Sgt. Neville Carries The Colors
By Kathryn Jorgensen
When Gen. Charles Clark of the Army of Northern
Virginia took to the field as Confederate commander at the 140th
First Manassas reenactment he was accompanied by color bearer
Sergeant Neville. In camp the sergeant served as a saddler,
caring for some of the horses.
Says the General: "[Sgt. Neville] works like a man with
the horses, rides a horse better than most of the men I know."
What some of the troops may not have realized is that Sergeant
Neville is portrayed by Barbara Watts, former professional rider,
decorated law enforcement officer, and descendant of a family
with a long military tradition.
Clark, who says he normally does not allow women on a staff
position "because of the exposure they would have with
other reenactors and spectators," says Watts, in uniform,
"carries herself like a man … and definitely is not
afraid to get her hands dirty."
While he says, "I am very proud that she is part of the
Headquarters staff," she says she was honored and "shall
always be grateful" that Clark took a chance on her.
Watts lives in South Ryegate, Vt., where she is a member of
the Green Mountain Civil War Round Table and president of the
Ryegate Heritage Committee which hosts an annual heritage day
to raise money for battlefield preservation. She's also a member
of the 1st New Hampshire Cavalry and 1st Vermont Cavalry, Co.
D, and has been reenacting for two years.
She and her husband Michael are both police officers. In 1990
she received the silver star for bravery from the American Police
Hall of Fame and a Governor's certificate for saving the life
of an accident victim who was drowning.
Her husband had ancestors in the 15th Alabama at Gettysburg
and with a Georgia regiment and Watts' ancestors go back to
earlier wars involving England where she lived until 1980.
Her Civil War persona name, Neville, is her maiden name, and
a name that goes back to the time of William the Conqueror.
Her ancestors fought at Waterloo. One, to whom she bears a resemblance,
was a major at the battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War in
1881. Family fought in France at the Somme and her father was
a career naval officer who commanded an aircraft carrier during
and after World War II.
As a former professional rider Watts says it was natural to
join the cavalry with her horse Shiloh, and she has no regrets.
"I have met the most wonderful people I have ever known
since I started reenacting," she says. "I feel very
lucky to have had the opportunity to meet all of them."
She will take the field again at the Cedar Creek reenactment,
but spectators and troops won't be seeing Barbara Watts —
Sergeant Neville will be carrying the colors.
