Charlton, Charles H.

Photo: 7th WV Cavalry regimental banner

Age at Enlistment: 27

Length of Service: 1864-1865

State: West Virginia

Rank:  Pvt

Unit:   7th WV Cavalry Regiment

Service Record:  Served in Co. D on 10 Nov 1864 until end of war;

Note on WV in the Union: In June 1863, following up on the Wheeling convention in 1861 and the political division between western and eastern Virginia over secession, WV was “accepted” into the union. Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet were reluctant over this as they new it was technically illegal and would set a bad precedent in the future. WV thus became a “border state” during the war, a major strategic victory during the war. The Admission to the Union Clause forbids the creation of new states from parts of existing states without the consent of both the affected states and Congress. The eastern part of Virginia never consented to this split, although the point is moot now.  Many Virginian’s living in the western region were later “drafted” into the Union army when WV became a state in 1863.

Survived War:  Yes

Cemetery / Burial: Yates Center Cemetery, Yates Center, Woodson Co., KS

Soldier Info:  Described at enlistment as 5’11”, dark hair, gray eyes, age 27;  Born in Virginia in 1837; Died in Kansas abt. 1919; Received pension after the war with wife Isabella

Relationship to Author:  2nd cousin 6x