The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-29
forsyth County.
Fro Colonel wheeIer- R.mini-ceuces-l

Tins county presents the name OF COL-
Benjamin Forsythe. lie resided at Ger,
mautoSn, was a native OF Stokes, and
represented that county 10 the legisla-
ture. He received a lieutenant COM
April %, lS0S, IN the regular
army, and marched to Canada la Sep
tember, 1872, he crossed at Cape Vim
cent, attacked the British and routed
then. He took many prisoners aud much
ammunition aud stores. With the loss OF
only one man.
In February following. he left Ogdens-
burg, and crossed AT Morristown, sur
prised the British, and took fifty two
prisoners, among them "a major, three
captains and two l~ieutenants, without
the loss of a mau.
For his gallant conduct he was rapidly
promoted, and attained the rank OF ole
mel.
Cn June 2Sth, 1914, General Smyth
formed a plan for ambuscading the Brit
i,h near Odeltown. Colonel Forsyth
had orders to make the attack and then
retreat SO as to draw the enemy into
the snare. He made the attack, but IN
stead of falling back as ordered, his per-
sonal courage tempted him to make a
stand on the road within fifteen rods OF
the enemy. In this exposed and peril
Gus position he received a fatal wound,
which broke his collar bone. He fell,
mortally wounded, exclaiming with his
last breath Boys, rush on He was
the only person killed several Were
wounded. The enemy lost seventeen
killed. His loss was universally lament
ed and he was buried the next day with
the honors of war.
The legislature of North Carolina, ID
1917, with patriotic philanthrophy,
adopted the only son of Colonel For
sythe, and the only daughter of Captain
Blakely, of the navy, as children of the
State, and made provision for their edu
cation at the public expense. James \.
Forsythe, the son, was appointed a mid
shipman on board the sloop Of war, the
Hornet, which was lost a sea.
The county seat of Forsyth preserves
the name of Joseph Winston.
He was born June Il, l746, in Louisa
county, Virginia a branch of the family
originally from Yorkshire. England. set
tied in Wales, and thence migrated to
Virginia, where, says Alexander H. Ev-
eritt, they were the most dIstlngu lshed
10 the colony.
1.-Two hundred years ago says the bi
ographical sketch of William Winston
Seaton. (of the firm of Gales and Sea
TOM five brothers. Winston, from
Winston hall, Yorkshire, En- gland, gen
tlemen of fortune and family, emigrated
to the colony of Virginia. These broth
ers were men of comely statue and APP
pearance. They settled in Hanover
county, stocking Virginia with a stalwart
and prophetic race, extending to Ken
lucky. Mississippi, and North Caro-
ina. in which States. to this DAY, they
are noted for their fine personal appear
ance.' The family of Winston" says
Mr.. Sparks. was among the most dis
tinguished of the colony, and the genius
aud eloquence of Patrick Henry may be
supposed to have been transmitted
through this line, from which he de
scended.'
Joseph Winston received a fair educa
ton, but at the age of seventeen Joined
a company of ranger. under Captain
Phelps, who marched from Loui sa coun-
ty to Jackson river, on the then frontiers,
where, uniting with the command OF
Captain George Moffett, making sixty
men altogether they pursued a party OF
Indians between Forts Young and Din
widdie, and were drawn into an ambus-
cade on September 30, 1863. They
were fired on from both sides of the
trail, but maintained the fight for a con
siderable time at length they were over
powered by numbers and were forced t.
give away, scattering as best as they
could. Several were killed young
Winston had his horse killed under him,
and was himself twice wounded in the
body and through the thigh, making
him well nigh helpless. He managed,
however, to conceal himself until the
Indians had gone in pursuit Of the fugi-
tives, when a comrade fortunately came
to his aid, carried hirl upon his back for
three days, living upon wild roseber, les,
until at length they reached a friendly
frontier cabin. Although he in time re
covered, yet the bail in his body was
never extracted, and occasionally caused
HIM exquisite pain.
In 1869 we find that Joseph Winston
and others petitioned the Virginia au-
thorities for a grant of 10000 acres of
land Oh the south side of the Guyan-
dotte river failing in this, he emigrated
to North Carolina, and settled on the
town fork of the Dan, in that part of
the State now Forsyth county. La l715,
he was a member of the Hillsboro con-
vention, which met on August u, I775,
aud erected a provisional form of gov
III forNthe State, all hopes Of re
Cancellation with the ROYAL government
having been ended. The sword was
drawn and the scabbard thrown away. In
February, l776, he was in the expedition
against the Scotch tories on Cross creek.
lib this year he was created ranger OF
Surry county, and major of militia serv-
in Rutherford's expedition against the
Cherokee Indians. In l777' he was a
member of the House of Commons from
Surry, and with Waightstill Avery, Will
liam Sharpe and Robert Lanier, placed
upon that commission which made "a
treaty with the Cherokees at Long Is
land on the Holston, a treaty made with
out an oath aDd yet one that has never
J ct been violated. La 1880, he served
with Colonel Davidson in pursuit OF
Bryan tories, and was with Cleavelanu
IN his movements against the loyalists on
New River; he was in a skirmish on the
Alamance, and commanded a portion OF
the right wing at Kings mountain, Oct.
9, 1850.
At Kings mountain he was a major of
the North Carolina line. serving with
Colonies Mcdowell and Cleavelaud. The
battle was fierce and bloody, in which
the Americans drove the British and to-
ries from their lofty position, whence
their commander, Colonel Patrick Fei-
guson, had impiously declared that God
Almighty could not drive them
In the plan of battle adopted by the
c%olonels present on that occasion, Win
stons battalion had to make a lie ngthv
detour of the mountain from a point at
the junction of Kings Creek. and tn.
Quarry Road. and thence to move To tn.