Beschreibung:

Lot of 2 oil on canvas portraits of Captain William Webb dressed in his Confederate Navy Uniform and his wife, each 24.25 x 29 in., housed in matching gilt frames, 29.25 x 30.25 in. Each signed lower right by New York artist J.P. Walker. The paintings were purportedly produced while Captain Webb was on house arrest in New York City, following his 1863 capture. His wife was allowed to stay with him while he served as a prisoner of war. William A. Webb was a decorated US Navy officer. After serving in the Navy for over 20 years, he left to support the Confederacy. He was immediately commissioned a captain and took command of the armed gunboat CSS Teaser. After successfully fighting at the Battle of Hampton Roads, the Confederacy assigned him to a “special mission,” utilizing boats armed with spar torpedoes to attack each of the seven Union ironclads at Charleston. Webb’s ship was not involved in the fight, but the mission was successful and helped him gain command of the CSS Atlanta. Overconfident in his abilities, Webb worked against orders and headed a mission with two other ships on the Warsaw Sound in June 1863. The Union knocked a hole in the casemate in one of the two steamers, severely weakening his fleet. The blow forced him to surrender, making the Atlanta the first Confederate ironclad to surrender to the Union. This resulted in the Union's imprisonment of Webb and his men. Webb was the first paroled and immediately returned to the front. He took command of the CSS Richmond from October through November 1864. He relinquished his position due to declining health. The next year he left the Confederacy and went to England, where he took the oath of allegiance in May 1865. Shortly after, Webb returned to Virginia and received a presidential pardon. Provenance: Ex. Gary Hendershot Collection Condition: Canvases are in excellent condition, while the frames show some wear.