Henry S. Webster

Henry S. Webster
Henry S. Webster
Born	January 7, 1846; Stockholm, New York
Died	July 2, 1910 (aged 64); Brattleboro, Vermont
Place of burial	Cedar Grove Cemetery, Fair Haven, Vermont
Allegiance	United States of America ; Union
Service/branch	United States Navy ; Union Navy
Rank	Landsman
Unit	USS Susquehanna (1850)
Battles/wars	American Civil War ; • Second Battle of Fort Fisher
Awards	Medal of Honor

Last updated April 06, 2019

Henry S. Webster (January 7, 1846 – July 2, 1910) was a sailor in the U.S. Navy stationed aboard the USS Susquehanna (1850) during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher on January 15, 1865.

USS Susquehanna, a sidewheel steam frigate, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Susquehanna River, which rises in Lake Otsego in central New York and flows across Pennsylvania and the northeast corner of Maryland emptying into the Chesapeake Bay.

American Civil War Civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865

The American Civil War was a war fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865, between the North and the South. The Civil War is the most studied and written about episode in U.S. history. Primarily as a result of the long-standing controversy over the enslavement of black people, war broke out in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina shortly after Abraham Lincoln had been inaugurated as the President of the United States. The loyalists of the Union in the North proclaimed support for the Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States in the South, who advocated for states' rights to uphold slavery.

Medal of Honor United States of Americas highest military honor

The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medal is normally awarded by the President of the United States in the name of the U.S. Congress. Because the medal is presented "in the name of Congress", it is often referred to informally as the "Congressional Medal of Honor". However, the official name of the current award is "Medal of Honor." Within the United States Code the medal is referred to as the "Medal of Honor", and less frequently as "Congressional Medal of Honor". U.S. awards, including the Medal of Honor, do not have post-nominal titles, and while there is no official abbreviation, the most common abbreviations are "MOH" and "MH".

Military service

Webster volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the Union steamer USS Susquehanna (1850). His enlistment is credited to the state of New York.

New York is a state in the Northeastern United States. New York was one of the original thirteen colonies that formed the United States. With an estimated 19.54 million residents in 2018, it is the fourth most populous state. To distinguish the state from the city with the same name, it is sometimes called New York State.

On January 15, 1865, the North Carolina Confederate stronghold of Fort Fisher was taken by a combined Union storming party of sailors, marines, and soldiers under the command of Admiral David Dixon Porter and General Alfred Terry. Webster was a member of the storming party.

North Carolina is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. It borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. North Carolina is the 28th-most extensive and the 9th-most populous of the U.S. states. The state is divided into 100 counties. The capital is Raleigh, which along with Durham and Chapel Hill is home to the largest research park in the United States. The most populous municipality is Charlotte, which is the second-largest banking center in the United States after New York City.

Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear River's two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean on what was then known as Federal Point or Confederate Point and today is known as Pleasure Island. The strength of Fort Fisher led to its being called the Southern Gibraltar and the "Malakoff Tower of the South.". The battle of Fort Fisher was the most decisive battle of the Civil War fought in North Carolina.

David Dixon Porter was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank of admiral, after his adoptive brother David G. Farragut, Porter helped improve the Navy as the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy after significant service in the American Civil War.

Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Landsman Henry S. Webster, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving on board the U.S.S. Susquehanna during the assault on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, 15 January 1865. When enemy fire halted the attempt by his landing party to enter the fort and more than two-thirds of the men fell back along the open beach, Landsman Webster voluntarily remained with one of his wounded officers, under fire, until aid could be obtained to bring him to the rear.

General Orders: War Department, General Orders No. 59 (June 22, 1865)

Action Date: January 15, 1865

Service: Navy

Rank: Landsman

Division: U.S.S. Susquehanna

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References

"Henry S. Webster". Hall of Valor. Military Times . Retrieved June 8, 2010.
"Henry S. Webster". Claim to Fame: Medal of Honor recipients. Find a Grave . Retrieved September 24, 2010.

Find A Grave is a website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com. It receives and uploads digital photographs of headstones from burial sites, taken by unpaid volunteers at cemeteries. Find A Grave then posts the photo on its website.

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Henry S. Webster

Contents

Military service

Medal of Honor citation

See also

Related Research Articles

References

Henry S. Webster

Born	(1846-01-07)January 7, 1846 Stockholm, New York
Died	July 2, 1910(1910-07-02) (aged 64) Brattleboro, Vermont
Place of burial	Cedar Grove Cemetery, Fair Haven, Vermont
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Navy Union Navy
Rank	Landsman
Unit	USS Susquehanna (1850)
Battles/wars	American Civil War • Second Battle of Fort Fisher
Awards	Medal of Honor