Compiled Service Record and Related Documents including Pension Files of Captain Loren Webb
Captain Loren Webb : He was born 9 August 1838 at the Webb Settlement in Ridgefield Township, Huron County, Ohio, as the third son of Oliver and Louisa Webb. Although he had been a Methodist preacher since 1859, he also worked for Henry C. Fike as a schoolteacher at Mascoutah, Illinois and was a clergy student at McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois before enlisting. He was elected Captain of Company F, 27 July 1861, after having served as First Lieutenant of the 3 months service in Van Cleve’s Company. He led his company in the Siege and Investment of Fort Donelson where he contracted chronic bronchitis (it was that malady which caused his death in 1880). He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh 6 April 1862, suffering a gunshot wound to the ankle or foot. He submitted his resignation 9 July 1862, and was accepted 15 July 1862 by reason of family affairs.
Webb also served as Adjutant to Colonel Sibley, 19 August 1862 until early September 1862 during the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota; and as Captain, Company D, 11th Regiment Minnesota Infantry Volunteers from 1 September 1864 until 26 June 1865. He applied for a pension 15 May 1879 (invalid286543/856585), which was denied because he died before the process could be completed. His daughters pursued the matter and did collect a pension (minor367065/ 367284), after his death 20 February 1880 at Nashville, Tennessee.
Documentation :
Cover page of ‘An Ephemeris Kept by Loren Webb for the years 1861 – 1862’.
Muster-out Roll of Captain Collins Van Cleve’s Company, discharged 25 April 1861 (extract of page one).
Mention of Loren Webb in a chapter mentioning the Ninth Regiment in a book, ‘The loyal people of the North-west, a record of prominent persons, places and events, during eight years of unparalleled American history’. Pages 90 and 91.
Muster-in Roll of Captain Loren Webb’s Company, descriptive list (extract, page one).
Captain Webb’s infantry foot officer’s sword and scabbard (angle1) (angle2). It was manufactured by W. H. Horstmann & Sons, Philadelphia. The blade was stamped ‘iron-proof’, on one side is inscribed ‘US’, on the other side is ‘E Pluribus Unum’. He was issued a revolver in July 1861, and he recorded its serial number (11746) in his diary, where he also recorded the serial number (68665) of his other side-arm.
Jacket-envelope of Captain Webb’s compiled service record file for Company F, 9th Regiment Illinois Infantry Volunteers, including the enclosure envelope.
Company Muster roll card for July and August 1861 at Cairo, Illinois.
Company Muster roll card for September and October 1861, marked present.
Company Muster roll card for November and December 1861, marked present.
Company Muster roll card for January and February 1862, marked present.
Loren wrote two articles for the Belleville Weekely Advocate newspaper in Belleville, Illinois (only one transcribed so far) and five articles for the Goodhue County Republican newspaper in Red Wing, Minnesota between summer 1861 and February 1862.
An image of a flag that the flew over Fort Donelson that was awarded to Captain Webb for his Company’s bravery in the siege, 13 – 18 February 1862. Flag in possession of the Firelands Historical Society. Image courtesy D. Phillips.
Company Muster roll card for March and April 1862, marked absent on sick leave for 20 days commencing April 11, 1862. Wounded at Pittsburg Landing April 6, 1862.
Diary Entry for 6 April 1862, the first day of the Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, from Captain Webb’s diary.
"Sunday, 6th
Pleasant
(weather). This morning at daylight we heard firing on our advance line. We soon determined
that it
was a general attack and we were soon ready.
The firing grew terrible and our line was driven
in. Our Regt. was then taken to the left of our
forces and soon we were engaged with a strong force.
Our boys
took cover behind the ridge and kept our place for a long time. The rebels brought up fresh
troops
twice but could not drive us. They then
brought forward a fresh line and charged bayonet on us
and
routed us. We then retreated to our
camp and washed our guns and got ammunition and went in
again. This time I was wounded in the right
foot. Lieut. G. W. Williford in the
knee. The battle raged
all day
the whole length of the line, but the rebels were in great numbers and drove us
at all points. By
night we
were closely hemmed on the river bank, but the gun boats now commenced shelling
them while
our boys
worked on them in the front and they were obliged to fall back. They fell back about two
miles. There were many interesting (events)
transpired during the day that I cannot mention, but much
bravery
was displayed. I saw several of my men
fall dead and many more are missing.
Col. Phillips
was
several times wounded, but it is hoped not fatally. 19 of 26 officers that went into the battle killed
or
wounded. I had but 20 men the second
time that I went into action. I was
early wounded and have
not seen
my co. My foot has swollen much and is
quite painful. All is suspense, but now
Buell's forces
appear on the other shore. Tis dark."
Report of Colonel Mersy on the conduct of his men at the Battle of Shiloh.
Company Muster roll card for May and June 1862, marked present.
Resignation Letter of Captain Loren Webb, at Camp near Corinth, July 8, 1862 (front) (inside back) (back w/comments). Transcription of the letter (PDF).
Officer’s casualty sheet for Captain Loren Webb, reason given as ‘resigned’.
Copy of the order accepting Captain Webb’s resignation, dated 10 July 1862.
Loren acted as Adjutant to Colonel Sibley during the Sioux Campaigns of the late summer of 1862.
Jacket-envelope for Captain Loren Webb, Company D, 11th Regiment Minnesota Infantry Volunteers. Enclosure sheet for documents included in the file.
Image of Captain Loren Webb, commander, Company D, 11th Regiment Illinois Infantry Volunteers, taken at Gallatin, Tennessee, 1864.
Individual Muster-in roll card for Captain Webb, 28 July 1864.
Individual Muster-out roll card for Captain Webb.
Muster-in and Descriptive Roll card for Captain Webb, and comments continued on back.
Individual Muster-out roll card for Captain Webb, 26 June 1865.
Company Muster roll card for enrollment through November 1862, marked present.
Company Muster roll card for November and December 1864, marked present.
Company Muster roll card for January and February 1865, marked present.
Company Muster roll card for March and April 1865, marked present.
Letter from Captain Webb, dated 31 May 1865 requesting a leave of absence. Comments on back.
Loren Webb applied for a pension (PDF) in mid-1879 and secured the Affidavit of Dr. S. M. Hamilton, late Regimental Surgeon, 9th Illinois Infantry, dated 8 April 1879, detailing his treatment of Captain Webb for fever and bronchitis in 1862.
Adjutant General’s Office report from 3 May 1880, showing records of regimental returns relative to Captain Webb’s record of illness from February until July 1862.
Department of the Interior, Pension Office report from 3 May 1880, showing record of Captain Webb’s treatment by Regimental Surgeon for fever at Fort Donelson, February 1862.
War Department report from 1881 indicating records of Captain Webb at Gallatin and a report indicating records of his illness after the Siege of Fort Donelson.
Department of the Interior, Pension Office endorsement cards, and reports, dated 1882, showing record of Captain Webb in the records of the hospitals at Fort Snelling and Gallatin.
General Affidavit of Harvey Webb, Loren’s brother, attesting to the fact that Loren and the men of the 11th Minnesota suffered from exposure and how it affected Captain Webb.
A General Affidavit from 1888, and another General Affidavit in 1889 attested to by Loren’s cousin, Charles S. Herrick concerning Webb’s declining health, death and funeral. Herrick adopted Loren’s daughters upon his death.
Deposition of Dr. Thomas O. Summers, MD describing how he witnessed and attended to Loren Webb at the time of his death in February 1880 in Nashville, Tennessee (front) (back). Dr. Summers was a Professor of Anatomy at Vanderbilt University at the time.
War Department report indicating records of Captain Webb in the records of the Adjutant General’s Office.
War Department memorandum indicating reasoning behind the rejection of Loren’s initial application in 1879, and the order to reopen the case in 1893.
Department of the Interior, Pension Office report showing record of Captain Webb’s illness from fever after the Siege of Fort Donelson.
War Department memorandum from an examiner who can find no evidence of Loren having suffered, or claimed disability from his gunshot wound suffered at the Battle of Shiloh.
Sources, bibliography :
Coatsworth, Stella S. The loyal people of the North-west, a record of prominent persons, places and events, during eight years of unparalleled American history. …with an introductory note by Rev. T. M. Eddy, illustrated with fine steel engravings. Chicago, Church, Goodman & Donnelley, printers 1869. Located online : Making of America Collection at University of Michigan (http://www.hti.umich.edu/).
Stowell, Daniel W. “We will fight for our flag”, The Civil War Letters of Thomas Barnett, Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Journal of Illinois History, Volume 3 (Autumn 2000), Number 3. Illinois Historical Preservation Agency, 2000.
Webb, Loren. Diary of Captain Loren Webb, 1861 - 1863, Firelands Historical Society. Norwalk, Ohio. 1995. Transcribed by Matthew L. Burr.
Webb, Loren. Letter, or diary entry of Loren Webb – August 1862, Minnesota (found among loose-leafed papers of the Platonian Literary Society 'Old Plato', McKendree College (Archives), Lebanon, Illinois, From McKendree College Archives McKendree College Lebanon, Illinois. Transcribed by Jonathan Webb Deiss; archival assistance provided by Dr. Mark Young, Historian and Archivist at McKendree, 28 September 2001.
War of the Rebellion, a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1880. Courtesy of Cornell University Digital Library Project, located online http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa
Service record of Captain Loren Webb, Company F, 9th Reg't Illinois Infantry, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. Compiled 1891, viewed December 2000
Service record of Captain Loren Webb, Company D, 11th Reg't Minnesota Infantry, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. Compiled 1891-94, viewed December 2000.
Pension File of Loren Webb, Mabel Webb, Clara Webb, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC.
Muster and Descriptive Roll of Company F, Ninth Infantry Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Illinois. 2001.
Muster Out Roll of Captain Collins Van Cleve of Company F... 25 April
1861 - 24 July 1861. Illinois State Archives, Springfield, Illinois. 2001.
Wartime bust view of Captain Loren Webb, Co. D, 11th Regt., Minn. Vol. Inf, facsimile provided by U.S. Army Military History Institute Image Collection, Firelands Historical Society Collection, USMHI, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pennsylvania; original carte-de-visite image at FHS scanned at 1200 dpi, by Jonathan Webb Deiss in June 2001.
