SYLVESTER ORLANDO WATSON -- 118th INFANTRY Although Sylvester Orlando Watson, who was born in Parrishville, NY, enlisted in Plattsburgh, his service was credited to the Town of St. Armand in Essex County. He was a 32-year-old farmer and was 5' 4¾" tall when he joined the 118th Infantry and was mustered into Company G on August 31, 1864. For his enlistment he received a town bounty of what looks like $1,000. The 118th was badly in need of men when Sylvester enlisted. During the spring and summer of 1864, they received almost 300 casualties in the field, not to mention those who were sick or injured in hospital or those who had been discharged for disability. The regiment was stationed in the Petersburg and Richmond area and, in their bloodiest battle at Drewry's Bluff, 40 men were killed in action and 15 more men died of their wounds later. At the end of September at Chaffin's Farm and the end of October at Fair Oaks, they had 180+ more casualties. Almost as soon as he got to the battlefield, Sylvester became ill and was in the U. S. General Hospital in October 1864. He recovered and was noted as being present on his Muster Roll Abstract in February and April 1865. He was present at the Fall of Petersburg on April 2nd. In mid-June two months later, he was mustered out at Richmond, VA, after 9 months of service. Sylvester went back to his wife, Martha Goodspeed who he had married in 1856, and his parents, John Watson and Eleanor Kimball, and started farming again in Franklin Falls, NY. The 1890 Veterans Schedules report that he was suffering from heart trouble. Sylvester was buried in the Stark Cemetery in Colton, NY, in St. Lawrence County when he died in 1918. The notice of his death was in the Potsdam Herald-Recorder of February 1, 1918 -- Colton -- the Rev. F. J. Fulton of the local M. E. Church officiated last Tuesday at the funeral of Sylvester Watson an aged and respected citizen of Stark. Martha also died in 1918. Photo from Ancestry.
