Nathaniel W. Watkins (January 28, 1796 – March 20, 1876) was a Kentucky-born soldier, lawyer, and Missouri politician who was also a half-brother to prominent nineteenth-century Kentucky politician

Henry Clay Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate, U.S. Senate and United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives. He was the seventh Spea ...

. He served as a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

militia brigadier general during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and before that in the War of 1812 and the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. He was a member of the

Missouri State Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

and a

Speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Speakers of the Missouri House of Representatives are (listed by year they assumed office): * 1820 James Caldwell Democratic-Republican - St. Genevieve * 1821 Henry S. Geyer Democratic-Republican - St. Louis * 1826 Alexander Stuart Democrat ...

. Watkins was also a founder of the city of

Morley, Missouri Morley is a city in Scott County, Missouri, United States. The population was 630 at the 2020 census. History Morley was platted in 1868. The community has the name of J. H. Morley, a railroad official. A post office called Morley has been in o ...

. Nathaniel Watkins was the son of Captain Henry Watkins and Elizabeth Clay Watkins, who was previously married to the Reverend John Clay and was the mother of 16 children including statesman Henry Clay. Watkins studied law at Transylvania College. After college he moved to

Jackson, Missouri Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States. It is a principal city of the Cape Girardeau-Jackson metropolitan area Area. The population of Jackson was 15,481 at the 2020 census. History In 1813, ...

, in 1819. During the Civil War he briefly served as a brigadier general in the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at variou ...

, the first Confederate unit in Missouri. Governor

Claiborne Fox Jackson Claiborne Fox Jackson (April 4, 1806 – December 6, 1862) was an American politician of the Democratic Party in Missouri. He was elected as the 15th Governor of Missouri, serving from January 3, 1861, until July 31, 1861, when he was for ...

appointed him along with

Meriwether Lewis Clark, Sr. Meriwether Lewis Clark (January 10, 1809 – October 28, 1881) was an architect, civil engineer and politician. He was also a military officer in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. He was a son of famous explorer William Cla ...

; John Bullock Clark, Sr.;

William Y. Slack William Yarnel Slack (August 1, 1816 – March 21, 1862) was an American lawyer, politician, and military officer who fought for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Born in Kentucky, Slack moved to Missouri as a ch ...

;

Alexander William Doniphan Alexander William Doniphan (July 9, 1808 – August 8, 1887) was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best known today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church ...

;

Mosby Parsons Brigadier-General Mosby Monroe Parsons (May 21, 1822 – August 15, 1865) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typica ...

; James H. McBride; James S. Rains; and

Thomas Beverly Randolph Thomas Beverly Randolph (1793 – November 12, 1867) was an American military officer who graduated from the United States Military Academy. He served during the War of 1812, resigning from the army in 1815, later returning to military service with ...

as district/division commanders for the state. Watkins was appointed brigadier general and commander of the first military district which consisted of the Southeast Missouri. He resigned his commission in July 1861. In 1875, Watkins served as vice president of the Missouri Constitutional Convention. Watkins was married to Eliza Margaret Watson, a daughter of a man named Goah Watson from

New Madrid, Missouri New Madrid ( ; ) is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,787 at the 2020 census. New Madrid is the county seat of New Madrid County. The city is located 42 miles (68 km) southwest of Cairo, Illinois, a ...

. Their children included Nathaniel W. Watkins, Jr., John C., Henry Clay, Washington E., Richard Jones, William B., Amanda J., and Elizabeth.

References

People of Missouri in the American Civil War People of Kentucky in the American Civil War 1796 births 1876 deaths American militiamen in the War of 1812 Confederate militia generals Missouri State Guard Missouri state senators Speakers of the Missouri House of Representatives Transylvania University alumni American city founders Henry Clay family {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

See also

References