Andrew Watson
Andrew J. Watson (1891-1916) was a Scott County man killed in combat in New Mexico in 1916 while battling Pancho Villa’s bandits.
See Also: Scott Countians killed in war
Biography
Born in 1891, Andrew Watson was the son of Elisha Watson (1852-1930) and Nancy Slaven (1862-1945). They were married in 1883 and had at least 11 children. Andrew was the fourth-oldest. In addition to Andrew, there were: James W. Watson (1884-1920), Hiram Watson (1886-1959), Rebecca Emmaline Spradlin (1887-1974), Charles Watson (1896-1970), Travis Watson (1897-1987), Mary “Polly” Slaven (1899-1977), Harvey Watson (1901-1997), Lee Jonah Watson (1903-1982), George Cephus Watson (1905-1978) and Willie Watson (1907-1964).
Andrew was the son of Hiram Watson (1825-1910) and Mary Nancy Foster (1825-1915). Nancy was the daughter of Elisha Slaven (1817-1891) and Mary “Polly” Sweet (1827-1898), and a granddaughter of Richard Harve Slaven, the first settler of the Big South Fork region.
The Watson family lived in the vicinity of Terry Cemetery in what is now the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. When the 1910 census was taken, Andrew Watson was boarding with France Miller, who lived at the mouth of No Business and operated a general store there.
Mexican Revolution
Andrew Watson enlisted in the U.S. Army around 1910 and was assigned to Wagoner Supply Troop, 5th Cavalry. In 1916, the 5th Cavalry was dispatched to the Mexican border to serve in the Pancho Villa Expedition that was being led by Gen. John “Black Jack” Pershing. Their assignment was to stop Pancho Villa’s bandits from killing American citizens in the southwestern border towns. Villa had led a raid that resulted in the murders of 17 Americans in Columbus, N.M. in March 1916.
Watson was killed on Sept. 22, 1916, and is listed on a Punitive Expedition casualty roll. He was one of 46 American soldiers killed or wounded on the Mexican border that year, and one of 12 killed during the Punitive Expedition, which was the original, official name of the Pancho Villa Expedition.
Aftermath
Watson may have been the first person buried at Pennington-Watson Cemetery in the Big South Fork NRRA. However, it’s not clear whether he is actually buried there, or if he was buried elsewhere by the U.S. Army and his military marker in the cemetery is just a cenotaph.
Watson’s brother, James Watson, was killed in an Oneida dual in August 1920. His wife, Nancy Pennington, died of tuberculosis on Jan. 1, 1920. They’re both buried at Pennington-Watson Cemetery, as well.