Joseph Dana Webster was a civil engineer and soldier. He was born at Old Hampton, N.H., on August 25, 1811. Joseph Dana Webster graduated from Dartmouth College in 1832 and afterward he decided to study law at Newburyport, Mass. His natural inclination was for engineering, and, after serving for a time in the Engineer and War offices, at Washington, he was made a United States civil engineer (1835). After that, on July 7, 1838, Joseph Dana Webster entered the army as Second Lieutenant of Topographical Engineers. He served through the Mexican War, was made First Lieutenant in 1849, and was promoted to a captaincy, in March 1853. Thirteen months later, he resigned, moving to Chicago, where he made his permanent home, and soon after was identified, for a time, with the proprietorship of “The Chicago Tribune.”
Joseph Dana Webster was president of the commission that perfected the Chicago sewerage system and designed and executed the raising of the grade of a large portion of the city from two to eight feet, whole blocks of buildings being raised by jack screws, while new foundations were inserted. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he tendered his services to the government and superintended the erection of the fortifications at Cairo, Ill., and Paducah, Ky. On April 7, 1861, he was commissioned Paymaster of Volunteers, with the rank of Major, and, in February 1862, Colonel of the First Illinois Artillery. For several months, he was chief of General Grant’s staff, participating in the capture of Forts Donelson and Henry, and in the battle of Shiloh, in the latter as Chief of Artillery.
In October 1862, the War Department detailed him to survey the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and, the following month, he was commissioned Brigadier-General of Volunteers, serving as Military Governor of Memphis and Superintendent of military Railroads. Joseph Dana Webster was again chief of staff to General Grant during the Vicksburg campaign, and, from 1864 until the close of the war, occupied the same position to General Sherman. He was brevetted Major-General of Volunteers, March 13, 1865, but, resigning on November 6, following, returned to Chicago, where he spent the remainder of his life.
From 1869 to 1872 he was Assessor of Internal Revenue there, and, later, Assistant United States Treasurer, and, in July 1872, he was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue. Joseph Dana Webster died, in Chicago, on March 12, 1876, and was buried at Rosehill Cemetery.
