Tragedy befell Colonel Fletcher Webster here. He was the son of the renowned statesman Daniel Webster. Fletcher Webster’s life was one of both privilege and sacrifice. He graduated from Harvard College in 1833. He then entered public service.
Fletcher Webster served as Chief Clerk of the State Department during his father’s term as Secretary of State. This was the second most powerful office in the department at the time. Imagine the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He delivered news of President William Henry Harrison’s death to John Tyler.
But the call of duty beckoned him toward a different path. When the Civil War broke out, Fletcher Webster stepped forward. He organized the 12th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. His unit became known as “The Webster Regiment.” This name honored their esteemed commander.
The inscription memorializes Colonel Fletcher Webster. It says he fell on August 30, 1862. He was gallantly leading his regiment. The memorial boulder was dedicated on October 21, 1914. It was dedicated by survivors of his regiment. Fletcher Webster Post G. A. R. of Brockton, Massachusetts, also dedicated it. The boulder was taken from the Webster Place in Marshfield, Massachusetts.
Consider the chaos of the Second Battle of Bull Run. Colonel Fletcher Webster led his men into the fray. They reinforced Union forces. They attempted to repel Longstreet’s counterattack. On Chinn Ridge, disaster struck.
Colonel Fletcher Webster was mortally wounded. Shot through the arm and chest, he fell. A member of the 8th Virginia Infantry offered him water. Webster asked the enemy soldier to return his wallet to his family. The soldier survived the war. He honored Webster’s request.
His last letter to his wife is heartbreaking. “If a fight comes off, it will be today or tomorrow. It will be a most dreadful and decisive one. This may be my last letter, dear love, for I shall not spare myself.”
After the battle, his body was recovered. It was sent home to Massachusetts for burial. He is also memorialized on the marble PRO PATRIA shield in the lobby of the Boston Latin School. He gave his life for the principles laid down by his father, Daniel Webster. “Liberty and Union. Now and Forever. One and Inseparable.”
The large granite boulder marks the spot where Colonel Fletcher Webster was mortally wounded. Survivors of the 12th Massachusetts returned to Chinn Ridge in October 1914 to mark the spot. This monument stands as a tribute to his bravery. It reminds us of the sacrifices made during the Civil War. Let us honor the memory of Colonel Fletcher Webster.