Hon. William Miles Watts and Anna M. Reed

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Husband Hon. William Miles Watts ¹

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           Born: 1 Aug 1809 - Carlisle, Cumberland Co, PA 1
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         Buried: 

       Marriage: 28 Jun 1847 - Carlisle, Cumberland Co, PA 2

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• Note: This may be the same person as : William Miles Watts.

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Wife Anna M. Reed ²

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           Born: 30 May 1836 - Carlisle, Cumberland Co, PA 2
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         Father: Hon. John Reed, LL.D. (1786-1850) 3
         Mother: Sarah Ann McDowell (1787-      ) 2

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Children

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1 F Sarah R. Watts ²

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: William J. Rose (      -      ) 2

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2 F Julia Watts ²

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: George S. Comstock (      -      ) 2

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3 M David Watts ²

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           Born: 
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         Spouse: M. B. Cameron (      -      ) 2

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4 M Reed Watts ²

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           Born: 
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           Died: when eleven years old
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         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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General Notes: Husband - Hon. William Miles Watts

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He was born in Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and received his elementary education at Dickinson College, Carlisle. Before maturing he immigrated to Meadville, Crawford County, and studied medicine under Dr. Beemus. Finding this profession unsuited to his taste, he entered the office of John S. Riddle, Esq., a distinguished lawyer of Meadville, and was there admitted to the bar. He commenced the practice of law in Erie City, Erie County, Pennsylvania, and was elected district attorney of that county; was a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1837, and also represented the county of Erie in that body. In 1838 he was elected to the Legislature by the people of that county as their representative. The session of the Legislature, during the winter of 1838 and 1839, was made memorable by the extraordinary political excitement throughout the borders of Pennsylvania, by the outgoing of the Ritner administration and the incoming of the Democrats. There was an angry and vehement contest in both the Senate and House of Representatives for the political control, and it was boldly asserted by the Democrats that gross frauds had been perpetrated by the Whigs in the elections to the Senate and the House. Charles B. Penrose, Jesse Borden, Thomas Cunningham and others, who had been elected to the Senate by the Democrats, had, in consequence of their support of the recharter of the Bank of United States, and the improvement and educational law, been drawn from their party into the ranks of the opposition, and encountered its fierce displeasure. Thaddeus Stevens, the reporter and advocate of the obnoxious bill, William B. Reed, George Sharswood, Henry Spackman, Joseph Fisher, George W. Tyson and others, representatives from Philadelphia, were alike offensive, and thus originated the Buckshot war, which the Governor was induced to resist by calling out the militia force of the State. At this fearful crisis, Mr. Watts, being of athletic frame, undoubted courage and patriotic impulses, was selected to prevent the forcible demonstration of Henry Spackman, who had been chosen speaker of the House by the Whigs. He encountered vigorous attacks, and firmly defeated all efforts to remove the speaker. His personal and political affiliations were with such intellectual and reliable men as Joseph Clarkson, William B. Reed, Edward Olmstead, Joseph Fisher, George Sharswood, Frederick Fraley, Jacob Gratz, Henry Carey, Joseph McIlwaine and others, who laid the foundation of the Pennsylvania system of internal improvements, of finance and the higher departments of collegiate and common schools. To the intellectual force and earnest efforts of such Philadelphians, and other conspicuous citizens of the State, are we indebted for our present prosperity and State prominence. Mr. Watts, after relinquishing his official connection with the State, returned to his birth-place and purchased one of the oldest iron-works in the State, belonging to the family of Peter Ege, on the southern boundary of Cumberland County, called "Pine Grove," and containing 20,000 acres. Here for many years he operated a forge, furnace, grist-mill, and carried on other industrial pursuits. During the civil war, this domain, lying northeast of South Mountain, between Carlisle and Gettysburg, became the track of the armies of the North and South, and was thus desolated by both. Mr. Watts cheerfully surrendered the contents of his mill, the provisions and shelter of his house to the Northern Government, and never claimed, or allowed others to claim any compensation from either the Federal or State Governments for the large losses he sustained. During the administrations of Gov. W. F. Johnston and A. G. Curtin, Mr. Watts was an intimate friend of both, and enjoyed their implicit confidence and affection. Each relied much upon the political sagacity of Mr. Watts, and many things which led to important results were advised by him. He was unswerving in his attachment to men whom he believed to be lovers of the country, and firm adherents of its Republican institutions and the true policy of Pennsylvania, and was never remiss in his extraordinary influence to define them against an assailant.
Hon. William Miles Watts was more than ordinary, both mentally and physically. His mind was cultured by extensive reading and reflection, and his heart endued with all the graces of affection and charity. [HCC 1886, 440]

1 —, History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warners, Beers & Co., 1886), Pg 439.

2 —, History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warners, Beers & Co., 1886), Pg 440.

3 —, History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warners, Beers & Co., 1886), Pg 157, 440.