Great Grandfather 46th Georgia

[Doug Watson]

Hello, I am new to the group and am looking for information on my Great Grandfather Byron S Watson who I understand served in Co. E 46th Georgia volunteers 1861-1865. Excited to find any information I can on him and the group he served in. Thank you very much!

 

[captaindrew]

I was just looking at the photo of the stone you posted in the introduction forum. I think you had it right the first time, I see 16th. I paged someone there who knows the 16th and will do so here too, @lelliott19. Good luck with your search, there's a lot of good detectives on here so hopefully they can help.

 

[lelliott19]

Byron A S Watson was in Company E 46th Georgia. I posted some info on the other thread, but Ill repost it here, along with some additional info.

It seems that Watson caught up with the regiment at Wilmington, NC, where he enlisted January 8, 1863. Byron was born March 11, 1845, so he was 17 years old -- 2 months from turning 18 - when he was mustered in. He was hospitalized November 12, 1863 but recovered and returned to the 46th where he was counted "Present" on the Jan/Feb 1864 Company Muster Roll. He was recorded present on Company Muster Rolls through July/Aug 1864. There is no further record for him with the 46th GA.

In a letter dated Meridian, Mississippi, May 21, 1863, Captain A H Cooper of Company C, 46th Georgia reports on 46th Georgia casualties in the fight at Jackson.

In a letter dated June 7, 1863, Colonel Colquitt's rebuts assertations that "several hundred" of his men absented themselves from the regiment.

More on the fight at Jackson and the controversy.

This one reports on the Battle of Chickamauga and the mortal wounding and death of Colonel Peyton Colquitt. I notice that some sources say Colonel Colquitt died of his wounds on Tuesday, September 22, 1863 - but this source says he died on Monday evening which would have been September 21st.

Tribute of Respect - Colonel Peyton H Colguitt

An anonymous letter from a member of the 46th Georgia, sent to The Macon Telegraph under the pseudonym "One of your many READERS" details casualties in the regiment at The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain June 20, 1864. Byron was present during this time, so presumably participated but not is among the 141 casualties or among the members of Company E listed as missing. In spite of the odds, Byron must have been fortunate to escape unscathed.

Here is the obituary for Byron A S Watson, from the local Talladega, AL newspaper - where he was living at the time of his death.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

The following intended as a possible supplementary summary to the detailed and comprehensive information provided above.

An overview of the battle unit's (46th GA) movements during the CW is found at the following NPS link:-

Battle Unit Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)

Regiment Details

www.nps.gov

Pvte. Byron Watson is shown on the officially compiled postwar roster of Co. E, 46th GA Infantry. He joined on Jan. 8, '63, and surrendered at Greensboro, NC, on Apr. 26, '65. (See https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89059402297&seq=1028 @ p. 978).

From the Find-a-Grave listings, he might be Byron S. Watson (1845 - 1906) (See https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41537978/byron-s-watson ).

There is also a Pvte. H. C. Watson shown on the same official roster who joined on Sep. 21. '63, and surrendered at Greensboro on Apr. 26, '65. This soldier might be Byron's younger sibling, Henry Clay Watson (1852 - 1928) whose Find-a-Grave listing is found at, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34762578/henry_clay-watson . If so, then H. C. Watson would have been a very young soldier, being aged 12 years at the time of the surrender.

 

[lelliott19]

@Doug Watson I posted some additional information above in post 3 but just ran across the casualty report for the 46th Georgia at Chickamauga. Byron Watson is not included on this one either so another close call/near miss I presume.