History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 3]

1756 HISTORY OF MICHIGAN
loyal state, and Mr. Watkins enlisted in the company that was accepted
from Grand Rapids. His company was designated as Company K. They
went to Washington and there rendezvoused with the Lincoln Cavalry as
those troops were called, through they were later designated as the First
New York Cavalry. He was made sergeant and with twenty-five others
volunteered to go as advance guard to a small detachment of infantry
from the camp of the Army of the Potomac, near Cold Harbor, Virginia,
along an old road, long unused, leading into the village of Mechanicsville,
and along the base of a wooded hill. A regiment of Confederate infantry
rose up from ambush in the underbrush by the side of the road and fired
a volley at close range into the little band of Cavalrymen. The officer in
command was killed, and his men fought hand to hand with the enemy
now occupying the road in the rear. With the loss of two men and several horses they reached a wooded hill where they found protection from
the enemy's fire. Sergeant Watkins took command, rallied his little
company, and when the infantry arrived, drove the enemy into and through
Mechanicsville. As reinforcements came up, he was pointed out as the
commanding officer and was thus obeyed until the village was occupied
and the day's battle ended. For this act of bravery, General Franklin,
in whose corps the First New York was serving, complimented him in
public and recommended him for promotion to the rank of First Lieutenant. Thereafter Lieutenant Watkins commanded a company of his
own through the battles on the Chickahominy and at Malvern Hill, and
returned with the Army of the Potomac to the north in time to participate
in. the closing scenes at Antietam. Later he served with his regiment in
the valley of Virginia and in their arduous campaign through the hills of
West Virginia participating in more than half a hundred cavalry fights.
He commanded the advance guards and led the charge at the capturing
of General Imboden's camp with stores and equipage and taking more
prisoners than the entire attacking force numbered. In January, 1863,
he commanded the force making a night attack on a band of Confederate
raiders that had reached the Union forces at Winchester, capturing the
Martin's Bay stage with several Confederate officers returning to their
command, captured and scattered the raiders and cleared their premises.
He served as chief of scouts in the Shenandoah Valley some months in
I863 until he was appointed Assistant Adjutant General on the staff of
Col. A. T. McReynolds, who then commanded at Martinsburg. He held
that position with General McReynolds until the battle of Piedmont,
when he was appointed to a like position on the staff of General Hunter,
who commanded the army sent to capture Lynchburg. The night before
the attack at Lynchburg General Hunter selected him to carry a verbal
message to General Crook who commanded the column approaching the
city on another road. Two carriers had been sent with despatches in the
evening but had been unable to reach him and had returned to headquarters badly wounded, but Capt. Watkins succeeded in reaching him in the
gray of the morning and gave him the plan of battle and the part in which
General Crooks was expected to take in it. In the forenoon of the day
of the attack, when he again reported to General Hunter, he was placed
temporarily in charge of a Brigade and led it in a fierce attack on the
enemy. After the retreat from Lynchburg General Hunter placed him in
command at Hagerstown, Maryland, where he stored great quantities
of Federal supplies. Although attacked by the enemy nearly every day
he succeeded in protecting the supplies and holding the town until relieved. When General Hunter retired from command of the army he
reported to General Sheridan who succeeded General Hunter, and by order
of General Grant he was made Assistant Adjutant General of the Cavalry
Corps.