Alexander S. Webb - Forgotten Hero

Quite often as I study the Battle of Gettysburg, I stumble across people who performed unquestionable loyalty to their country. These are people who go above and beyond their duties....or they perform their duties in such a courageous way that they are almost larger than life. Occasionally one of these people really, really catches my eye....and my heart. One of these people happens to be Alexander Stewart Webb....a brigade commander in the 2nd Corps under the leadership of Winfield Scott Hancock.

First, let me repeat what Edwin Coddington states in his book about what Webb did at Gettysburg on the 3rd day during Pickett's Charge. On page 517, this is what is said:

As Webb struggled to rally his troops, for a time he despaired of preventing a major breakthrough and feared personal disgrace for himself and disaster for the Army of the Potomac. Refusing to give up, he set an example of bravery and undaunted leadership for his men to follow, although many of them barely recognized him since he had been appointed their commander but a few days before. To organize a counterattack he rushed back to his reserve regiment, the 72nd Pennsylvania, which was several hundred feet behind his line. In the confusion Webb neglected to go through channels and give Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Heiser the order to charge. Instead, he himself shouted out the order; when the soldiers did not budge, Webb in desperation seized the regimental standard and tried to drag the color bearer ahead in hopes of getting the regiment to follow. The bearer apparently not knowing him, pulled back and then, riddled by bullets, fell over head. Finally the men advanced a few paces and fired at the Confederates. They refused to go any farther, however, and steadfastly remained in a position about 250 feet back from the wall, where though without protection they kept up their fire.

Webb, almost frantic, then left the line of the stubborn 72nd and, fully exposed to enemy bullets, rushed over to the 69th Pennsylvania, the left regiment of his brigade. It had stoutly held its ground, although the right half of the regiment had pulled away from the wall at almost a forty degree angle to give the men elbow room and to keep them from being outflanked. When Webb cried out for them to fire across the front of the 72nd regiment, they raked the Confederates with a crippling cross fire. To their rear 2 companies of Webb's 4th regiment, the 106th Pennsylvania, remained steady and resolutely blazed away at the charging enemy. On his way to the 69th PA regiment Webb passed within a few feet of Armistead as he was leading his men up the slope beyond the wall. The two Generals narrowly missed a personal encounter just as the fierce contest between their forces reached its climax. Within minutes Armistead fell mortally wounded, while Webb survived to relive the scene of his triumph for years to come.

Years later General George G. Meade was given a gold medal by the Union League of Philadelphia to "Commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg". He had copies of the medal made and gave one of them to Webb. Here is the reason that Meade gave the medal to Webb: "For distinguished personal gallantry on that ever memorable field" and in appreciation of his "Cordial, warm, and generous sympathy and support so grateful for a commanding General to receive from his subordinates."

Some years later, General Winfield Scott Hancock is attending a dinner being given by General Daniel Butterfield. There was a toast given at the dinner and Hancock responded: "In every battle and on every important field there is one spot to which every army [officer] would wish to be assigned -- the spot upon which centers the fortunes of the field. There was but one such spot at Gettysburg and it fell to the lot of General Webb to have it and to hold it and for holding it he must receive the credit due him."

Now these are two men who didn't go around complimenting people.....unless they deserved it. Congress must have agreed with them because a few years after the Civil War they presented him with a Medal of Honor.

Sometimes when we read about the Civil War, these men are just names or sometimes just a face.....but when we really understand what they did.....how they put themselves out there......how they did things that the average person would not do.....that when we start to realize just how much these guys are the real heroes on the battlefield. Alexander S. Webb is no exception.