John W. Webb, Company K

John W. Webb and his wife Emma Anthony Webb raised their children on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Shortly after her death in 1917, he married a much younger woman. A decade later, Webb slid into dementia and died. His second wife, Ella Griffin Webb, asked Commissioner Winfield Scott for his help in securing her widow’s pension and insisted that he return the marriage certificate she’d included. Interestingly, the records related to John W. Webb didn’t include a widow’s application number. Oversight? Clerical error? It’s a mystery.

 

Invalid — 737,962 / 612,591

 

Affidavit to Origin of Disability, John W. Webb, 12 November 1889
72 years old; post office address, Belle Haven, Accomac County, Va., … [enlisted] at or near Newport News in the State of Virginia did, on or about ___ September 1864 …became disabled in the following manner viz while taking horses to water the horse on which claimant was riding became fractious and rearing and threw him off and pitched one of his feet on claimant’s left ankle injuring the ankle joint.”

 

Affidavit to Origin of Disability, George E.  Webb, 12 November 1889
72 years

 

Questionnaire, John W. Webb, 24 May 1898
[married] yes, Mrs. Emma Webb; maiden name Emma Anthony
[when, where, by whom] 28 January 1869, Franktown by the preacher John Arthur
[record] Eastville, Northampton County, Virginia
[previous marriage] no
[living children] Nancy was born 18 December 1868; John was born 4 December 1873; Sadie was born 14 July 1875; Maggie was born 9 September 1877; Robert was born 4 April 1880; Rebecca was born 18 August 1885; Laura was born 2 March 1883; Mary was born 27 of July 1889; Emma was born 22 May 1892

 

Questionnaire, John W. Webb, 13 April 1915
[birthdate] 16 January 1844
[post office at enlistment] Belle Haven, Va.
[wife’s name] Emma Anthony
[when, where, by whom] 1867, Rev. Arthur, Northampton County
[previously married] not
[children’s names & birthdates]

Nancy	Dec. 16, 1868
Jno. E.	Nov. 20, 1869
Sadie P.	July 14, 1873
Maggie	Sep. 9, 1876
Robt. H.	April 4, 1879
Rebecca L.	Aug. 18, 1881
Laura E.	Mch 2, 1883
Mary S.	July 27, 1885
Emma P.	May 22, 1890

[There are discrepancies in the birthdates of some of John W. Webb’s children — Leslie]

 

Marriage License [copy], John W. Webb & Ella Griffin, 26 December 1917
John W. Webb, resident of Franktown, Va., 76 years old, widower; Ella Griffin, resident of Baltimore, Md, [blank] years old, widow

 

FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJFC-52T : accessed 30 September 2019), John W Webb, Franktown, Northampton, Virginia, United States; citing ED 127, sheet 29B, line 54, family 606, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1897; FHL microfilm 1,821,897.
According to the 1920 Census, Webb, 76 years old, lived with his wife Ella, 46 years old on a farm that he owned in Northampton County, Virginia. There was a lodger in the household named James Thomas, 36 years old. All members of the household and their parents were born in Virginia.

 

Notarized Statement by E.W. Downing, M.D., 5 March 1927
“This is to certify that John W. Webb is ill, mostly in bed, often delirious, and unable to attend to the calls of nature, and is helpless, irresponsible, and needs a constant attendant to keep him out, of danger … He has heart trouble and softening of the brain and is worse than helpless.”

 

Notarized Statement by E.W. Downing, M.D., 5 March 1927
“This is to certify that John W. Webb, colored, is absolutely and totally helpless and an encumbrance on his wife who has to wash him, turn him, when he needs turning, as he mostly stays in bed, feed him, dress his bed sores and contend with him at night when he is delirious which is quite often, and pick him up off of the floor when he attempts to get out of bed when she is compelled to go out, where he has fallen from weakness. If this man is not totally, completely & absolutely disabled then there never has been one to fall under that heading.”

 

Death Certificate [copy], John Webb, 24 May 1927
occupation, farmer … father, John Webb; father born in Accomac; mother, Harriet Harmon; mother born in Accomac; [soldier] suffered five months of dementia

 

Notarized Statement, Frank Haskins, n.d.
“My name is Frank Haskins. I am 79 years old and I have known J.W. Webb for 61 years.  My address is Weirwood Va. I have been living at J.W. Webb’s home since January 1, 1927. I was there when he died May 27, 1927. Claimant has not remarried since the death of J.W. Webb. J.W. Webb was married once before he married the claimant Ella Webb widow. The first marriage was to Emma Anthony who died about Jan 1917. All of his children by the first marriage are grown, by the second marriage there were no children.
“J.W. Webb could not write. Always signed his name. At the time of his enlistment he was chestnut color, brown eyes, black hair, about 5 feet 10 inches, he was 83 years old at his death. We are not related in any way.”

 

Letter from Mrs. Ella Webb to Mr. Winfield Scott, Commissioner, 5 July 1927
“Dear Sir,
I have enclose [sic] evident [sic] suffience [sic].
I am registering this letter and would like to have the married [sic] certifate [sic] back. You must not keep it. I will thank you to send me the amount I am to get as soon as possible. I am very much in need of it.
Yours truly, Mrs. Ella Webb”

 

Notarized Statement, Severn T. Bailey, 5 July 1927
67 years old … “I have known John W. Webb for 30 years and I have lived about 300 yards apart from his house to mine during the 30 years. I was at his house in an half hour after his death May 27, 1927.”

 

Affidavit Supporting Burial Claim, 29 July 1927
John W. Webb, 83 years old, died 27 May 1927 at Weirwood, Va.; undertaker was Neheimiah Saunders; buried 29 May 1927; estate included “1 old wagon and two old plows worth $15.00”

 

Declaration for Widow’s Accrued Pension, Ella Webb, 14 June 1928
“56 years, resident of Baltimore City, Maryland …  widow of John William Webb … she was married under the name of Ella Griffin to the said pensioner at Baltimore, Md. on the 26th December 1917 by Rev. Mr. Mitchell of Morgan College … the soldier had been previously married to Emma Anthony Webb, first wife of soldier died Jan 1916 at Weirwood, Va. … Larry J. Griffin, first husband of claimant died April 4, 1905 at Balto, Md. … the said soldier died May 27, 1927 at Baltimore, Md.”