RICHARD O. WEBB -- 16th INFANTRYAt 31 years old, Richard O. Webb, who wasborn in Plattsburgh, enlisted in the 16th Infantry, or the 1stNorthern New York Regiment, which was recruited mainly in St. Lawrenceand Clinton Counties, with one company from Franklin County. He enlistedin Plattsburgh to serve for two years as a private.They were mustered into the service of the United States at Albany onMay 15, 1861, and went into camp near Bethlehem, NY, and left the stateby train for Washington on June 26th. The regiment was assigned to theArmy of Northeastern Virginia.They were mustered into the service of the United States at Albany, May15, 1861, and went into camp near Bethlehem, NY, and left the state bytrain for Washington on June 26th. The regiment was assigned to theArmy of Northeastern Virginia, and, on July 11th, they went toManassas or 1st Bull Run, where they were engaged for a short time onthe 21st and returned immediately to Alexandria.Two months later, the regiment was ordered to Fort Lyon and attached tothe Army of the Potomac. The Winter of 1861-62 was passed at CampFranklin near Fairfax Seminary in Alexandria where they remained untilApril 6th, before being ordered to Catlett's Station about 40 milessouthwest of the capital but returned to camp immediately and were thenordered to Yorktown on the coast, where they arrived on May 3rd.The regiment saw action at West Point and at Gaines' Mill on June 27,1862 and received over 200 killed and wounded. The 16th was presentthrough the remainder of that week of battle but was not closelyengages, then encamped at Harrison's Landing until August 16th whenthey returned for a brief period to Alexandria.In the battle at Cramton's Gap on September 14th, they were in theadvance and lost heavily in a brilliant dash with 63 casualtiesincluding 18 killed in action. The regiment was held in reserve atAntietam three days later, but still had one man mortally wounded. AtFredericksburg in December, they were on picket duty and after thebattle went into winter quarters near Falmouth.They joined Burnsides' ill-fated "Mud March" in January 1863 and wereactive in the Chancellorsville Campaign, with a loss at Salem Church of20 killed, 87 wounded and 49 missing. A few days were spent at Banks'Ford, then a short time back in the old camp at Falmouth, and on May 22,1863, the regiment was mustered out at Albany.About a year after returning to Plattsburgh and his parents, HoratioWebb and Polly Winters, he was married to Alfarat Laflin in Watertownwhere he lived until shortly before he died.The Watertown Herald of January 18, 1902, carried his death notice --"WEBB -- In the city of Syracuse, on January 15, 1902, Richard O. Webb,formerly a resident of this city."
