Kentucky: A History of the State, Perrin, Battle, Kniffin, 8th ed., 1888,
Jefferson Co.

HON. HENRY WATTERSON, the brilliant editor of the Courier-Journal, was born
February 16, 1840, in Washington, D.C., and is a son of Hon. Harvey
Watterson, then a member of Congress from Tennessee, and who distinguished
himself in Congress, in the diplomatic service, and in journalism, being a
Democratic writer of considerable force, and for a time editor of the
Washington Union in its palmiest days.  He is still living, and spends his
time in Washington and in Louisville, frequently regaling the readers of
the Courier-Journal, under the nom de plum of "Old Fogy" with reminiscences
of early days and scenes in Washington, and of the great men "who there
frequented" many years ago.  Henry Watterson, the subject of this sketch,
received a good education, mainly under private tutors, and was well
trained in the polite accomplishments.  Much of his early political culture
was received under the direction of his father, and, being reared for the
most part in Washington City, derived great advantages from public men and
public affairs during the ten years preceding the civil war, and developing
a talent for literary work, began his career in New York as a writer of
drama, criticisms, stories, verse and essays for periodicals.  In 1859 he
was engaged as a writer on the States, an organ of the Young Democracy at
Washington.  In the following year he became editor of the Democratic
Review.  The war coming on, the States was suppressed, and after returning
to Tennessee, he soon became leading editor of the Nashville Republican
Banner, the oldest and most influential paper in that part of the country.
When the Government took possession of Nashville, he became editor of the
Chattanooga Rebel, which under his management became the most popular and
widely circulated paper in the South.  At the close of the war he again
resumed editorial charge of the Banner.  In 1866 he visited Europe, and
returning home the next year, he was offered, in 1868, the editorship of
the Louisville Journal, a position he accepted, becoming part owner.  A
few months later, in connection with Mr. W. N. Haldeman, of the Louisville
Courier, he effected a union of the two papers, and the 18th of November,
1868, the community was startled by the appearance of the first number of
the Courier-Journal, of which he became editorial manager, and Mr. Haldeman
the business manager.  The Courier-Journal was a success from the first
issue, and to-day is one of the most influential newspapers on the American
continent.  Mr. Watterson is a writer of great versatility and force,
grasping every subject that agitates the public, and allowing little to
escape that would give him advantage as an editor, or be of value to the
people; indeed, as an editorial manager his is perhaps without an equal.
He is a man of nervous, active nature, genial disposition, as brilliant a
conversationalist as an editor.  Always a Democrat in politics, he has
become one of the most powerful leaders of his party in the United States.
He was mainly instrumental in the nomination of Mr. Tilden at St. Louis in
1876, and was that year elected to Congress from the Louisville district,
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hon. E. Z. Parsons, and made a
national reputation in that body during the great contest resulting from
the close Presidential election.  Since then he has steadily declined
election to office, preferring the more congenial occupation of editor.
He is one of the great tariff reform leaders, and through his paper has
fought for the reduction of war taxes until victory is just ready to crown
his efforts.

Watterson Haldeman
=
Washington_DC TN NY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/jefferson/watterson.h.txt