Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-12-04
MARCHED WITH
SHERMAN TO SEA
Benjamin Webb,
Who Had Interest
ing Career, Dead
sUCCUMBs TO EXPOSURE
Had Lived in Santa Fe Many
Years.-.Served Is Years
in Regular Army.

'SA ~ COL
in Regular Army.
Benjamin Webb, a well known col.
ored man of the city, was found dead
in his squalid quarters in the rear of
the Delmonico restaurant on Ortiz
street late yesterday afternoon Webb
had been working as cook at the res.
taurant. He complained of not feel
ing as we'll as usual Saturday and
quit work. Nothing more was seen
OF him until his body was found.
Yesterday afternoon, as his serv-
ices We're needed at the restaurant.
a messenger was sent to find him. The
door TO his room was locked and Jose
Ma Garcia, justice of the peace in
district No. II, was called. He broke
in the door and found Webb living on
a rude cot dead.
Dr. ]. NJ. Diaz was summoned and
ne was of the opinion that the I'M
fortunate man had been dead several
hours, possibly twenty-four. The body
was covered with some filthy rags,
wholly insufficient to protect one
from the cold in a room without fire.
and death must have been caused bv
exposure, starvation and lack of at.
tention.
Died of Exposure.
Judge Garcia summoned a coroner's
jury which made an examination into
the case according to law. The jury
found that the deceased came to his
death as the result of exposure and
starvation
There were no effects in the room to
speak Of In an envelope was found
an army discharge paper stating that
Webb was discharged from service at
Fort Supply Indian Territory, October
IL, 1886, by Major L. H Carpenter COM
manding officer of the post The paper
stated that Webb was born at Green
vile, South Carolina, and was 40 years
old at the time of discharge. thus
making him at the time of death 62
years of age. The record stated that
he had served five years in Company
H, oath Regiment of Infantry, enlist.
ing October IS, 1881, and that he had
previously served 10 years in the same
company and regiment.
Richard Hayward, chef at the Claire
states that he served in the oath Reg
iment with Webb and that they were
stationed at Fort Bayard, New Mexico
at one time.
The only other paper found was a
letter from the Pension Bureau dated
September 8 of this year, in which
information is given that Webb's claim
for a pension under the Act of June
27. 1870, was filed October 16, 1897,
and was rejected April 26, 1899, on
the ground that a ratable degree of
disability did not exist from the causes
alleged. And that his claim under the
Act. of February 6, 1907, flied April 7,
1908 was rejected June 5, 1908, on
the ground that the evidence did not
show and claimant had declared his
inability to furnish proof that he was
G2 years of age at the date of the ex-
ecuton of his declaration
Served Under Sherman.
Charles ]. Parsons. clerk in the
postofTice, states that Webb served as
a volunteer in the Civil war, enlisting
from Georgia in what he believes was
the 149th regiment. Webb served sew
eral years and participated in the fa-
nous march of General William T.
Sherman to the sea. After the war
the survivors of the 149th were en-
listed in the Oath and 25th regiments
of the regular army and Webb served
15 years in the oath.
George Haskill stated to New Mex
ican representative that he wrote an
application for pension for Webb
and that Webb showed him papers
proving he was a Civil war volunteer.
1t is quite generally conceded that
Webb saw service as volunteer in
his younger days and that the martial
spirit was SO imbued in him that he
repeatedly served term after term in
the regular army He was said to
have been the only one living in this
section Of the Southwest who partici-
pated in "Sherman's March to the
Sea-"
Did Not Know His Age.
The principal trouble Webb expe-
rienced in being unable to secure
pension was that he did not know his
age. He could state what he believed
was his age. but as no records were
kept Of negroes in the time Of his
early years he was unable to state
with any accuracy his age, and this
proved hindrance in securing any
remuneration from Uncle Sam for his
deeds of bravery.
The time of the funeral has not yet
been determined, but the interment
will be IN the National cemetery.