CDV is of Isaac S. Welton who served in both the 25^th Virginia Infantry and McNeill’s Partisan Cavalry.

Welton is shown wearing a light-colored military shell jacket with a matching vest beneath.

Clarity is good but the contrast is just a bit light. Mount and paper have light surface dirt. Center bottom of the mount has a period pencil ID of “LT. ISAAC S. WELTON, MCNEILL’S COMD.”

Reverse is blank but for some collector information in pencil.

Image is from the collection of the late William A. Turner.

Isaac Seymour Welton was born in Petersburg, Grant County, West Virginia on September 15, 1839.

Welton enlisted as a private in the South Branch Riflemen of Heck’s Virginia Regiment on June 2, 1861. Later the Riflemen would become Company K of the 25^th Virginia Infantry. At the time of his enlistment Welton was described as being 21 years old, 5’ 11” tall with hazel eyes, light hair and a fair complexion. He was a farmer by trade.

The 25^th Virginia was assigned to the Army of the Northwest under General Robert S. Garnett. In one of the early clashes between Garnett’s army and the Union forces under General George B. McClellan, Private Welton was captured. He was paroled on July 17, 1861 and exchanged in mid-August of 1862.

Welton next served as a 2^nd lieutenant in McNeill’s Partisan Rangers. His records with that organization begin with a November/December 1863 muster roll. However, from an article published in the Confederate Veteran magazine we know Welton was with McNeill earlier as he took part in a raid on the camp of the 1^st West Virginia Cavalry at Moorfield on September 11, 1863. He was slightly wounded in that action. Welton also took part in McNeill’s capture of Federal Generals Crook and Kelly in April of 1865 and in numerous raids along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The war ended for Welton when he was captured at Cumberland, Maryland on May 6, 1865. He again gave his parole and returned home.

In an article written for the Confederate Veteran magazine, Volume 26, Number 8 (Broadfoot Volume XXVI, page 352) Jesse G. McNeill spoke of the men who served with his father during the war. Of Lieutenant Welton he said

“…McNeill did not have a more judicious counselor; for however critical the situation, Welton never lost his balance. His insight fell but little short of prescience, and his courage was as cool as it was dauntless. The men of the ranks esteemed him as their friend and would have followed him into the vortex of fire. In our flight from Cumberland, with two generals as our prize, Welton had charge of the rear guard, the most responsible post at that hour, holding in check as he did the pursuing enemy while the prisoners were being hurried on toward Moorefield.”

After the war Welton lived in Grant County, West Virginia where he was a farmer and live stock breeder. He died in Petersburg, West Virginia on March 9, 1924 and is buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Petersburg.

To quote from his obituary “From young manhood until he died, always and everywhere, he was the same Isaac Seymour Welton, a gentleman without arrogance and a friend without pretense.”  [ad] [ph:L]

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