Born on May 23, 1872, in Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina,[1] Webb attended the Shelby Military Institute and received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1893 from Wake Forest College, then attended the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1893 and 1894.

[2] He was appointed trustee of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Raleigh (now North Carolina State University) by the legislature in 1899 and served two years.

[2] He was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1912 to conduct impeachment proceedings against Robert W. Archbald, judge of the United States Commerce Court.

[2] On April 17, 1918, Congressman Webb, as the sole sponsor, introduced the Sedition Act of 1918 legislation in the U.S. House (H.R.

8753), that criminalized speech or the expression of opinion criticizing the U.S. government war effort, military or flag.