division. Later he commanded the post of Louisville, Kentucky. He was brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers June 23, 1864; was brevetted major United States Army, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the defence of Resaca, Georgia; lieutenant-colonel, United States Army, for gallant and meritorious services at the battles of Lafayette and Thompson's Station, and colonel and brigadier-general, United States Army, for gallant and meritorious services in the expedition to East Tennessee under General Carter.''The Union Army'' 1908, p. 293. Watkins was promoted to Brigadier General of

United States Volunteers United States Volunteers also known as U.S. Volunteers, U.S. Volunteer Army, or other variations of these, were military volunteers called upon during wartime to assist the United States Army but who were separate from both the Regular Army and the ...

with rank from September 25, 1865; and was mustered out of the volunteers in September 1866. Meanwhile he had been commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 20th United States Infantry in July, 1866, and was stationed at the posts of

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...

and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, Louisiana.

Personal life

Watkins was married to Mary E. Rousseau, daughter of General

Rousseau Jean-Jacques Rousseau (, ; 28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolu ...

, in

Jefferson County, Kentucky Jefferson County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 782,969. It is the most populous county in the commonwealth (with more than twice the population of second ranked ...

, on August 4, 1864.''Civil War Governors of Kentucky''. Retrieved 05-28-2022. He died at either Baton Rouge or New Orleans, on March 29, 1868, after a very short illness. He was survived by his wife and two young children.''The Times-Democrat''. 4-1-1868. p. 4.

Ranks

Watkins joined the United States Army as first lieutenant of the 14th Infantry on May 14, 1861, was transferred to the 5th Cavalry on June 22, 1861, and became captain on July 17, 1862, and lieutenant-colonel of the 20th Infantry on July 28, 1866. He received the following brevets: major, on January 8, 1863, for gallant service in the expedition to East Tennessee under General

Samuel P. Carter Samuel Perry "Powhatan" Carter (August 6, 1819 – May 26, 1891) was a United States naval officer who served in the Union Army as a Brevet (military), brevet Major general (United States), major general during the American Civil War and became ...

; lieutenant-colonel, on June 24, 1864, for service at Lafayette; brigadier-general, on March 13, 1865. He was mustered out on September 1, 1866. * First lieutenant in the 14th United States Volunteer Infantry Regiment on May 14, 1861. * First lieutenant and captain in the 5th United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment from June 22, 1861, to . * Colonel of the 6th Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry Regiment from February 1, 1863. *

Brevetted In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

on June 24, 1864.

References

Sources

* Heitman, Francis B. (1903). "Watkins, Louis Douglas". ''Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903''. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 1008. * Karcheski, Walter J., Jr. (February 2004)
"'This richly mounted sword': the presentation sword of Colonel Louis D. Watkins"
''Apollo'', 159(504): pp. 44 ff. * Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1889). "Watkins, Louis Douglas". ''

Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography ''Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography'' is a six-volume collection of biographies of notable people involved in the history of the New World. Published between 1887 and 1889, its unsigned articles were widely accepted as authoritative fo ...

''. Vol. 6. New York: D. Appleton. p. 388. * "Watkins, Louis D.". ''The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal States, 1861–65''. Vol. 8. Madison, WI: Federal Publishing Company, 1908. pp. 292–293. *
"Louis Douglass Watkins"
''Civil War Governors of Kentucky''. Kentucky Historical Society, National Archives. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
"Obituary"
''New Orleans Republican''. April 4, 1868. p. 2.
"Summary of News"
''

The Times-Democrat ''The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate'' is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, since January 25, 1837. The current publication is the result of the 2019 acquisition of ''The Times-Picayune'' (itself a result of th ...

''. April 1, 1868. p. 4.

External links

"Louis Douglas Watkins"
''American Civil War Research Database''. Historical Data Systems, Inc. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
"Louis Douglas Watkins"
''Find a Grave''. Ancestry.com. October 24, 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2022. {{Authority control 1830s births 1868 deaths Union Army generals United States Army colonels