Revolutionary War Veterans Buried in Lake and McHenry Counties-- Part 2

A Major Watson was buried in McHenry County in the Linn-Hebron Cemetery, about two miles northwest of Hebron, Illinois, a town that features a water tower with a basketball painted on it honoring the 1952 squad that took the state championship, a real "Hoosiers" story in itself.

Major is the man's actual first name. Too bad he wasn't an officer. "I'd like you to meet Major Major Watson" would have been a good one. I could see that on the "MASH" TV show, Hawkeye would have loved it.

Major Watson was born in Sacketts Harbor, New York November 18th, 1739, so in just two days we'll be celebrating the 272nd anniversary of his birth. He died at age 100 on March 15, 1840, in Walworth County, Wisconsin, and was buried in Illinois. Hebron is just south of Walworth County.

He served under generals George Washington and Lafayette and was at the Battle of Monmouth.

he also served in the War of 1812 and fought at the Battle of Sacketts Harbor, his birthplace. I have to wonder what he thought about that? He was captured and spent time on a British prison ship before being released through the efforts of the president.

I came across some more information in the Tryon Family in America website at www.gratisbooks.com website by Wesley Tryon, that mentioned this Major Watson as having a Tryon relative who was his great grandson.

It came from a private conversation with an old woman from Woodstock, Illinois. Major Watson, as a young man, was captured by the Indians and held prisoner. At one point he was made to run the gauntlet and was later adopted by an Indian chief but escaped with the assistance of a fur trader.

He moved to Wisconsin with his daughter, Clarissa (Watson) Downs.

This man sure had an interesting life, and to have lived to be a hundred back then!!!

I'm definitely going to pay his grave a visit.

More to Come. --RoadDog