Watts, Elijah S. (1836-1909) Papers, 1861-1907
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Watts, Elijah S., 1836-1909
Title: Papers, 1861-1907
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for this collection, contact the Curator of Special Collections.
Size of Collection: 0.66 cubic feet
Locator Number: Mss. A W349
Scope and Content
The collection consists of several letters and documents related to Watts’ experiences as a Union cavalry officer in the Civil War and his post-war political beliefs. The letters are primarily military correspondence, consisting of orders involving his unit, the 2 nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment. There is a large group of General Orders issued by the War Department and various Union army headquarters, many of which are courts martial proceedings. Watts became an active member of the G.A.R. in Chicago, Ill., after the war and was called upon frequently to give patriotic and memorial speeches, of which a dozen or so are included in the collection. There is also a detailed history of the early months of his regiment, including its formation at Camp Holt, Indiana, and its activities in Kentucky in late 1861. Watts was an outspoken Republican and two documents relate to his strong political beliefs. Other items include a series of military maps of the Chickamauga campaign and muster rolls of his regiment
Biographical Note
Elijah S. Watts was born 16 Dec. 1836 in Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky. He was the fourth of eight children born to Elijah and Elizabeth Watts. His father was a tailor and a strong supporter of the Union. At the age of 24, Elijah S. joined the local company of the Home Guard (The Wickliffe Blues) in 1861. Shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run, Watts and 17 comrades left Nelson County to join the Union forces. He was appointed captain of Company A, 2 nd Ky. Cavalry Regt., which was formed at Camp Joe Holt in Jeffersonville, Ind. He was promoted to the rank of major in Feb. 1862 and to the rank of lieutenant colonel in Jan. 1863. His regiment saw action in the Battles of Perryville, Stones River and Chickamauga. After the war, he moved to Chicago, Ill., with his wife, Lucy, and established a business as a general commission agent in 1871. He was called upon to deliver patriotic and memorial speeches on numerous occasions in Oak Park, Ill., and was very active in veterans’ groups. He died 4 May 1909 in Louisville, Ky. Lucy Watts died 26 August 1909 in Louisville.
Folder List
Folder 1: Military correspondence, 1862-1863
Folder 2: Military correspondence, January – March 1864
Folder 3: Military correspondence, April- August, 1864; 24 May 1865
Folder 4: Military correspondence, 1888-1889
Folder 5: Printed military publications, 1861-1862
Folder 6: Printed military publications, 1863
Folder 7: Printed military publications, 1863
Folder 8: Printed military publications, 1864
Folder 9: Miscellaneous printed military documents
Folder 10: Memorial speeches by E.S. Watts, 1890-1895
Folder 11: Speeches, ‘The Kentucky Unionist’, by E.S. Watts, 1889-1895
Folder 12: Miscellaneous speeches, memoirs by E.S. Watts, 1887-1891
Folder 13: Miscellaneous papers written by E. S. Watts
Folder 14: Miscellaneous typewritten manuscripts, undated, anonymous
Folder 15: Miscellaneous items
Folder 16 (oversize): Military maps, Aug.-Sept., 1863, Chickamauga campaign
Subject Headings
Camp Joe Holt (Jeffersonville, Ind.)
Chickamauga, Battle of, Ga., 1863
Courts-martial and courts of inquiry – United States
Democratic Party (U.S.)
Early childhood education – United States
Gambling
Grand Army of the Republic. Dept. of Illinois
Halleck, H. W. (Henry Wager), 1815-1872
Kentucky – History – Civil War, 1861-1865
Kentucky. State Guard
McCook, Alexander McDowell, 1831-1903
Memorial Day
Military pensions
Montessori method of education
Nelson County (Ky.) – History – Civil War, 1861-1865
Oak Park (Ill.) – History – 19th century
Patriotism – United States
Presidents – United States – Election – 20th century
Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
Rousseau, Lovell Harrison, 1818-1869
Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891
Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862
Smith, Charles Ferguson, 1807-1862
Speed, James, 1812-1887
Stanton, Edwin McMasters, 1814-1869
Tariff – Law and legislation – United States
Tennessee – History – Civil War, 1861-1865
United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Claims
United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Maps
United States – History – Civil War, 1861-1865 – Medical care
United States. Army – Appropriations and expenditures
United States. Army – Military life
United States. Army – Supplies and stores
United States. Army – Surgeons
United States. Army. Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, 2nd (1861-1865)
Watts, Elijah S., 1836-1909