Samuel E. Watson

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Samuel E. Watson (died 17 November 1847) was an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps who led troops during the Mexican-American War.

Watson held the rank of brevet lieutenant colonel in the Marines during the Mexican War. He commanded a Marine battalion that reinforced the army of Winfield Scott shortly before the Battle for Mexico City. (Watson had served under Winfield Scott in 1813 and was a veteran Marine.) Watson and his men were attached to the 4th Division under Brig. Gen. John A. Quitman. During the critical attacks on Chapultepec Castle on September 13, 1847, Watson showed little initiative, and many of his Marines missed the crucial action, waiting in reserve in a defilade for attack orders that never came. Shortly after the fall of Mexico City to the Americans, Watson died of natural causes.

In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but without conferring the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. An officer so promoted was referred to as being brevetted. The promotion would be noted in the officer's title.

Lieutenant colonel (pronounced Lef-ten-ent Kernel or Loo-ten-ent Kernel ) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence. Sometimes, the term, 'half-colonel' is used in casual conversation in the British Army. A lieutenant colonel is typically in charge of a battalion in the army.

Battle for Mexico City

The Battle for Mexico City refers to the series of engagements from September 8 to September 15, 1847, in the general vicinity of Mexico City during the Mexican–American War. Included are major actions at the battles of Molino del Rey and Chapultepec, culminating with the fall of Mexico City. The U.S. Army under Winfield Scott scored a major success that ended the war.

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References

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The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

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Albert A. Nofi, is an American military historian, defense analyst, and designer of board and computer wargaming systems.