Leland Justin Webb (August 5, 1846 – February 21, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician. His father was Colonel William C. Webb, a district attorney, judge and state assemblyman.

Formative years

Born in Smithfield,

Bradford County, Pennsylvania Bradford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, its population was 59,967. Its county seat is Towanda. The county was created on February 21, 1810, from parts o ...

on August 5, 1846, Webb moved with his parents to

Wautoma, Wisconsin Wautoma is a city in Waushara County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,218 at the 2010 census. Wautoma is the county seat of Waushara County. The city consists of three noncontiguous areas: one is entirely within the Town of Wa ...

in 1853. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, at the age of fifteen, he enlisted as a drummer in Company H, 16th Wisconsin Infantry, on October 15, 1861, and was discharged on August 25, 1862. Returning to Wisconsin, he re-enlisted in Company I, 30th Wisconsin Infantry as a musician and was discharged on March 8, 1865. He served in several major engagements including Shiloh, Nashville and Corinth.

Post-war life

In 1868, Webb moved to

Fort Scott, Kansas Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,552. It is named for Gen. Winfield Scott. The city is located south of Kansas City on the Marmaton ...

where he joined the 19th Kansas Cavalry Regiment for service against hostile Indians. Webb was admitted to the Kansas bar in 1869. He, then, moved to

Columbus, Kansas Columbus is the second largest city and county seat of Cherokee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,929. It is located approximately 15 miles south-southwest of Pittsburg. History The first ...

and served as the city's first mayor. In 1871, Webb moved to

Winfield, Kansas Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College. Hi ...

. In 1877 and 1878, Webb served in the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...

and was involved with the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. Webb was a member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

and served as Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Veterans from 1890 to 1891. He was a hereditary companion of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

by right of his father's service as a colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War. In 1880, Webb moved to

Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...

and continued to practice law.

Death

Webb died in Topeka on February 21, 1893.'Journal of Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Encampment of the Sons of Veterans, U.S.A. Held at Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 25, 25, 26, 26 and 29, 1891, Volume 10, Parts 1891-1893, The Hamilton Printing Company, Topeka, Kansas: 1891, In Memoriam Leland Justin Webb, pg. 253-255

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Leland Justin 1846 births 1893 deaths People from Bradford County, Pennsylvania People from Wautoma, Wisconsin People from Topeka, Kansas People of Illinois in the American Civil War People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Kansas lawyers Mayors of places in Kansas Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives People from Fort Scott, Kansas 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century Kansas politicians