The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-01

young Watson, then acting a sienGr.
of1car on the poop, who climbed uui
altar Farragut and after vainly entrsat.a
1rG the admiral to stand IN les ex.Z]
posed place lashed htm to the rigging. y
Watson was wounded In the flght.
"Lieutenant Watson has bsen brought :
! to your attention IN former times. ~
said Farragut in hisUf1cial report. "Hoy
was on the poop attending totha siCna,pS
and performed his duty, G. misht b !
expected, thoroughly. he Il : scionj
! worthy Of the noble sbock he sprinsI]
from, and commend him 10 youf st<S
{; tentiop. /" a
(, Watson entered the Naval academy,
lin 1856, and four years later was grade
uated He was made . master on AuG-n
81, 1851, and on JAM 10. 1s62, was or-X
dered to the Hartford a. navigator. He s
was made lieutenant on July lo> Far ,
ragut took great liking 70 the youue,s
officer, who was appointed his 6aG lieu !
tenant In February, 1854. Watson was
In the battles Of New Orleans, Mobile
bay, Vicksbupg and Pot Hudson, win \.
ming hearty commendation from Ad- 4
miral FarrAgut fox his bravery and
faithful performance Of duty.
Watson became llbutensht com. <
mander July 20. 1890; > oomnkAnder On
Jan. 9& 1874; c4ptaih On Naroh 8.
1887, and . oomp3odor6 on Nov. q.
1897. He ranks two numbers above
Commodore Schley. For aghumber Of
years he was governor q the naval
home at Philade1phia, "a which CITY his 4
wife and children nowlivb. Since the
investment Of Santiago hoehas bean IN
command of the HbTsna blockadinR
squadron post whibht thasLkept him IA
the background.
Watson comesyof good old Kentucky
stock. He was born In Tnulfort On
Aug. "a. 1S42y His father w. .Dr. Ed
ward Howe Watson, his mother Sarah
Lee Crittendens daughtee of John Jor-
dan Orittenden, at one time Rovarnor Of
Kentucky and later attorney general IN
William Henry Harris6nss cabinet
General Thomas L. Cfttendsn, D. 8.
A.. was q brother Of Watson 'smother.
Governor Orittenden's second wife Wa .
the widow Of John Harris Todd. Their
ron, Harry /. Todd, was the father oe
Chapman O. Todd. now Z Commands
In the navy and in command Of the
gunboat Wilmington Of the blookndinR
squadron. Oommod6re Watson waa
married In 1878 to Elizabeth Thornton.
Seven children sre living. The eldest.
John Edward Watson, is an ensign On
the Detroit.
Commodore watson's squsdron ID
mado up of nine ships--tAe projected
cruiser Newark (lagship), Captain. AL
bert 8. Barker; tho battleahips Iowa
Captain Robley d. Evans. and Oregon,
Captain Charles e Clark : The auxil-
iary crudsers Yankee, Oommander vii.
lard n. Brownson Yosemite, Commands
er William H. Emory, and Dixie, Com
mandBr Charles III. Davis and the COL
liers Scindia, Commander Eugene w.
Watson; Alexander, Commands w. z.
Burwell, and AbarendA Lieutenant
Commander w. b. Buford. Six of theso
ships have been added 10 the navy sinoo
the war began. Only few weeks ago
the Iowa was the only ono Of the nine
In commission In the Atlantic.
All the fighting ships Of Watson's
squadron have great coal capacity The
colliers will carry heavy reserve sup
ply. The Alexander was formerly the
Atala. The Scindia and Abarenda have
their names unchanged. They were
merchant ships purchased by the gov
eminent and fitted - collierz -NeW
York Sun.