Louis Douglass Watkins was born near Tallahassee, Florida, probably on November 29, 1833. He was taken early in life by his parents to Washington, D.C. where he was educated. Considerable discrepancy in various sources in regard to date of his birth, as well as to place and date of death. The data here is reconstructed from "Union Regiments of Kentucky," and the New Orleans Daily Picayune, Mar 31, 1868. Other information was derived from the Pension File in the National Archives, Washington, D.C.

During the 1850's he was affiliated with a Washington, D.C. militia company known as the "National Rifles," but when the company entertained treasonable designs against the Federal government, he resigned and joined the 3rd Battalion, District of Columbia Infantry, a loyal outfit.

On May 14, 1861, he was commissioned First Lieutenant in the Regular Army and served with the 5th United States Cavalry in the Peninsular Campaign, during which he was severely wounded at Gaines's Mills. In July 1862, he was advanced to Captain and sent to Kentucky, where he acted as aide-de-camp on the staff of A. J. Smith during Braxton Bragg's invasion of that state. In October he was appointed Chief of the Cavalry of the Army of Kentucky and accompanied S. P. Carter on the latter's raid into Eastern Tennessee. Becoming Colonel of the 6th Kentucky (Union) Cavalry in February 1863, he engaged in a number of skirmishes in the neighborhood of Nashville and commanded a Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Cumberland, in Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns.

During the Atlanta Campaign his Brigade was part of E.M. McCook's Division and engaged in guarding railroad in William T. Sherman's rear. He subsequently, took part in the Tennessee Campaign of November-December 1864, and pursuit of John B. Hood after battle of Nashville. His Brigade was broken up in January 1865, and in April he was made post Commander at Louisville, Kentucky, where he did duty until the end of war.

Had been breveted Brigadier General of Volunteers, June 24, 1864, and September 25, 1865, was accorded the full rank.

When the Regular Army was reorganized in 1866, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 20th United States Infantry and was stationed at Richmond, Virginia, until January 1867, when the regiment was ordered to Baton Rouge. Had married a daughter of General Lovell Harrison Rousseau in 1864 and, when ordered to Baton Rouge, he seems to have established his wife and two children in New Orleans. He died there, visiting them, on March 29, 1868; after temporary burial in the old Girod Street Cemetery his remains were ultimately interred in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery next to those of his father-in-law, who by coincidence died 9 months later in New Orleans.

Louis D Watkins