On the front lawn of the City Hall, corner of James and Church Streets.
This memorial is very controversial at the current time and situation that we find ourselves in. I will give a link for you to read more of this intolerable situation for which all of St. Catharines should be ashamed. Local government and "community stakeholders" would like to have this monument removed for reasons that are beyond comprehension. Read more here: https://www.iheartradio.ca/610cktb/news/future-of-private-watson-statue-still-unknown-1.16211354?fbclid=IwAR2w_O4DXPVv-OOYvL5nDJ78ajsMYpc5LLKzN1sD-_VsxAwyvoFdWN8b1W8
Now onto the memorial itself and the reason for why it was erected at the time. The following is taken from the Veterans Canada website:
"The Watson Monument was erected by the people of St. Catharines
in 1886 to the memory of Private Alexander Watson, XC Winnipeg Battalion
Riffles, Canadian Volunteers, and his companions in arms, who fell in
battle during the Riel Rebellion in the Northwest Territories, A.D.,
1885.
The monument was erected by the people of St. Catharines, where
Watson and his family were long resident and highly esteemed. It stands
on the City Hall green, is about fifteen feet high, and consists of a
soldier, in full uniform, of the 90th Winnipeg Riffles, standing on a
pedestal, each face of which is adorned with trophies. It was built by
James Munro's Marble and Granite Works of St. Catharines, Ontario.
From the Thorold Post, Friday, August 13, 1886:
Watson Monument - City Council has a special meeting and granted
permission to the Watson Monument Memorial Committee to place the
monument on the grounds in front of the City Buildings. The original
intention was to have it in the cemetery.
From the Thorold Post, Friday, September 17, 1886:
Unveiling of the Watson monument was Tuesday afternoon between 3 and 4
p.m., largest crowd ever seen in one city, (were on the fences, etc.)
hundreds were there.
From the Thorold Post, Friday, September 17, 1886:
Watson monument was unveiled "last Tuesday". The article says it
represents a Canadian volunteer in the "at ease" position. The deed was
handed over to Mayor King from the Monument Committee. Major General
F.D. Middleton, C.B., unveiled the statue.
Note: The Thorold Post, Friday, August 13th, 1886 edition supplies
additional details about the location. From the North West Rebellion,
C.P. Mulvaney, M.A.: Private Watson Private Alexander Watson, F.Co.,
90th (Winnipeg) Battalion, who was wounded on the last day of the fight
at Batoche, and died the following Saturday, was born in Toronto in
1858, but lived in St. Catharines the greater part of his life till
about four years before the rebellion, when he moved to Winnipeg. While
in Winnipeg he was in the employ of a contractor and builder, he having
been brought up to that business in St. Catharines. He was the eldest
son, but had an elder sister. Personally he was a generous, kind-hearted
young man and a great favourite with everyone. He was unmarried, but
was shortly to have led to the altar a very estimable young lady of
Winnipeg."
Market text:
Front:
ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF
PRIVATE ALEXANDER WATSON
90TH WINNIPEG BATT. RIFLES
CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS,
AND HIS COMPANIONS IN ARMS,
WHO FELL IN BATTLE DURING
THE REBELLION OF THE N.W.T.
A.D. 1885
'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori."
LT.-COL. A.T.H. WILLIAMS
BATTLEFIELD RIFLES, N.W.M. POLICE
CORP. W.H.T. LOWRY
R.B. SLEISH CONST. P. BURKE
Right side:
BOULTON'S SCOUTS
Capt. E.L. Brown, J. French, Intelligence Corps.,
AT DUCK LAKE, FISH CREEK, CUT KNIFE, BATOCHE;
W. Cook, W. Phillips, C.Co., I.S.C.;
Private J. Watson, Bugler H. Foulkes, G.G.F. Guards;
Private J. Rogers, Private Osgood,
10th ROYAL GRENADIERS;
Lieut. W. Fitch, Private T. Moore,
90th BATTL'N RIFLES;
Lieut. C. Swinford, Corp. J. Code,
Private A.W. Ferguson, J. Hutchinson,
W. Ennis, R.R. Hardisty, J. Fraser, G. Wheeler,
Private T.H. Damanolley, Lieut. A.W. Keppen.
Left side:
Major Henry M. Arnold,
90th WINNIPEG RIFLES,
CAPT. 2nd SPECIAL SERVICE BATTALION, R.C.R.I.,
died Feb. 23rd. 1900, from wounds received in action at
Paardburg Drift, South Africa, Feb. 18th. 1900.
Lieut, J. Edgar Burch,
ADJT. 2nd DRAGOONS, attached to 1st BATTALION C.M.R.,
on special duty, killed in action near Pretoria,
South Africa, July 16th. 1900.
Private Archibald Radcliffe,
1st. BATTALION C.M.R., 2d TROOP, A. SQUADRON,
FIELD FORCE, SOUTH AFRICA,
killed near Belfast, S.A., Sept. 23rd. 1900.
Corp. Robert Irwin,
19th ST. CATHARINES REGIMENT,
wounded at Houtuck, South Africa, May 1st. 1900,
died in Bloemfontein, S.A., July 1st. 1900.
