Starting Over
According to the official U.S. Army record, Major Simon Zelotes Watson, Topographical Engineer, Military District No. 8, died on February 1st, 1814. No cause of death was listed, but we can assume it was not in combat since the only action in the vicinity of Fort Shelby (formerly Fort Detroit) was the raid by Andrew and his dragoons to Delaware the day before. More likely, he died of a “pestilence” believed to be a “poisonous vapour emanating from rotting organic matter”. We now know this pestilence as Cholera. Simon, along with seven hundred others from the fort, fell victim that winter. There were so many deaths that enough coffins could not be had and many were buried in a mass grave at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue, Detroit, MI. A historic marker sits at N42 “19.892’ W 083 “03.064’ to mark the spot. Cholera is caused by a bacterium, spread by contaminated water and poor sanitation, both in good supply at the fort. Symptoms usually start suddenly, half a day to five days after ingestion. The result is profuse diarrhea and vomiting, which ends up infecting even more
was the only one left of the three who had made their way to Sandwich (Windsor) on that day in July 1812 to offer their services to General Hull and his invading American army. It was now up to Andrew to carry on the pact to make Colonel Thomas Talbot pay for all of their misfortune. The need for revenge does funny things to people. It forces a person to put in the maximum effort. Was Talbot really the culprit and the cause of their misfortune? He was the cause of their frustration, for sure. Their dream was to return to their farms and to do that, they would need the American army. That dream was dashed when General Harrison went home after the defeat of Proctor and Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames and the burning of Moraviantown. Now, after gathering up his family and burning his farm in Delaware, he was starting over again. There is nothing so dangerous as a man who has lost everything. In addition to his grief over Simon’s death, Andrew had other things to occupy his mind. He moved his family to Ecorse, south of Detroit, along the Detroit River to try to
War of 1812 plaque
people due to inadequate sanitation. No doubt the fort doctors were completely overwhelmed. The only “cure” for Cholera is hydration and since uncontaminated water was impossible to obtain, there may be some truth to the old adage that the only cure for the pestilence was “whiskey and quinine”. Andrew was beside himself with grief at Simon’s death. Since Ebenezer Allen’s death in April 1813, and now Simon’s death, he
avoid the pestilence consuming Detroit. He was worried about his wife, Sally, who was still suffering the effects of her dousing in the icy water of the river when her sleigh broke through. (To be continued) Photo courtesy of detroityes.com
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Byron Villager December 2025
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