Webster P. Blodgett was born on 8 Aug 1833 in Plymouth, Grafton County, New Hampshire, the son of Asahel (b. 1795 – d. Orford, Grafton County, NH 28 Sep 1874) and Priscilla WEBSTER (b. 1806 Plymouth, NH — d. 30 Oct [alternate date: 11 Nov] 1871 Orford, NH.) BLODGETT.
All familial sources accessed in Jan 2015:
US Federal Census 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, accessed at ancestry.com.
Webster was enrolled in Company B, 18th NH Infantry Regiment in September 1864 at Concord, Merrimack Co, NH and was mustered out with the company on 10 Jun 1865.
The Regiment lost about 40 enlisted men during the Civil War: 37-8 to disease and 4-5 (including 1 officer) killed or mortally wounded.
1864: Sep 13: Co B recruited and organized at Concord; and, attached to Benham’s Engineer Brigade, was sent to City Point VA to help fortify it. Dec 10-13 on the front near Petersburg, VA; then attached to Ferraro’s Division, worked on the defenses of Bermuda Hundred and by end of year back at City Point.
1865: March: attached to 3rd Brigade, 1st Division 9th Army Corps under General Parke at Petersburg; and repulsed assault on Fort Steadman on 25 Mar; as well as the 2 April assault and occupation of Petersburg, part of the Appomattox Campaign. From 20 to 26 Apr, the regiment was moved to Washington DC; and in May had guard duty in DC during the Lincoln assassins’ trials. Company B mustered out on 10 Jun 1865.
The collection contains correspondence to relatives, diaries, document (honorable discharge from the GAR), and artifacts (spoon/fork/knife eating utensil, oak leaf clusters, and a GAR pin).