Montgats: Finding Joseph Watson

In the first chapter of my new book, Pioneers of St. Clair County, Michigan, I share the early history of the southeast corner of Military and Water Streets in Port Huron, Michigan, which today is the site of the City Flats Hotel. The land where the hotel stands started out as a ten thousand square foot lot that was situated within an 80 acre plat of land in Section 10 purchased by Joseph Watson from the U.S. government in 1818 which he platted out as the town called Montgats. In 1835 he sold the first lot to Michael Kerley on which he built a store and wharf.

Since the transfer of the deed, the name Montgats has been coined a “local historical mystery.” Local historians, Dorothy M. Mitts and William Lee Jenks both have alluded to where this peculiar name may have originated. In his article titled Early Port Huron published in the Port Huron Daily Times on April 25,1914, William Lee Jenks, wrote, “in looking backward over the history of Port Huron we find various plattings covering the same ground and I imagine it will be new to most people to find that as early as 1818 a part of what is now Port Huron was laid out and platted and that this prospective city bore the astonishing name of Montgats. No trace of this plat remains as it was never recorded, but we know that it bore the name Montgats and it is one of our local historical mysteries, so far unsolved, what the source and meaning of this name. The first part is evidently French – the same word as is seen in Montreal – but whence and why the second part? […] The Kerley store was occupied in the spring of 1835 by Joseph B. Comstock and his brother Alfred, and that same year White and Harrington bought out Watson and he and his town of Montgats disappeared from the view, but leaving on the records the fact that the oldest platted land in the county was a part of our present Port Huron.”

In her 1969 book, That Noble Country, Dorothy M. Mitts writes, “the inland channel indicated through “gats” must refer to Black River. In those days Black and St. Clair Rivers were much lower than they are today and the banks considerably higher. In fact, the land south of Black River was often referred to as “The Hill” -a land feature which may have given rise to “Mont,” thus Montgats.”

In pursuing the history of this infamous corner lot, I took my research a step farther. I dug deeper and examined the life of its original owner, Joseph Watson in addition to reviewing the land transactions. By way of my examination of his life, I formed a new opinion on where the mysterious Montgats name originated from. I do not think Joseph Watson made up the name. Nor do I think the name had anything to do with a mixed French word which referred to the Black River.

I believe Joseph Watson named his little town after Montgat, Spain, a little dormitory town just a few miles up the coast from Barcelona. The city stands high on a mountainous plain above a beautiful beach front on the coast of the Balearic Sea (also known as the Iberian Sea), which is a part of a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea. Joseph bought the land in Michigan because the beautiful blue water of the area and the high plains behind it (as Dorothy Mitts suggested) moved him and reminded him of a place he had been before. A place he deemed special. If you look at the name through Joseph’s eyes, Montgat(s) was appropriate, not peculiar. After all St. Clair County is not known as the “blue water area” for nothing. The blue water in our locale is stunningly beautiful. One can only imagine what the water looked like set against the landscape when Joseph first laid his eyes on it.

The Search for Joseph Watson

Since there is no record of birth for Joseph Watson, I can only estimate he was born sometime in 1788 by using his reported age of 48 years upon his death on October 7, 1836.  Reading various early Detroit sources in which Joseph’s name appears I learned his father was Elkanah Watson, of Revolutionary War fame, originator and promoter of the Erie Canal, major contributor to American agriculture, and a man of letters. Elkanah Watson was born in 1758 to a prominent family in Plymouth, Massachusetts. His father, Elkanah, Sr. (1732-1804) was the youngest son of John Watson, known as the wealthiest man in Plymouth upon his death. John was the grandson of George Watson, and great grandson of Robert Watson, the progeny of the Watson name in America. Elkanah’s mother, Patience Marston Watson (1733-1767) was the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Salem, Massachusetts, Benjamin Marston Sr. (Harvard College Class of 1715) and his wife, Elizabeth Winslow Marston. Elizabeth was a direct descendant of Edward Winslow, Mayflower passenger and third Governor of the Plymouth Colony.

In his childhood, Elkanah’s family belonged to the wealthy societal circles of Massachusetts. However, they were outsiders amongst their wealthy relatives because Elkanah Sr. squandered his family inheritance in Elkanah’s youth. As a result of his father’s poor financial judgment, it was up to Elkanah to create his own financial security and at a young age, he was apprenticed to John Brown in 1773. At the time, Brown was a well-known and prosperous merchant from Rhode Island. While Elkanah worked, he also attended school. During this time, America was revolting against English rule. Living through such a remarkable time, Elkanah decided to keep a journal and document the events of his life. Journaling would become a lifelong ritual for him.

Indoctrinated into the revolutionary cause by his schoolteachers and inspired by his father’s patriotism, Elkanah longed to aid in the cause himself. He joined the Providence Rhode Island volunteer company formed by Colonel Joseph Nightingale in the summer of 1773 to fight against the British troops. Unfortunately for him, he was denied the opportunity. Back in those days, apprenticeships were legally binding contracts of indenture for a set period of years. In learning of his enrollment in Nightingale’s company, his father refused to release him from the apprenticeship. Elkanah was devastated by his father’s refusal. Nonetheless, he went back to serve Brown to preserve his father’s reputation. As a prominent merchant, Brown became heavily involved in Revolutionary activities, war contracting and privateering. Driven by ambition and his belief in the revolution, Elkanah concentrated his efforts on working hard for Brown. Over time he gained his trust and was granted the opportunity to travel all over the country at great risk to his life to carry private letters and money between active members of the Revolutionary cause on Brown’s behalf. The tasks he performed for Brown led Elkanah to form friendships with some of the most influential men of his time, most notably Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.

When Elkanah’s apprenticeship expired in 1779, he sought other employment but found nothing. He could have enlisted in the Continental Army, but for unknown reasons he did not. At the suggestion of Brown’s business partner and brother, Nicholas, Elkanah went to France serving as the Brown’s commercial agent there. He lived in Nantes, studied French, and in Paris, Benjamin Franklin introduced him to French society. While traveling through Holland, John Adams took a shine to him and took him under his wing. In 1782 after he was done working for the Browns, he met Francois Cossoul while he was living in Nantes. Together they established a mercantile business. Later that same year, Elkanah went to England to set up a branch office for his firm in France. As the revolutionary war was ending, Elkanah felt certain British merchants would want to get back to managing their trade interests in America, so Elkanah thought he would get in the game there before others beat him to it. While in London, he was witness to King George III’s proclamation address where he announced the American colonies were free. Elkanah also paid a visit to the artist John Singleton Copley and commissioned him to paint his portrait. After the war, Elkanah and Cossoul’s firm went into bankruptcy after Louis XVI suspended all payments by the National Bank of France in early 1783. This forced Elkanah to return home to Plymouth, MA in 1784.

When he arrived home, he met Rachel Smith, whom he formed an attachment to. Elkanah wanted to marry her, but at the time he was too focused on creating a new business and getting out of financial debt. In 1785, Cossoul arrived in New York. They joined up together again to figure out a way to pay their French and English creditors. They decided that their best bet was for Elkanah to go to North Carolina and Cossoul to the West Indies. Their plan was for Cossoul to establish an independent trading firm there and ship Elkanah goods to resell in America. On his way to North Carolina in 1785, Elkanah stopped at Mount Vernon and presented George Washington with the publications on emancipation that had been distributed in England at the end of the revolution. He had been given copies of the publications by the author who asked him to deliver them to Washington personally.

While in North Carolina, Elkanah originally settled in Nixton, but on a tour of the state, he came across Major Hardy Murfree, who was planning to construct a canal from the falls in the Roanoke River to the Meherrin River and incorporate a new town on property he owned. He intended to call the town Murfreesborough. Elkanah had become fascinated with canal building while he was in Europe, so he took a shine to the project immediately. He purchased a plantation called Mount Sion on Potecasi Creek about 10 miles from Murfreesborough and moved his business there. The area was remote. While Elkanah lived there, he became acquainted with a man from Massachusetts by the name of Joseph Vollintine. He and Joseph became friends, and Elkanah brought him into his business with Cossoul. Their trading business did not prosper and in early 1788 after Elkanah received the news of Cossoul’s death, he sold out to Joseph Vollintine and decided to go back home to Massachusetts.

During the summer of 1788, on his return home, Elkanah stayed with his father on his farm in Freetown, MA, where he was reintroduced to Rachel Smith. Elkanah travelled to Albany, New York in August of 1788. Realizing the opportunities available to him in Albany, Elkanah came back to Freetown and married Rachel Smith in Norton, MA on March 3, 1789. Soon thereafter the newlyweds made their way to Albany to begin a new chapter in their lives.

While early Detroit sources state Elkanah was Joseph’s father, after exploring their lives, I began to wonder if these reports were true. I started to doubt whether he really was Elkanah’s son after reading conflicting information written about Joseph’s early life. For example, the Vermont State Archives, which hold some of Joseph’s papers, state in their finding aid that Joseph was born in South Carolina. In an appended document in Governor and Judges Journal: Proceedings of the Land Board of Detroit by Clarence M. Burton it reads “The secretary of the territory was Col. Joseph Watson. He was a native of South Carolina and was educated in France.” Elkanah Watson, who preserved and journaled his whole life, makes no mention of having ever lived in South Carolina, so the mentions of South Carolina baffled me. However, as I went on to read more of this appended document, I learned Joseph’s full name in this statement, “at the time of his marriage to Sarah Myra Witherell, Judge James Witherell’s daughter on July 24, 1811, Joseph assumed his whole name by which he was christened, Joseph Valentine Beason Watson.” When I read Joseph’s christened name, I began to change my mind and think perhaps Joseph was his son. As my thinking changed, I began to suspect that perhaps Joseph was born illegitimately in early 1788 in North Carolina before Elkanah made his way back to his father’s farm in Freetown, MA and married Rachel Smith in March of 1789.

Elkanah would come to name all his sons after men he had been connected to during his lifetime. I believe he named Joseph after his North Carolina business partner, Joseph Vollintine. In every genealogy book written on the Watson family I have found; Joseph Watson is not listed as one of the children of Elkanah and Rachel. Their children are listed as 1) Emily, b. 1791; 2) George Elkanah, b. 1793; 3) Mary Lucia, b. 1797-1798; 4) Charles Marston, b. 1799; and 5) Winslow Cossoul b. 1803. A few other clues told me my theory on Joseph’s illegitimacy was probably on point, when I read two letters Elkanah wrote to President James Madison. In the first letter dated December 12, 1812, Elkanah stated Joseph was his nephew and a native of North Carolina. This was not the only time Elkanah identified Joseph as his nephew. In his second letter dated October 25, 1813, he again called Joseph Watson his nephew. When I read that Elkanah identified Joseph as being a native of North Carolina, I knew I was getting closer to making a family connection between the two men. While many other sources state Joseph was his son, such as The Genealogy of the French Families of the Detroit Region by Rev. Fr. Christian Denissen, a SAR application of Joseph’s grandson, Lewis Cass Watson, and That Noble Country by Dorothy M. Mitts, I needed more proof of confirmation.

Joseph’s Siblings Join Him in Detroit: Emily Watson and George Elkanah Watson

To further cement Joseph’s tie to Elkanah Watson, I found a bit more proof of a relational tie when I began researching Joseph’s siblings. Emily Watson b. 1791 and George Elkanah Watson b. 1793, both left the Watson homestead in Pittsfield, MA to live in Detroit before the War of 1812, while Joseph was working there under Governor Hull. On April 7, 1815, Emily married George B. Larned in Detroit. Roughly 18 months after her marriage, Emily died in January 1817. According to Winslow W. Watson, Elkanah’s youngest son, who edited his journals and published them in Men and Times of the Revolution; or, Memoirs of Elkanah Watson, Elkanah noted the date of Emily’s death in his journals. Heartbroken more than a year later, he expressed his grief in this journal entry while he was visiting the Michigan Territory in July of 1818: “Here I am, at the age of sixty, in Detroit, seven hundred miles west of Albany. I never dreamed, thirty years ago, that I would ever tread upon this territory.” While at a dinner given by Governor Cass, he noted, “The occasion could not be resisted, although I had no desire for society. My heart and mind were hovering about the grave of my departed child.”

Contained in the account book of Ezra Ames, the painter, is an entry of a charge of $30.00 to Elkanah Watson for a portrait of his daughter which is dated after Emily’s death on January 10, 1818. According to Frances Follin Jones in her article, A Daughter of Elkanah Watson, the Watson painting commissioned in 1818 is listed in the Bolton-Cortelyou catalog of Ames’ work alongside a comment that the painting was not located as of the time of its publication. Further, Jones writes about a painting The Princeton University Art Museum has in its possession which they believe is the missing Ames portrait of Elkanah Watson’s daughter. Jones goes on to describe that in the background of the painting is a tomb which reads “E.W.L. Obt. January 3, 1817, which she believes represents Mrs. Emily Watson Larned’s tomb and that the “Indians in the canoe on the water to the left of the monument refer to her burial in relative wilderness, far to the west of her native Albany.” The author suggests that if the portrait is not of Emily, as the girl seated does not wear a wedding ring, that the girl in the painting could be her younger sister, Mary, who was probably painted in mourning for her sister which is why Emily’s tomb is painted into the background.

Not surprisingly, Emily Watson’s husband, George B. Larned and his first cousin, Benjamin Franklin Larned, were also from Pittsfield, MA. George and Benjamin had come to Detroit after being stationed there by the army during the War of 1812. Also not surprising, Emily Watson had come to know George B. Larned in Detroit through her family’s relation to his first cousin, Benjamin. Benjamin Franklin Larned’s first wife, Lucy Fearing Willis, had been married previously to Emily’s brother, George Elkanah Watson. After George died in Detroit on January 13, 1819, Lucy married Benjamin F. Larned. After the war, George and Benjamin F. Larned stayed in Detroit and went into the vessel business together. The vessels they own together appear in 1818 ledgers of the Port of Detroit custom house books. Years after Emily Watson Larned and George Elkanah Watson’s deaths, Benjamin’s son, Edward Spalding Larned, would write about his mother Lucy’s previous marriage to George Elkanah Watson in a personal letter reproduced in Though Silent They Speak: The Larned Family History, “My first visit to Pittsfield, MA was at the beginning of the Mexican War (1845-47), when my father being ordered to New Orleans, our house in Detroit was broken up and I accompanied my invalid mother to the house of her father. Both of my grandparents were then dead. My own mother was married when 16 at the behest of her father who was a very stern man to a son of Elkanah Watson (George Elkanah Watson) of Albany and was left a widow a year later with one son, George Charles Delvan Watson. My father chose afterwards and married her, their attachment having visited for a long time previous. She died 1847 the year before I entered Amherst College.” At the time Edward evacuated Detroit with his mother, Lucy, his father, Benjamin Larned was acting Paymaster of the U.S. Army, which was the reason he was called to New Orleans.

Joseph Watson and Nantes, France

In my research of Joseph Watson, I came across many sources that stated Joseph Watson was educated in France. Being that Elkanah Watson spent his youth in France, I thought this was another clue to solving Joseph’s genealogy. Confirmation of Joseph’s tie to Elkanah and his education in France was resolved when I came across three letters written by Joseph to Elkanah in 1803 and 1804. In the letter dated April 5, 1803, Joseph refers to Elkanah as his father. At the time, he was working in Nantes, France for Elkanah’s friend, Simon Lynch.

Finally, I had confirmation of a father son relationship between the two men! Given the time frame of Joseph Watson’s letters, I think Joseph probably obtained passage over to France with another good friend of his father, Robert R. Livingston. Elkanah and Livingston had known each other since 1791, when the pair met while Elkanah was working with other Albany natives to get a bank charter to start the Albany Bank. In 1801, Livingston was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson to serve as the Minister of France. I suspect Joseph Watson made his passage to France with Livingston. In a letter dated January 8, 1802, from Simon Lynch in Nantes, France (Joseph’s French employer) to Thomas Jefferson, Lynch offered his services to the American Government to act as the council of prizes to aid American trade. Inside the letter was a circular signed by Lynch which included a postscript in his hand and a note from Elkanah Watson explaining that Watson’s son had been placed in Mr. Lynch’s house.” Months later, Elkanah Watson, also wrote to Thomas Jefferson on June 1, 1802, recommending Simon Lynch for the post of American Consul at the Nantes Port. This puts Joseph Watson in France earlier than January 1802. While Elkanah advocated for his son’s employer, Simon Lynch, Livingston preferred W.D. Patterson for the post. Regardless of preference, Patterson, Livingston, Elkanah Watson, and Simon Lynch were acquainted. Patterson choose Mr. Lynch to act as his deputy consul in Nantes, France, and Simon Lynch listed Livingston and Watson as his references in a letter to James Madison in July of 1804.

While Livingston was in France, he worked with James Monroe to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase from Napolean. On June 25, 1803, Livingston wrote to Elkanah Watson from France after the Louisiana Purchase was complete and in expressing his need to come home he said, “Having thus effected the great object of my mission, I look anxiously toward my native home, which still has more charms for me then even this fascinating city. I flatter myself with the hope of seeing you next spring or summer and pray you to believe that I recollect you and my other friends with you with sufficient pleasure to be anxious to be with you again. I pray you offer my compliments to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Messieurs Van Rensselaer, Yates, Taylor, etc. On June 4, 1804, Livingston was relieved of his duties as Minister of France, but he did not return home immediately. Instead, he stayed in France and saw some of the country before he returned home in early 1805.

Elkanah kept up correspondence with Livingston while he was in France. Livingston also brought back a Merino sheep as a present for Elkanah as the two men shared an interest in American agriculture. According to Elkanah Watson, by the time Livingston returned from France with the sheep, Elkanah and his family were living in Pittsfield, MA where Elkanah began his heavy investment in American agricultural pursuits. One has to wonder if Livingston also brought Joseph Watson home with him. Something tells me he did.

What these letters also confirm are Joseph Watson’s desire to travel and see the world and his fixation on Napolean. I believe it is during his stay in France working for Mr. Lynch that Joseph Watson first laid eyes on Montgat, Spain. At the time he was there, he reported his desire to make voyages transporting goods for Mr. Lynch. Nantes merchants were known to trade with Spain, and at the time France and Spain were allies. In his letter of April 5, 1803, Joseph states, “I begin to like France more and more according to my improvement in the language. In leaving you, I left a kind and tender father, but (thank God) I have been so happy as to find you once more in good Mr. Lynch. (sic). I entreat you to inform Mr. Lynch how much I am indebted to him for his kindness and likewise ask of him the favor of enabling me to put a small venture in some of his vessels for the first time and I am in hopes that I shall be able to do it a second time myself, which will enable me to gain my spending money and something more. There has been lately strong appearances of a new war between France and England but it is to be hoped that it will not be by the appearances of things at present, although it is reported that there is an English fleet cruising on the coast of France. Be so kind as to inform me of what terms I am on with Mr. Lynch and also the name of the street and number that you lived in when here.”

A year later on July 23, 1804, as Elkanah contemplates indenturing Joseph to Mr. Lynch until 1807, Joseph expresses his opinion on the matter, “In your recent letter you express your intention of binding me to Mr. Lynch and as you leave me at liberty to express my thoughts without restraint, I candidly acknowledge to you that it is against my will, for I foresee very well what will be the consequences of it. Although Mr. Lynch is a very good man I do not know what entire authority and control may course. For to prove to you that this is not a boyish whim, observe that all the great men that have yet appeared, have during their inferiority been very mild, good and benevolent, but once arrived to their supreme power they became tyrants. Bonaparte gives us a striking proof of the trueness of this observation. In his youth, he was submissive and good natured, but now he has arrived to the highest pinnacle of power and he has become arrogant and tyrannical. If you do bind me to Mr. Lynch, I hope I shall be sent as supercargo on board some of his vessels whenever the occasion offers itself. This will afford me the opportunity to see the world and form my mind.”

The Hull Administration

While Elkanah did contemplate indenturing Joseph to Mr. Lynch until 1807, in the end he decided not to. Instead in August of 1806, Joseph Watson went to work in the Michigan Territory for Elkanah’s friend, Governor William Hull. Joseph would stay in Detroit working on his behalf for the Michigan Territory until Hull surrendered Detroit during the War of 1812.

While in Detroit, Watson served as Deputy Collector for the Treasury, Notary Public, Secretary to the Governor and Judges, Deputy Marshall, City Registrar, Census Taker, Secretary of the Indian Department and Storekeeper, Justice of the Peace, and Colonel of the Michigan Militia.

All Eyes on Napoleon: More Montgat

While living in Detroit, Joseph Watson married Sarah Myra Witherell, the daughter of Judge James Witherell on July 27, 1811. Judge Witherell was a revolutionary war veteran and representative of Congress for Vermont before his term was cut short when President Jefferson appointed him to serve as a Supreme Court Justice in the Michigan Territory in May of 1808.  During the time Watson and Witherell served the Michigan Territory under Governor Hull, the United States was in debt and still recovering financially from the Revolutionary War.  As a result, the President and Congress were seeking to avoid any issues or war with Britain and France.

While Judge Witherell still sat in Congress, a tense situation arose for the U.S. when Napoleon initiated his trade embargo against Britain through the Berlin Decree on November 21, 1806, later to become known as the Continental Blockade.  This decree forbade any European Country that was allied with France to conduct trade with Britain.  The British responded in 1807 by blocking trade with France and authorized its navy to seize any ships violating the blockade.  These attempts by each country to weaken each other’s economy began to threaten the U.S. economy and its desire to remain neutral in the conflict.

By 1807, British impressment of American men and seizure of American goods were putting the U.S. in a difficult situation.  In February of 1807, things began to get sticky between Britain and the U.S. when three men aboard the H.M.S. Melampus had left the ship to go aboard the U.S.S. Chesapeake.  The British asked for the return of their men, but the U.S. denied their request.  After the U.S. investigated the event, they found the men were Americans who had been previously impressed by the British.  They were considered deserters by the British.  As such, all Captains and Commanders of British ships were ordered to stop and search the Chesapeake if they came into contact with the ship.

In June of 1807, the Chesapeake passed the H.M.S. Leopard, and trouble broke loose.  Obeying British orders, the Captain of the Leopard stopped the Chesapeake.  The captain of the Chesapeake denied the British access.  In response, the Leopard fired on the Chesapeake.  This forced the American ship to surrender, and the British seized four men from the vessel.  In addition, eight men were injured, and three men were killed in the skirmish.  President Jefferson saw this as a show of British force, and the American public were outraged.

Fearing a call for war, Jefferson did not immediately convene Congress in response to the Chesapeake affair.  Instead, he allowed some time to pass for people to calm themselves in the hopes that Britain would apologize for their actions.  Britain made no such apology and continued to impress American men.  This forced Jefferson to convene Congress in early December, and debate began on the Congressional floor on the matter.  By December 15, 1807, the British threatened to continue with the impressments regardless of Congressional action.  At the same time, Napoleon was making public statements that he planned to subject U.S. shipping in Europe to the Berlin Decree.

The day before Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807, Judge Witherell, sent a letter to a friend in Vermont dated December 20, 1807 from Washington, addressing the dilemma pressing the U.S. government:

“Mr. Monroe has arrived and will be here this day; but we have heard nothing from him relative to our foreign affairs. (…) This is a dark day of legislating for an Enlightened People, but it may be sometimes necessary and useful.  Among the blockades and decrees of Bonaparte (…) this country stands a chance of getting pretty closely squared and with time to square it into Protestation in which case it shall become truly cathartic, I hope. The population of this place already exhibits a melancholy picture in miniature.”

In a second letter after the embargo was passed dated December 24, 1807, Judge Witherell discussed the situation further:

“In what better situation is the Commander of our Country placed?  In the first place the paper decree of France is as fatal in all the English ports and it impacts us as that the actual blockade is by the British as those of France and her dependents.  The result is that our exports going to English ports thus discarded in a state of blockade by the French and on the contrary when going to France ports they are discarded by the English.  This being the condition our commercial interest is placed what was to be done? Let them take a look at the situation this country is placed in by France and England, who while the former is consolidating the Scythe of Europe, the latter is hurling the Trident of Neptune and to escape the dreadful collision is the wisdom and interest of the United States no friend to this country will deny.  Will Britain say the passing of our embargo discovered want of security in navigation and let her be told that since the Peace of 1783, at the time we exerted our independence she has never ceased to violate every compact into which we have entered with her and although the Revolutionary War was concluded in name it was never the case in fact.”

The embargo proved to be unpopular in the New England states because their economy was reliant on trade with Britain.  Before he left office, Jefferson abolished the embargo in early 1809 and replaced it with the Non-Intercourse Act.  This act allowed Americans to trade with all countries except Britain and France.  Finding the Non-Intercourse Act ineffective, incoming President James Madison pushed for the passage of the 1810 Macon’s Bill No. 2, which he hoped would stop Britain from seizing American ships.  The bill called for a lift of all embargos the US had in place against Britain and France for a three-month period.  After that time, the US would agree not to have any embargos in place with the country who stopped interfering with American shipping.  To damage British and American relations and continue his Continental Blockade, Napoleon agreed to abide by the provisions of the Bill.  Madison accepted Napoleon’s offer, and Britain threatened the U.S. with retaliation.  Napoleon never abided by the law.  What he did do is further damage U.S. and British relations, which would eventually lead the U.S. and Britain into the War of 1812.

After Jefferson’s embargo act, Napoleon would go on to invade Spain in 1808, which would lead to the Peninsula War and the Spanish War of Independence.  Spain had been allied with France, but Napoleon came in and forced Ferdinand VII and his father, Charles IV, to abdicate and placed his brother, Joseph Bonaparte on the throne.  The Spanish people reacted and rose against French forces in Madrid, Spain on May 2 and 3, 1808.  This event is known as the Dos de Mayo Uprising.  Many of the Spanish people were massacred by the French who participated. British forces came to aid Spain in July of 1808, as the two countries became allies against France in Barcelona during the Gerona campaign.  French forces secured the road from Barcelona to Montgat.  Spanish and British forces secured the castle at Montgat and after hearing about the fall of Montgat, French forces were deployed, but they were overcome by Spanish and British forces. This loss forced the French out of Barcelona. Nevertheless, Napoleon would continue his war in Spain until 1814.

Watson during the War of 1812

In the fall of 1811, while Napoleon was bogged down in his war with Spain, Judge Witherell and Joseph Watson were preparing for a potential war with Great Britain in Detroit.  In November, Judge Witherell’s wife feared war, so she left Detroit and returned to Vermont with her three youngest children, Mary, Benjamin Franklin and James Bonaparte.  Judge Witherell left his farm and moved in with his daughter, Sarah, and son-in-law, Joseph Watson.  In April of 1812, Sarah and her sister, Elizabeth, left Detroit and joined their mother in Vermont.  Writing to his wife on April 7, 1812, Judge Witherell discussed the formation of a militia taking place at Detroit:

“Mr. Attwater received a letter from the Secretary of War to put four companies of the Militia into Service under the pay of the United States. A company is to be raised in this Territory consisting of 100 men – the president of the United States has appointed the officers for it Hickman, Captain – John Anderson, first Lieutenant – Joseph Watson, second Lieutenant– whether they will serve or not I cannot say at the present.  The Government are about to send on some Troops here. How many I cannot tell – the British have been bringing up some heavy cannon from Malden to Sandwich for the purpose of putting them in a fort to be built there. I received a letter from Governor Hull from Washington but there is no great matter in it – he said he was going back to Newtown within two weeks and should be here in the Spring. His family were all well. You might hire a house or part of one or continue in your present situation till the Spring has determined the question of War, or no War with England, as in the latter case I should be there in the month of June, if possible, when I could better determine as to whether I should hold my Commission to this country a few years and then quit – or leave it at once.  I believe Mr. Watson’s intentions are to leave this country in search of a place for mercantile pursuits.”

Two days before the War of 1812 commenced, Judge Witherell wrote passionately to his wife sharing his feelings on the consequent conflict:

“I am not mindful of the necessity of my coming to Vermont – but how is it possible?  For when we cast our eyes forward, but a little forward too, we behold by an eye of faith, the stake, the very last stake which Congress have to pledge, and beyond which they cannot peaceably pass without a sacrifice of their own character and that of the Nation’s also, which I am persuaded they are not prepared to do – therefore on the 4^th of July the Embargo rises, and unless a better security for the right of the Nation in future, be solemnly guaranteed before that period, the Tomahawk must rise also – and would not my legs revolt should I call upon them to carry me from my post just as the storm was bursting upon it?  I cannot leave it for any earthly reason until the atmosphere is cleared, either by paper, or by powder.  Perhaps ‘tis the last opportunity I shall have of rendering my country a similar service. If so, should I turn my back, it would fill my mouth with wormwood even while my eyes were closing – if war actually commences, I must abide the consequences where I am – if it passes by, I shall set out for Vermont as soon as I am apprised of it – this is all I can say on that subject.”

Joseph and his father-in-law, Judge Witherell were both present when Hull surrendered Detroit on August 16, 1812. Because of their service to Hull, they were imprisoned by the British after the surrender. Once they were paroled, they went to Vermont to be with their wives for a short time. Amongst the backdrop of war, in December of 1812, Elkanah Watson sent Joseph to Washington, D.C. with a letter to be delivered to President James Madison by his hand. The letter requested that President Madison secure Joseph a position as Secretary of the Michigan Territory. This letter dated December 12, 1812, reads in part:

“The bearer Joseph Watson, Esq., my nephew has resided in the Territory of Michigan about six years; many of the principal officers who resided at Detroit have testified to me his exemplary deportment – his intelligence and great usefulness as a public officer.  His singular and commanding influence among the Canadians of that country fully evinced by his successful exertions in withdrawing about 360 from the British garrison at Malden as I have been credibly informed.  He has shared largely in the misfortunes of the N. Western Army and although aid-de-camp to General Hull, he was shamefully robbed of all his property after the surrender of Detroit.  Confident of his integrity, abilities, and patriotism; I take the liberty to solicit for him, the appointment of Secretary of the Territory of Michigan.”

Joseph stayed on in Washington for a while, and on January 11, 1813, he wrote to James Madison on behalf of Reuben Attwater vouching for Attwater’s Petition for Compensation for Extra Services he performed while he acted for Governor Hull in his absences from Detroit before the war.  Ten months later, Elkanah Watson again wrote to President Madison on October 25, 1813, on behalf of Joseph:

“Previous to entering on the express object of this letter – permit me in all humility, to apologize for the liberty I am about to take in presuming to invade one moment of your precious time.  It may perhaps Sir – enter in to your recollection, that I have once before taken the liberty to write to you on behalf of my nephew Joseph Watson, Esq. late of Detroit, and now a prisoner on parole, having served as aid to my former friend General Hull.  Presuming his great merit as to his intrinsic character – as a man of business – off address – and master of the French language – his efficiency in aiding almost every department here previous to its shameful surrender – presuming these are all familiar to you I will not enlarge – nor commit unnecessarily any waste on your time – but will simply state that I write by his ardent request.  He married the daughter of Judge Witherell, late of Detroit, now of Poultney, Vermont your devoted and ardent friend.  My nephew is extremely anxious to return to his former residence with his family as soon as circumstances will justify the measure conditioned, he is honored with such a civil appointment as he considers himself qualified for and entitled to in relation to his former standing that.  I mean the Secretary of the Territory.  He is a native of North Carolina and now resides with his father-in-law.”

Joseph was never given another civil appointment in Detroit.  Instead, William Woodbridge was nominated and confirmed for the secretarial position by the new Michigan Territorial Governor, Lewis Cass’ recommendation on October 5, 1814. William Woodbridge and Lewis Cass were friends. The two men had met in Marietta, Ohio, when Cass was studying law under Woodbridge’s uncle, Matthew Backus long before the war. General Hull was court martialed by President Madison on January 3, 1814, for the charges of treason, cowardice, neglect of duty and unofficered like conduct.  His trial was held in Albany, NY, in which Joseph Watson was summoned to testify on February 11, 1814. On February 14, Joseph was discharged from further attendance by Philip Parker, Judge Advocate of the Army of the United States. On March 26, 1814, Hull was found guilty of cowardice and neglect of duty.  President Madison commuted his sentence due to his age and former service to the U.S. in the Revolutionary War.

After the war, Joseph moved to Washington D.C. where he opened a military and general agency store to help veterans of the War of 1812 obtain their bounty land from the U.S. government. His wife died in early 1818, and his two sons, Eugene and James, continued to live in Detroit with their grandfather, Judge James Witherell.  This gave Joseph incentive to leave Washington and return to Michigan. Joseph made his purchase of 80 acres in Section 10 in September of 1818. His intention was to enter the mercantile business and settle in his Town of Montgats. His dream never materialized. He only sold one lot to Michael Kerley of Detroit and the remainder to Harrington and White in 1835. When you analyze the timeline of the sales in 1835, one must wonder if Watson gave up on his dream because he knew he was not going to be around to see them materialize. I guess we will never know, as Montgats disappeared along with the sale and Joseph died less than a year later.

Joseph Watson’s Final Words

Even though Joseph Watson worked hard for Governor Hull and the other members of government in the early Michigan Territory, he was never paid for his services. The blame for this neglectful action falls squarely on Governor Hull’s shoulders. For he never formally asked the federal government to create a position for Joseph, yet he let Joseph perform the work for him and his colleagues. As a result, Congress never issued appropriations to fund his position. Joseph Watson never forgave Hull’s actions and the neglectful oversight of those who held governmental power. This is evident by the provisional claim Joseph left in his Last Will and Testament for unpaid wages and losses he incurred to his property in Detroit during the War of 1812. He made this provision hoping that in the future the federal government would acknowledge his service and pay his children for the multitude of services he provided to Michigan in his youth. Item two of his Will states, “I give and bequeath to the United States of America a claim I have against them of about nine thousand dollars for services rendered as secretary and storekeeper of the Indian Department in the Northwest. Also, a claim of about six hundred dollars for the occupation of a house as a hospital for wounded American officers immediately after the surrender of Detroit in 1812 for bed linen used and destroyed in dressing wounds and for the use and destruction of furniture in said house. Also another claim for sabotage of Public bonds at Detroit as will appear by a letter of the Comptroller of the Spring or Summer of 1815 and for private property taken and destroyed by the enemy contrary to the articles of capitulation. Also, another claim for arrears of pay as aid de camp to the commander in chief of Michigan and as district paymaster of the United State Army and as commissioner of claims of Pittsburgh in the year 1817.”

Joseph Watson died in Plattsburgh, Vermont on October 7, 1836. At the time of his death, Joseph was still working aiding military veterans from the War of 1812 with his little brother, Winslow Cossoul Watson who practiced law there from 1824 to 1833. In 1854, Joseph’s boys, Eugene W. and James B. Watson, both of Detroit, finally received compensation from the U.S. government for the years of hard work their father performed for the Michigan Territory.

While we may never solve the Montgats mystery, it certainly was a fun project discovering a few more details about the life of the man who penned the name, Joseph Watson. If nothing else, I hope I have given you some more facts on the matter and other data to consider. Digging deeper into Watson’s life, I found a man who worked hard despite his circumstances and privileged upbringing. The man truly never gave up. The street sign that bears his name in Detroit is a testament to his story. If you ever find yourself at the Detroit marketplace on a Saturday afternoon and cross its path, remember Joseph, his determination, and his little town of Montgats.

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