SYLVESTER ORLANDO WATSON -- 118thINFANTRYAlthough 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" tallwhen he joined the 118th Infantry and was mustered into Company G onAugust 31, 1864. For his enlistment he received a town bounty of whatlooks like \$1,000.The 118th was badly in need of men when Sylvester enlisted. During thespring and summer of 1864, they received almost 300 casualties in thefield, not to mention those who were sick or injured in hospital orthose who had been discharged for disability. The regiment was stationedin the Petersburg and Richmond area and, in their bloodiest battle atDrewry's Bluff, 40 men were killed in action and 15 more men died oftheir wounds later. At the end of September at Chaffin's Farm and theend of October at Fair Oaks, they had 180+ more casualties.Almost as soon as he got to the battlefield, Sylvester became ill andwas in the U. S. General Hospital in October 1864. He recovered and wasnoted as being present on his Muster Roll Abstract in February and April1865. He was present at the Fall of Petersburg on April 2nd. In mid-Junetwo months later, he was mustered out at Richmond, VA, after 9 months ofservice.Sylvester went back to his wife, Martha Goodspeed who he had married in1856, and his parents, John Watson and Eleanor Kimball, and startedfarming again in Franklin Falls, NY. The 1890 Veterans Schedules reportthat 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 thePotsdam Herald-Recorder of February 1, 1918 -- Colton -- the Rev. F. J.Fulton of the local M. E. Church officiated last Tuesday at the funeralof Sylvester Watson an aged and respected citizen of Stark. Martha alsodied in 1918.Photo from Ancestry.
