Preston County, West Virginia Biography of JOHN C. FELTON This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 461-462 JOHN C. FELTON. One of the venerable and honored citizens of Barbour County is Capt. John C. Felton, who resides upon his fine homestead farm in the Valley of the Tygart River, below Berryburg Junction. The Captain was born in the family home on the summit of a hill at Rowlesburg, Preston County, September 6, 1843, and is a grandson of John Pelton, who settled in that locality in the early days, upon removal from Frederick County, Vir- ginia. John Felton was born at Taneytown, Maryland, and his settlement in what is now Preston County, West Virginia, occurred almost a century ago. He served as magistrate and later as sheriff in that county, he having been a man of marked ability and sterling character, and thus having been well qualified for leadership in community affairs, the while he became one of the substantial pioneer fanners of Preston County. He was first a whig and later a repub- lican in politics, and he and his wife held membership in the Methodist Church. The family name of Mrs. Felton was McHenry, and both attained to advanced age, he having been almost about seventy years of age at the time of his death, about 1850. Their children were nine in number: Henry, John, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, Betsy (Mrs. Wetzell), Prudence (Mrs. Wotring), Sarah (Mrs. Judon), and Mary. Henry Felton, father of Captain Felton of this sketch, was born in the year 1801 and was about eleven years old at the time of the family removal to Preston County. His loyalty to the Union at the time of the Civil war was manifested in service in behalf of the cause, though he was sixty years of age at the outbreak of the war, and he was thus in the Federal service when he was so badly injured in a railroad wreck near Fairmont that his death soon ensued, in 1864, his command having been on its way to be discharged and his death having occurred about two weeks after the wreck mentioned. He had given three years of gallant service as a member of the Sixth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry. His active career was marked by close association with farm enterprises in Preston County, his home having been near the present town of Albright at the time of his death. He married Catherine Watring, the original spelling of the family name having been Wot- ring, and Abraham Wotring having settled in Pennsylvania about the time of the birth of Gen. George Washington. Mrs. Felton long survived her husband and continued her residence on the old homestead near Albright until her death in 1890. William, eldest of the children, passed his entire life in Preston County, was a road-builder by occupation and was past seventy years of age when he died, a number of children surviving him. Elias died when a young man. Malinda became the wife of Jacob Funk and died in Preston County. Daniel was one of the venerable residents of that county at the time of his death. Henry was a "Union soldier in the Civil war, as a member of the Seventeenth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, and after the war he was a successful farmer. He was killed by a railroad train in 1892, and was survived by a number of his children. Elizabeth, the wife of Elisha Atha, died near Steubenville, Ohio. Eleanor died in Preston County. Her husband Isaac Whetzell, died while in service as a Union soldier in the Civil war. Captain John C., of this review, is the youngest of the number. John Clay Felton was reared in Preston County, along the Cheat River, and well recalls the construction of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad line through Rowlesburg, where he saw the first locomotive cross the bridge. He continned his residence in his native county until 1869, when he re- moved to Barbour County. Prior to this it had been his desire to render loyal service as a Union soldier in the Civil war. He enlisted in Company A, Seventh West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, won promotion to the office of corporal and later to that of sergeant, and he continued in service with his original company until near the close of the war, he having re-enlisted at the close of his first term and he having received, under date of May 9, 1865, com- mission as first lieutenant of Company F of the same regi- ment. On the 26th of the same month he was commissioned captain of his company, a few days prior to the surrender of General Lee. Samuel Snyder was captain of Company A when Captain Felton first entered the service, his suc- cessor having been Captain Thomas Elliott, who later was succeeded by Captain John Fordyce. At the battle of Antietam the Seventh West Virginia Infantry lost one- third of its members in killed and wounded. Thereafter Captain Felton took active part in the battles of Freder- icksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, in which last he witnessed the famous charge of the Confederate forces under Gen. George E. Pickett. Thereafter Captain Felton took part in the Wilderness campaign, and fought at Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor. His regiment next took part in engagements around Petersburg, including the battles at Ream's Station and Hatchers Run. The command followed the retreating Confederate forces and at the time of the surrender of General Lee was about one-half mile in the rear of the main army. The regiment took part in the grand review of the victorious forces in the City of Washington, and at Wheeling, West Virginia, Captain Felton received his honorable discharge on the 1st of July, 1865, he having never been wounded or otherwise injured in his remarkably active career at the front. He became one of the organic members of the post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Rowlesburg, later was affiliated with the post at Philippi and is now a member of Reno Post at Grafton. He has attended numerous West Virginia state encampments of this patriotic fraternity as well as the national encampments held at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Captain Felton cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has continued in unfaltering allegiance to the republican party. He served ten years as magistrate in Pleasant District, Barbour County, and he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was formerly in active affiliation with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. After his marriage, in 1869, Captain Felton soon removed to Clover District, Tucker County, where he continned his association with farm enterprise until 1891, since which year he has resided on his present homestead in Barbour County, where substantial success has attended his activities in the cattle and dairy business, the raising of poultry and the carrying on of general agriculture, his farm being one of the well improved places of the county. July 1, 1869, recorded the marriage of Captain Felton and Miss Susanna M. Martin, who was born in Barbour County, September 29, 1845, and, like her husband, she acquired her education in the pioneer subscription schools, which were maintained in log buildings of the type common to the period and locality. Mrs. Felton is a daughter of Henry D. and Margaret (Means) Martin, the former a native of Barbour County and the latter of Preston County, their remains resting in the family burying ground On the old home farm in Barbour County. Barbara, eldest of the Martin children, became the wife of Sanford Scott, and she remained in Barbour County until her death; Anthony was one of the successful farmers of this county at the time of his death; Isaac died at Mount Morris, this county; Catherine married Ezekiel Hart and died at Peeltree, Bar- bour County; Jacob was a Union soldier in the Civil war and was killed in battle at Cedar Creek; Apalonia is the wife of E. C. Hull, and they reside in the State of Iowa; Matilda, wife of George Ryan, died in that state; George was a farmer at the old home place at Cove Run at the time of his death; Mrs. Felton was the next in order of birth; Lizzie became the wife of David Menear; Margaret is the wife of Upton Forman, of Weaverville, North Caro- lina; and Eveline (Mrs. Charles Cornwell) died in Barbour County. In conclusion is given brief record concerning the children of Captain and Mrs. Felton: Henry Warren died in young manhood, in 1891. George C., who now has charge of the county farm in Taylor County, married Maggie Leach, and their children are Florin, Tracy, Leta, Pearl and Uriel. Jacob F., who resides at Clarksburg, this state, mar- ried Lula Saffel, and they have four children: Lillie, Howard, Bernard and Warren. Maggie is the wife of Ira Hoffman, of Arden, Barbour County, and they have five children: Lalah, Gerald, Clifford, William and Mary. Edgar C., who is associated with his father in the manage- ment of the home farm, married Miss Maude Proudfoot, and they have three children: Beulah L., Deveda Grace and Virginia Susanna. Harlan A. is identified with coal mining at Simpson, Taylor County, the maiden name of his wife having been Bessie McDaniel, and their children being five in number: Harold, John, Audrey, Edna and Hoy. Lizzie is the wife of Lee Colebank, who lives in Monongalia County, West Virginia, but whose post office is at Point Marion, Pennsylvania, and they have seven children: James, Opal, Mildred, John, Donald, Marguerite and Ralph Upton, the youngest of the children, has proved the rover of the family and has variously employed himself in different parts of West Virginia and other states.