WELCH, MARTIN --- Age, 35 yrs. Enlisted, Aug. 8, 1862, at Mooers, toserve 3 yrs; mustered in as private, Co. I, Aug. 29, 1862; mustered outwith company, June 13, 1865, at Richmond, VA. *TC MO \~ enlisted inCentreville (Mooers Forks) as butcher; W; M; p. Thomas Welch and PhinyCooley; occ. farmer; was at Drewry's Bluff, fight afterwards and tobutchering; discharged June 25, 1865; has moved into the WesternCountry.*DROVE A COVERED WAGON TO THEIR LAND GRANT - Thomas Welch, an IrishImmigrant came to the United States in the 1820s. He married PhilenaCrowley whose first immigrant ancestor came from England in the early1700s and whose grandfather was in the American Revolution. Their son,Martin Van Buren Welch, a butcher, enlisted in the 118th Infantry onAugust 8, 1862 in Mooers. He was mustered into Company I in atPlattsburgh and left for Washington two days later, on September 1st.Martin survived the 118th's stay in the capital, and the battles inVirginia in 1863 between May and July. He became ill and spent fromOctober to December 1863 in Eckington Hospital in Washington. Hisregiment was in winter quarters at Newport News, VA, when he rejoinedthem. The regiment's heavy fighting around Petersburg in began in May1864 and continued until the end of October. The Battles of Drewry'sBluff in May followed by Cold Harbor in June accounted for the 59 menkilled in action. Over two hundred casualties followed while they werein the vicinity of Petersburg that year. Their last major battle was atthe end of October with 111 casualties.In 1865, the 118th participated in the fall of Petersburg and thentravelled to Richmond where Martin mustered out with his company on June13th.He returned home to his wife Catherine McMulligan, born in Donegal,Ireland, who he had married in 1851, and they decided to move West withtheir children. They took the train to Shabbona, IL, where they liveduntil they received their land grant in Iowa. In the fall of 1871, in acovered wagon, they started the 350-mile trip to claim their land inFonda, IA. The family stayed on the land until 1890 when Martin died. Hewas buried in the Cedar Township Cemetery in Fonda under two stones, alarge cenotaph and a military stone. Catherine immediately applied for aWidow's Pension and received it until she died in 1928 at age 97 and wasburied with Martin. She outlived all of her eight children except twodaughters.>>>>> Catherine McMulligan was born in Donegal Co. Ireland and at the> age of 8 came to Ameriaca with her family. They settled in New York,> state where she met and was married to Martin Van Buren Welch. They> settled in New York state where five of their 8 children were born,> She was left to manage as best she could while her husband served in> the dark days of the rebellion.>> They moved to Shabonna, Ill in 1867 and lived there until the> fall of 1871 when they moved to Fonda, Ia to a farm 4 miles west, a> land grant from Civil War service. Three of their 8 children died in> infancy. Four girls and 1 boy reached adulthood but only 2 daughters> outlived their mother who reached almost 95 years of age. Catherine> indured years of hard work as young girl caring for her> family. She survived an Iowa Prairie fire burning her feet badly which> from a great grandaughter I learned she was a very outspoken person.> She was very alert and spry until the final days of her life.
