William Watson (born 1826, died 1906) was an author and soldier in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He is most noted for an autobiographical book ''Life in the Confederate army, being the observations and experiences of an alien in the South during the American Civil War'' (1888) that he wrote after the war chronicling his army life.

Biography

William Watson was born in 1826 in the Scottish village of Skelmorlie, some twenty-five miles west of Glasgow on the Firth of Clyde. His father, a landscape gardener named Henry Watson, had been born in England. He had come to Skelmorlie in 1820 to lay out the grounds of Ashcraig, the estate of Andrew D. Campbell, a retired sugar planter. Trained as an shipbuilding engineer, Watson immigrated about 1845 to the Caribbean Islands, where he worked as a civil engineer and occasional captain of sailing vessels. Sometime about 1850 he moved to Louisiana and by 1860 was part owner of a sawmill and a coal and steamboat business in

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 ...

. He joined the local Rifle Volunteers, and when the Civil War broke out enlisted in the Confederate Army. Other British citizens had joined up for various motivations, including financial interests as well as support for the cause. Watson was sympathetic to the Confederacy, and also conscious of social pressure on his business to contribute "at least one man to the service." He disapproved of secession and was critical of the leadership, but felt it would have discredited both himself and his Scottish countrymen to withdraw from his commitment when war commenced. He was also aware foreigners who did not volunteer would be coerced, or be persecuted by being banished and their property confiscated. He was a

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

in the 3rd Louisiana Infantry and served in a number of military campaigns with the regiment. His battles included Oak Hills, Pea Ridge and

Beechgrove Beechgrove is a cricket ground in Derry, Northern Ireland. Origins The first first-class match on the ground was in 1963, when it hosted a match between Ireland and Scotland. Cricket In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home of Brig ...

. Watson was then discharged, and became a

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...

, initially with schooners and then as a steam vessel master.Walter Smart (1968)
Skelmorlie: The Story of the Parish Consisting of Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay
'.

Postbellum

After the war, Watson returned to Scotland and began a business in

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

. He had three houses built in Skelmorlie, and named these houses, to commemorate his war service; Oakhill, Pea Ridge and Beechgrove. Living in Pea Ridge, he wrote ''Life In The Confederate Army: Being The Observations And Experiences Of An Alien In The South During The American Civil War'', published in 1888.Library of Congress Online Catalog
/ref> This was followed in 1892 by ''The Adventures Of A Blockade Runner; Or, Trade In Time Of War''.

References

People of Louisiana in the American Civil War British people of the American Civil War Confederate States Army soldiers Historians of the American Civil War Scottish emigrants to the United States 1826 births 1906 deaths Foreign Confederate military personnel {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub