Israel Victor Welch

Welch was born in St. Stephens, Washington County, Alabama, and his parents moved to Mississippi when Welch was a child.^[1] A wealthy planter, Welch held 54 people as slaves in 1860.^[2] He represented Noxubee County in the Mississippi Legislature in 1858,^[3] and was a strong advocate of secession.^[1] On the outbreak of the American Civil War, Welch enlisted as a private in the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, which served as part of the Army of Northern Virginia.^[1]

Elected to represent Mississippi in the First Confederate Congress, Welch left the army and was later reelected to the Second Confederate Congress, serving from 1862 to 1865.^[4] In the House of Representatives, Welch supported removing as many exemptions as possible from the Confederate conscription acts to maximize the manpower available to the South's armed forces.^[1]

After the end of the Civil War, Welch returned to Macon, Mississippi to practice law. He died in Macon on May 18, 1869.^[1]