The following biographical sketch was written by Algine Foy Neely in May 1936 for the Col. Joseph Winston Chapter D.A.R., Winston-Salem, North Carolina. and was read before the Wachovia Historical Society, Winter 1936 and before the Philocalian Book Club on Sept. 28, 1948.
COL. JOSEPH WINSTON
A branch of the Winston family of Yorkshire, England settled in Wales and thence emigrated to Virginia. One of the Virginia descendants was Samuel Winston of Louisa County, Va. His sister, Sara, was the mother of Patrick Henry. This Winston had seven sons -- all actively engaged in the Revolutionary War. Among them was Joseph Winston, who was born in Louisa County, Va. June 7(17) 1746. When only 17 he joined a company of Rangers under Captain Philips, who marched from Louisa County to the frontiers on Jackson's Manor, where, marching under Capt. Leon Norfleet, they pursued a party of Indians between Forts Young and Dinwiddie, and were drawn into an ambuscade Sept. 30, 1763.In 1766, according to Capt. Isaac Winston, a descendant of this distinguished Revolutionary officer, Joseph Winston moved to North Carolina, locating on Town Fork on the Dan River in what was then Surry County, subsequently Stokes County. The oldest deed to Joseph Winston, which has been found, bears date of 1774, and is recorded in Surry County. He was then "of North Carolina." In 1776 he went on an expedition against the Scotch Tories at Crosscreek.
Joseph Winston was appointed, in the year 1776, Ranger of Surry County, and Major in the militia served in the Rutherford County, Expedition against the Cherokees. In 1777 he was a member of the House of Commons, and the same year was appointed by Governor Caswell as Commissioner to treat with the Cherokee Indians, and associated with Col. Waightstill Avery, William Sharpe and Robert Lanier made the treaty of the Long Island of Holston, by which the Indians ceded all their lands, lying in the State of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia.
In 1780 Winston served in Col. Davidson's expedition in pursuit of Bryan's Tories and was with Cleveland against the Loyalists on the New River in a skirmish at Alamance. In 1780 under the Command of Col. Joseph McDowell, Major Joseph Winston, together with Col. Sevier, Col. Campbell, Col. Shelby, Col. Cleveland and Col. Williams and their men completely routed Col. Ferguson from King's Mountain. This battle of King's Mountain during the Revolution was the turning point of the fortunes of America, according to Wheeler's History. This decisive blow prostrated the British power for a time, vanquished the Tory influence, and encouraged the fruits of victory. In recognition of his services in the Revolutionary War, Major Winston was voted by the North Carolina Legislature a sword. This sword passed first to his son, Gen. Joseph Winston, whose wife was Lettie Hughes, and later to his grandson, Col. John H. Winston of Platte County, Mo. In Major Winston's will he gives this sword to his son Joseph with the injunction "Never to use it except in the defense of his country."
In February 1781 Major Winston led a party against a band of Tories. He shortly after joined General Green with a hundred riflemen at the Battle of Guilford. In 1792 and 3 and again in 1803 and 7 he represented his district in Congress. Three times Major Winston was chosen a member of the State Senate from Surry County, and when Stokes County was organized he was appointed Lieut. Colonel. He was first Senator elected from the newly formed Stokes County. He was five times elected to the Senate, the last time in 1812 when the Legislature provided for the presentation of the sword which was voted him in 1781 for his service in the Revolution.
Col. Winston died April 21, 1815. He left many worthy descendants -- three sons born at a single birth. One of them became a Major, another a Judge, and a third a State Senator and Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi. Another son remained in North Carolina, fought in the War of 1812, and became a Major-General, and also served in the State Legislature.
Col. Joseph Winston's Will is most interesting. Among his bequests we find he gave his son Joseph the homestead, etc.; Robert, lands and personal property; Sally, received his "precious bureau"; Louis received, among other things, his slaves, and his watch "to remember him by"; Samuel received his diamond knee buckles, "as a curiosity to remember him by." Fountain received his gold sleeve buttons, etc. Eight thousand acres of land were divided.
Dr. Adelaid Fries, local historian of note, in correspondence with Capt. Isaac Winston of New York City, many years ago, secured this information of his noted ancestor: Joseph Winston married Minerva Elizabeth Lanier, a sister of Robert Lanier of Shallowford. Her grave still remains in Stokes County at the old homesite, which is situated just two miles beyond Germanton, fourteen miles from Winston-Salem, N.C. Her tombstone reads "Elizabeth Winston, born Sept. 24, 1750, died Dec. 4, 1794." The Moravian records of Salem Congregation Diary 1775, date Aug. 12, 1775, in "Records of Moravians in North Carolina", Vol. I, Page 881, by Dr. Adelaid Fries, reads thus: "Col. Kanon came through again and told us about the election yesterday at Richmond Court House for five delegates to the Congress in Millsboro. They are Martin Armstrong, Lanier, and his brother-in-law Williams and Winston and Billy Hill."
Mrs. Lucy Henderson Horton, historian, in her book "Family History, including Hughes, Dalton, Martin, Henderson, all originally in Virginia, and many kindred branches," gives the information that Col. Winston married Jane Dalton, March 24, 1769. Jane was the daughter of Samuel Dalton and Dandridge Reed of Mayo, North Carolina.
In 1914 Col. Joseph Winston's remains were disinterred by Dr. Wade Bynum of Germanton, N.C. and Col. Joseph Morehead, of Greensboro and reinterred at Guilford Battleground. There in "The battlefield of Guilford Court House" on the crest of the hill beyond Lake Wilfong is a monument erected by Governor Thomas H. Holt in 1893. This is surmounted by a portrait statue of Major Joseph Winston giving his order to charge. The tablet reads: "In Memory of the North Carolina troops under Major Joseph Winston, who were fighting the Hessians and Tarleton's Cavalry near this spot after the Continental line had retreated from the field of battle, March 15, 1781." On the side of the stone are inscribed the names: "Major Joseph Winston, Captain Jesse Franklin, Richard Talliferro, Palman qui meruit ferat." The graves of Ex-Governor Jesse Franklin and Major Winston are beside this monument. Major Winston's tombstone was moved thither from the family graveyard near Germanton.
Joseph Winston's children were: Martha, Elizabeth, Thomas, Joseph, 1790, later General; Sarah, Robert L.; the triplets, William H., Samuel L. and Louis L., born Nov. 24, 1784; John and Fountain. Samuel L. became a General in the War of 1812; Louis was a Judge of the Supreme Court of Mississippi; and Fountain settled in Alabama, and his son became Governor of the State of Alabama.
Stokes County has many records of the activities of Col. Joseph Winston as a landowner, entry taker, and one record of superior Court minutes of Stokes County, Oct. 15, 1811, states that the Grand Jury was impannelled with "Col. Joseph Winston -- foreman."
The city of Winston is named for this illustrious hero of Revolutionary fame. And, it is altogether fitting that the General Joseph Winston Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution should place a boulder of stone, and thereon a bronze tablet, on the homesite of this Revolutionary officer. The home, which was just two miles beyond Germanton, was razed many years ago, but to the left of the site is the Hampton Bynum home of early days. Hampton Bynum bought the property of Col. Winston from his son, General Joseph Winston on April 13, 1839, it having been willed to him by his father. The deed is now on record at Danbury. To the right down towards the river are the graves of the Bynums, and next thereto are the graves of Joseph Winston's wife and children.
The Winston and Bynum estate is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Butner of Arbor Road, who have graciously given permission to the chapter to erect this marker on the homesite of Col. Joseph Winston.
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