Watson Diaries of Panola County TX

Henry Watson and John Lindsey Watson, sons of William and Nancy Barcenia (Lindsey) Watson were born and raised in Panola County. Both enlisted in the C.S.A. Army. Henry enlisted as a Private in Company F, 10^th Texas Calvary (Locke's Regiment) on September 25, 1861 in Quitman, TX. He served honorably and was discharged, but never returned home. John Watson enlisted as a Private in Company A, 7^th Texas Infantry on March 29, 1862 at Caldwell, Burleson County, TX and died in camp at Little Rock, AR on January 17, 1863, reportedly of smallpox.

Henry and John both wrote frequent letters to their family back in Panola County, several of which are still in existence. The following is a list of fellow soldiers they mentioned in their letters.

September 1861 : Uncle Newell (Walton), Mr. Hood , Tom Benedick , Capt. Craig

December 9, 1861: Ben McCullough, Col. Locke, Conrad Wall, James Wall,

Guss Coates,

April 17, 1862 : Jack Wall, Jack Jordan, Adda Roaty

January 1, 1863: Guss Wall

January 1863 : James Forsyth, Mr. Bert, Mr. Hood, Lee Gary, William King, Conrad Wall, Jack Wall, Augustus Coats, James Herrin, Thomas Sparkman

January 22, 1863 : A.D. Corbey , T. Habin, S.T. Hillard, S.H.T. Melton, Sanford Yates,,James Harcythe, James Sout, Lt. S.J. Walker, J.H. Bell, Thomas Sparkman, Col. Craig

December 8, 1863 : Conrad Wall, Jack Wall, Thomas Turman, Bellson Smith, E.R. Smith, Newt Fite

August 9, 1864 : Winslow Corley, W.H. Daniels, Thomas Hodges, Monroe Fite, Eli Banks, J.J. Langley

September 23, 1864 : Capt. Booty, Jack Wall, J.T. Herrin, Monroe Fite, Eli Banks, Thomas Hodges, Green Hodges

NOTE: The following is a sample of the letters written home by Henry and John Lindsey Watson.

Seven days a coming we found the cleanest people on the way that I ever saw. When we got up in the upper edge of Smith County we stopped and stayed two days and went a driving and killed two deer. Mr. Hood's horse died as we come up and he come with us to Uncle Newells and he taken Uncle Tom Benedicks horse and Hood and the balance of us boys obligated ourselves to pay him whatever was right for the horse. He was here a foot among strangers and that was all the chance for him to get a horse. He said he would write back to Panola and get him a horse to plow next spring. I and Uncle Newel told him if he could do that it would be allright we thought. He wrote an obligation and we all signed it with him and if he never returns and we do we will pay him for the horse. The first Camp we went to was near Quitman the name of the Camp was Camp Locke. We got there on Friday and left there on Monday to come to Goose Lake which is about thirty five miles. We got here on Tuesday night and I hope we will start to move from this camp on Saturday next. If you want to wright to me direct your letters in this way Henry Watson, Plano, Collin County Texas, Lockes Regiment in care of Capt. Craig. Direct your letters in this way and it makes no difference where we go it will come to me. Write to me as soon as you get this letter and perhaps it will come to me before we leave there. You must excuse my bad writing for I have writ on my nee. I have nothing more to writ. I forgot to tell you about our fair we have plenty of bacon, meal, beef, rice and peaches. We have no coffee but we have plenty of tea. I will quit.