Ansel Watson (abt. 1792 - abt. 1854)

Born about 1792 in Chester District, South Carolina

Descendants

Died about 1854 at about age 62 in Hall, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Ansel was born about 1792 in Chester District, South Carolina. His father was Nathaniel Watson. His mother was Nancy Anderson. His father was a soldier during the Revolutionary War serving in the North Carolina Militia.

Military

When Ansel was age 20 he enlisted in the United States Army during the War of 1812. He enlisted in November of 1813. He was a Private in the Artillery. He was a farmer. A physical description is given for him in his enlistment record. He was 5 feet 7 inches tall with Dark Blue eyes, Dark hair, and a dark complexion. He enlisted under Lt. Prince.

Events related below have bearing on Ansel.

The town of Fernandina in Spanish East Florida was established in 1811 with Amelia Island just of the coast.

Fernandina was a center for smuggling and represented a threat to trade of the United States, Fernandina was invaded and seized by forces under the command of General George Mathews in 1812 with the clandestine approval of President James Madison. Mathews and Colonel John McKee were commissioned as secret agents to incite a revolution in Spanish East Florida. A group of Americans calling themselves the "Patriots of Amelia Island" had banded together to drive out the Spanish and reported to General Mathews, who moved into a house at St. Marys, Georgia, just nine miles across Cumberland Sound.

In June of 1817 General Gregor McGregor took over the island from the Spanish. He established the short lived Republic of the Floridas. The Spanish attempted to retake Ameila Island in September of 1817 but failed. Before he left Florida, MacGregor had met with the French privateer, Louis Aury, a previous acquaintance from political intrigues in South America who had served with him in Simon Bolívar's army in New Granada. Hubbard and Irwin were left in charge of the island and Fernandina after McGregor left. Aury coerced Hubbard and Irwin to give him authority over the island with shared delegated authority to them.

Amelia Island and Fernandina were involved in activities that threatened the negotiations concerning the cession of Florida. President Monroe consulted congress. Consequently, after considerable debate in the U. S. Congress, President Monroe ordered and federal forces were dispatched to retake Amelia on October 31 of 1817. On 23 December 1817, 250 federal troops led by Major James Bankhead, 1st Battalion Artillery of the U.S. Army, occupied Amelia Island to help restore order. Bankhead's forces held the island until Spain surrendered Florida to the United States in 1821. After a contentious exchange of communications with representatives of the president, Aury realized his position was untenable and surrendered the island to Commodore J.D. Henley and Major James Bankhead on December 23, 1817. Aury remained over two months as an unwelcome guest; Bankhead occupied Fernandina and held it "in trust" for Spain.

Ansel Watson and Solomon were among the forces under Major Bankhead that were sent to Amelia Island. Ansel was discharged in November of 1818 at Fernandina Amelia Island.

After War of 1812 and Military Service

Anson moved to Pendleton District in South Carolina by 1820. He was married about 1820 to Sarah Bruce. He later moved to Hall County, Georgia and was living there in 1830. Ansel and Sarah remained in Hall County until his death in 1854. Sarah was still living in Hall County in 1860 with several of her sons and a daughter. Sarah is mentioned in a pension application as a widow of a soldier of War of 1812.

Family

He was married to Sarah Bruce in about 1820 in South Carolina. He had the following children:

1. Ansel R. Watson
2. John Berry Watson
3. George Watson
4. David Jarrett Watson
5. James Madison Watson
6. Solomon Watson
7. Joab Watson
8. Sara Ann Watson

Sources

• "United States War of 1812 Index to Pension Application Files, 1812-1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X8ZZ-J36 : 11 March 2018), Ansel Watson, ; citing military unit Pvt Capt Payne's Co US Arty, NARA microfilm publication M313 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 847,526.

• "War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 - Ancestry.com." War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815 - Ancestry.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014..

• "United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QJD5-KJ6N : 9 March 2018), Ansel Or Anselm Watson, 24 Nov 1813; citing p. 7, volume 025, , , South Carolina, United States, NARA microfilm publication M233 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 13; FHL microfilm 350,319.

• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG6-QGF : accessed 10 May 2018), Ansel Watson, Pendleton, South Carolina, United States; citing p. 212, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 120; FHL microfilm 162,023.

• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPL-X5K : 11 August 2017), Aselem Watson, Hall, Georgia, United States; citing 106, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 18; FHL microfilm 7,038.

View the original document. The original may contain more information than was indexed.

• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBZ-FS3 : 15 August 2017), Hanson Watson, Disrict 505, Hall, Georgia, United States; citing p. 190, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 42; FHL microfilm 7,044.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZY5-X3L : 12 April 2016), Ansel Watson, Hall county, part of, Hall, Georgia, United States; citing family 93, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Town_of_Fernandina_Historic_Site#Gregor_MacGregor_and_the_Republic_of_the_Floridas