From The Greensborough Patriot
July 3, 1862 – Pg. 1
Maj.
Webb and Capt. Freeland.
We
regret to learn, that Major Robert F. Webb of Orange has been compelled by a
sense of self respect to resign his commission as Major of the 6th
Regiment of N. C. State Troops. The
citizens of this county will recollect, that he was the senior Captain of that
Regiment, and raised one of the first companies that entered the service,
twelve months ago; and that on the resignation of Lieut. Col. Dortch, Major
Lightfoot became Lieutenant Col. and Captain Webb became Major. In this office, he served with distinction,
in the battle of Manassas, and in the subsequent engagements of the Regiment,
including the recent fight of Seven Pines, on Chickahominy, in which his
conduct is highly commended. But
immediately after this desperate battle, we are told, he was ordered to
transfer the command of the Regiment, which he held for the time being, to
Capt. J. Avery, third or fourth Captain in the grade below him, whom the
Governor of North Carolina had appointed Lieutenant Colonel in place of Lieut.
Col. Lightfoot, elected Colonel of another Regiment. We are informed, that the rule is well
established, whenever promotion is made by Executive appointment, that
seniority of commission entitles an officer as a matter of right, to succeed to
the place next above him, in case of vacancy, in all Regimental officers. But independently of the rule, Major Webb was
entitled by his merits to receive this promotion, and to be spared the
degration [sic] implied by denying it to him.
He had served creditably as an officer of the Orange company of the N.
C. Regiment in the war with Mexico, and when the Regiment to which he is
attached in this war was formed, knew far more of discipline and the duties of
camp and garrison, than any officer belonging to it, with the exception perhaps
of Major Lightfoot. In diligent
attention to and intelligent performance of duty, in sobriety and in honorable
bearing, we venture to say that he has been excelled by no officer of the
service. His resignation under these
circumstances, therefore, was indispensable to the maintainance [sic] if his
honor. Captain Wm. J. Freeland, of
Orange, who was badly wounded in the battle last mentioned, is also
overslaughed [sic] by this
proceeding. He was next in rank to Major
Webb, and upon the proper promotion of the latter to the Lieutenant Colonelcy,
was entitled to become Major. But the
rights of both are disregarded, to provide for a junior Captain. We are not in the habit of harsh comment on
the conduct of public functionaries, but we have deemed it our duty to call
attention to this violation of the rights of two gallant citizens of Orange who
were among the earliest to rally for the defence of their country in this war
who have now become veterans in danger and suffering, and to protest against
it.—Hillsboro Recorder.
Brig.
Gen. Pender, in his report of the conduct of the 6th at the
Chickahominy makes special mention of the gallantry of Maj. Webb.
