At the end of August 1862, the record states that he was taken prisoner at Manasses, VA on 28 Aug 1862. (This was the 2nd Battle of Bull Run. We need a unit history of the 8th NJ to know exactly which General our George was with.) He was paroled on 3 Sept 1862 (after 5 days). Upon parole, he was sent to Camp Parole, MD. The company muster roll for the end of August 1862 reports that he lost his arms and equipment on 25 Aug. His pay will be docked to cover the cost. He was of course noted on the company roll as "absent".

At the end of October 1862, he was still at Camp Parole, MD, and still noted as "absent" from the company. Equipment still being paid for. By the end of December that year, he was once again with his company.

He continues to be present with his company until the muster roll dated end of June 1863. It is noted that he was absent from the company, having been wounded at Chancellorsville, VA on 3 May 1863. (The South won this one too.) The "casualty sheet" notes that he was wounded in the knee. He was absent due to his wound until the end of October 1863; he appears again on the muster roll by the end of December 1863.

The muster roll for the end of February 1864, shows that he is still with his company. For some strange reason, the name of his enlistment place is now shown as Newark, not Trenton as before. (No indication as to why this change.) Interesting to note that he owes the government 46 cents for a screw driver. (Wonder what he did with it.)

He continues as present until the muster roll of June 1864. It states that he was wounded on 5 May 1864, but it does not mention where. The casualty sheet shows that he was wounded "severely", but it does not indicate the type of wound. (Checking my Encyclopedia of US History, I note that the Battle of the Wilderness took place on the 5th and 6th of May that year.)

The final papers show that he was in the Hospital at Beverly, NJ. He was discharged from the hospital on 18 September 1864, and he mustered out of the service on 21 Sept 1864 at Trenton, NJ. He had enlisted for 3 years, so his time was up. I'm sure he was quite grateful. On the muster-out roll of that date, it is noted that George owes the US government $2.99 for clothing of some kind. There is also a notation that is not quite clear -- I think it is saying that the government owed George $100 bounty for having enlisted for a three-year stint. My son says that enlistment periods at the beginning of the war were for 3 months only, and it may well be that the government offered a bonus to men for signing-up for a 3-year hitch. (This sort of bonus plan is still in use in the Army today.)

There is no mention of Libby Prison, and I suspect that the short captivity at Manassas may have gotten blown out of proportion with re-telling over time. Perhaps a detailed history of Libby prison would tell us differently concerning the disposition of Union prisoners after Manassas.

From Widow's Pension File:

There is a statement from the War Department that George Watts enlisted on 30 Aug 1861 in Trinton, NJ as a Private in Co. "E", 8th Regiment, New Jersey Volunteers. And he was mustered out on 30 September 1864. There is a transcript of his death certificate from the Book of Records of Washington County, stating that he died 26 January 1882 and that he was married, age 51, a tinsmith, place of birth was England, son of Geo. P. Watts, and that he died of pneumonia.

There is a notice that Eleanor was receiving $12 per month as a widow's pension, and that she was dropped from government rolls due to death on 21 March 1913. She applied for the pension on 13 August 1890, and was age 57 and was a resident at 63 Bergen St. of Newark, Essex Co., NJ at the time. States that they were married on 13 Sept 1850 in Asbury, NJ, and that she did not remarry. Daughter Kate R. was under 16 at the time of the pension application, having been born on 25 Sept 1875.

There are general affidavits from John A. Allen, Tillie Endlich, Mary Allen, Gustav Endlich. The Endlichs also live at 63 Bergen street, and John and Mary Allen live at 176 Washington St., all in Newark. The statements themselves are a standard formula and don't give any indication of family relationship, although I'm sure there is with John and Mary.