Military officer; born in New York City, Feb. 15, 1835; son of
James Watson Webb; graduated at
West Point in 1855.
Entering the artillery, he served against the Seminoles in
Florida in 1856, and from 1857 to 1861 was assistant
Professor of Mathematics at
West Point.
In May, 1861, he was made captain of infantry, and in June, 1863,
brigadier-general of volunteers.
He was one of the defenders of
Fort Pickens; fought at
Bull Run and through the campaign on the
Peninsula; was chief of staff of the 5th Corps at
Antietam and
Chancellorsville; served with distinction at
Gettysburg, and commanded a brigade in the 2d Corps, in
Virginia, from October, 1863, to April, 1864.
He commanded a brigade in the campaign against
Richmond in 1864-65, and in January, 1865, was
General Meade's chief of staff.
In March he was brevetted majorgeneral, United States army, and was discharged in 1870.
In 1869 he was chosen president of the College of the City of New York.
His publications include
[
256]
The Peninsula: McClellan's campaign of 1862; and a number of articles relating to the
Civil War in the
Century magazine.
