James Webb (Medal of Honor)

He warned a gun commander under fire and saved the artillery

James W. Webb was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 2 September 1841 and worked as a hatter before entering military service. He enlisted on 1 July 1861 in Company F of the 5th New York Infantry, the regiment widely known as Duryee's Zouaves. Its distinctive uniform and drill were soon matched by demanding service with the Union's Army of the Potomac.

On 30 August 1862, during the Second Battle of Bull Run, his regiment was caught in the Confederate attack against the Union left. The Zouaves suffered exceptionally heavy losses as the line was overwhelmed. During the withdrawal Webb realized that a nearby artillery battery was in danger of being outflanked and losing its guns.

Instead of continuing towards safety, he crossed the exposed ground to warn the battery commander. A bullet struck him, but his information enabled the artillerymen to withdraw their guns before the Confederates reached them. His official citation also records that, despite a severe wound, he refused hospital treatment and continued through the remainder of the campaign (Congressional Medal of Honor Society, https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/james-w-webb; independently transcribed by the New York State Military Museum at https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/research/medal-honor-recipients-affiliated-new-york/civil-war).

Webb continued serving with the Zouaves. On 4 May 1863 he transferred into Company C of the 146th New York Infantry, which received veterans of the earlier regiment. The state's published roster records his discharge near Petersburg on 27 July 1864. His later recognized military rank was brevet captain.

After the war he pursued a varied working life. He served as a New York policeman and later worked in the American West as a territorial marshal, Army scout and prospector. Eventually he returned to Brooklyn, became involved in local politics and worked as an agent for sculptor Henry Baer.

Webb remained active in the Grand Army of the Republic and the 5th New York veterans' organization. He helped arrange a monument commemorating the Zouaves on the Manassas battlefield. His Medal of Honor was issued on 17 September 1897. He died in Brooklyn on 7 June 1915 and was buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery, section 2, grave 7401. His medal entered the American Numismatic Society's collection.