The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-09
STORY OF AN OLD WATCH.
A Young Confederate Soldiers
Time-Piece Returned to his
Mother after Seventeen
Years.

For the past IL years there has been
in the possession OF an ex member OF
the Tooth New York regiment 4 gold
watch whose interesting history has just
come to light. The gentleman who has
the honor to be connected with this
narrative is a business nan N this city,
and though he is entitled 10 much cred
it insists positively upon his name be-
ing withheld from publication. a re-
porter of the Commer heard about the
watch aud called upon the gentleman,
who tells the following story and show
ed letters in proof thereof: Il was IN
the army in Texas in 1867 and came In
TO possession Of a gold hunting case
watch. 1t was a Swiss movement piece
and a good timer. Ihaye carried It ever
since. On the inside OF the cas- was
inscribed in faint lines as if with a pin
what looked to me Ike Rob. Meow
an, Raleigh, n. g., March. lsGl." !
looked at il many times and still thought
but little OF the matter, until last May,
when a friend read the words, making
Roderick of what l thought vas Robert.
| wrote to the postmaster OF Raleigh,
y. G., asking if he knew OF such a per-
son as Robert MCGOWAN, and received
a letter which read as follows:
UNITED STATES PosToFFICE,
RALEIGH, y. G., May II, loSi.I
DEAR SIR:-Yours of ODD inst. re-
ceived. There was a young man by the
name Of Roderick McGowan, who was
in the Confederate army, and who died
some time after the close OF lie war.
His parents are old people Of about 20,
and are now in Raleigh. | called at
their house this morning and made in
quiries about the watch. The mother
says he did have a gold watch, but does
not remember that his name was en-
graved on it, but says she would recog-
nize it. she thinks. Theirs Is the only
family of McGowans that have ever
lived here, and it may be that Roderlck,
not being an usual name, the engraver
made it Robert. This young man, Me-
Gowan. served, his mother says, mostly
in the artillery, and was for a part CT
the time in the Western army.
Mr.. and Mrs. McGowan are highly
respectable people, and they say if you
will send the watch to them or to me.
and they do not recognize it, they will
promptly return it; but il it is that of
their dead son, they would be proud to
receive it.
You know, of course, how the watch
came into your possession, and if the
foregoing statement satisfies you that 1t
probably belonged to the young man
referred to, you can send it, and if not
fully identified, l will see that it is re-
turned. Very respectfully,
JOIN NICHOLS, p. NJ.
II sent the watch on. The suisse
quent correspondence convinced me
that | had found the young mans moth
er, but that it was doubtful if the young
man was alive or not. a relative in
formed the postmaster there that Nc
Gowan Lad gone t o Texas some time
after the war, he having served in the
Confederate ranks. He was a brave,
reckless fellow, and it is thought he met
a violent death in Texas.
A letter dated June 11th from Mr..
Nichols says he took the watch to Mr..
and Mrs. MCGOWAN, and when he pre-
scented it to them they were overcome
with tears, and heaped blessings on you
and myself for being the means of re-
turning it to them" The mother said,
Il had rather have this than 800, for it
is the first and only clue 10 my long lost
boy. AS soon as she is Gained down
she will acknowledge the receipt" The
watch was stolen from the Buffalo gen
tleman several times during the Il years
that it was in his possession ; but hap
PLY it was recovered and sent to the old
lady as a slight consolation for the loss
of her bov.-Bufalo 1dcertiser.
To the foregoing let us add that Mr..
Nichols. who showed much kindness in
helping to restore the relic of their long
son to the venerable parents, SEN a
photograph of Roderick MCGOWAN to the
gentleman in Buffalo, who replied that
he had never seen the original. The
watch he obtained from a soldier near
Brennan, Texas. The disappearance
of young MCGOWAN has always been
Involved in mystery, which, is nov deep
ened.