Biography extracted from History of Sauk County, Wisconsin Chicago: Western Historical Company, published 1880.

Baraboo:

David E. Welch, was born in Milton, Wayne Co., Ohio, Dec. 4, 1835; received a common-school education; in 1856, went to Bowen's Prairie, Jones Co., Iowa, where he remained until 1858, when he returned to Westfield, Medina Co., Ohio, to engage in mercantile business; he was appointed Postmaster by President Lincoln, in 1861, which office he resigned to enter the military service in August of the same year. Enlisted as a private in the 2d Ohio V.C., but, upon the organization of his company, was elected 1st Lieutenant; subsequently, he was promoted through all the grades to Lieutenant Colonel; was with his regiment during its service on the frontier of Kansas, Arkansas and the Indian Territory; then with the Army of the Tennessee under Gen. Burnside, and, after re-enlistment, with the Army of the Potomac under Gen. Sheridan; after the muster-out of his regiment, he was retained, by special order of the War Department, in the Cavalry Bureau until February, 1866; upon leaving the service, spent one year in Venango Co., Penn. He came to Wisconsin in 1867, and settled as a farmer in the town of Delton, Sauk Co., where he served as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors four years; removed to Baraboo in 1876, to engage in the sale of agricultural machinery. He was a member of the Legislature in 1874 and 1875; was elected to the Senate for 1876-77, and re-elected for 1878-79, receiving 3,089 votes against 1884 for Joseph Mackey (Democrat) and 784 for J.B. Potter (Greenbacker). Col. Welch is still engaged in the sale of agricultural implements in Baraboo.

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