Asheville daily citizen., 1892-02-16
COLONEL JOSEPH WINSTON
BIOGRAPHICAL. SKETCH by a
CHAPEL. HILL STUDENT

Prominent among the early friends OF
liberty in North Carolina was Col. Jos
eph Winston. He belonged to an old
Yorkshire family, which had settled in
Wales and afterwards emigrated to
Virginia, so soon distinguishing itself
there by its talent and its love of liberty
These qualities were nobly illustrated in
the lives OF Judge Winston and of Pat
rick Henry, the great Virginia orator.
whose mother was a Winston. Some
authorities say that Patrick Henry's
mother was the sister of Col. Joseph
Winston's father. Col. Winston was
born in Louisa county, Virginia, June
II, 1746, inheriting the liberty-loving
spirit of his ancestors and tondness
tor the hardships and adventures of
the chase.
He received fair education according
to the standard OF this day, but was
more adventurous than studious. At
he age of seventeen he joined a compan,
of Rangers formed tor the purpose Of
fighting the Indians, who were very
troublesome in that section. During an
expedition to the frontier for the object
of Furnishing marauding party, his
company was ambuscaded and made a
desperate resistance, but were over
powered and put to flight. During this
skirmish young Winston acted with
great gallantry. His horse was killed
under him and he himself received two
balls, one in the thigh, and the other in
the body. Dragging himself painfully
in the underbrush, the Indians in pursuit
of the retreating Rangers, passed him
by. Here he would doubtless have per.
ished, had he not been discovered by a
comrade, who like himself had sought
the brush for refuge. His friend being
unwounded aided him to escape, laith-
fully carving him on his back for three
days, until they reached the welcome
shelter OF fronticrman's cabin. During
this toilsome and painful tourney they
had no food save the berries of the wild
rose, which, fortunately, were quite
plentiful. One OF the bullets which he
then received was never extracted and
continued to the end Of his life to be
source OF suffering.
Early in 1910, Winston migrated to
what was then Surry, now Stokes
county, North Carolina, settling in the
vicinity of the forks otthe Danriver. He
embraced with ardor the cause of the
colonies in their dispute with the mother
country, and was chosen by the people
OF his county to represent them i'll the
important provincial congress of l775.
In February following he was one OF an
expedition against the Scotch tories on
Cross creek, who in the endeaver to et-
iect junction with the royal troops un-
der Sir Henry Clinton, were signally de-
teated at Moore's creek bridge, on the
9th OF that month.
BY the provincial congress OF April,
1776, he was appointed LIST major and
commandant OF the militia tor the
county OF Surrv. In this capacity he
served under General Griffith Rutherford
in the ardruus expedition across the
mountains in the fall OF the same year.
BY this expedition the Cherokees were 50
ctftctually humbled, that the, continued
peaceful during the rest OF the war.
Under the constitution of l776, Ma
jor Winston was elected a member OF the
first house OF commons, which met the
following year. Upon him in conjunc-
ton with Waightstlll Avery and Robert
Lanier, were conferred the important
duty OF etfrcting permanent settlement
with the lately humbled Cherokees
They succeeded in securing the celebrated
treaty of the Long Island OF Holston,
thereby extnguishing the Indian title to
large areas of .lano and establishing
peace which enabled the western people
to devote all their energies to the defeat
of the British. Without this treaty
the victory of Kings Mountain would
have been Impossible, as the mountain
eers would have been unwilling to leave
their homes exposed to the attacks OF
the savages.
During the British invasion of North
Carolina. Major Winston was in active
service against them and against the
Tories. He fought with the gallant but
unfortunate General William Davidson
against CORVALLIS, and afterwards
with Col. Cleveland against the Loyal
lists of New River.
His most illustrious military service
was on the 7th of October, 1880, in the
battle of Kings Mountain, where he
signally distinguished himself by his
cool judgment and fiery assaults.
To him entrusted was responsible duty
of being detached with part of the
Wilkes and Surry troops, in order to
make detour and attack Ferguson on
his right. From this conflict he had the
good fortune to escape without a
wound, although he was ever in the
thickest of the fray.
Early in 1881 Major Winston led an
expedition against the Tories, whom ne
defeated and put to flight. Soon after
wards with one hundred Surrv volun-
teers he joined the brigade of that illus
trious partisan officer, Pickens. With
these volunteers he participated in the
highly important battle OF Guilford
Court house, being among the last to
leave the field. Thus ended his active
military service for his beloved country,
Cornwallis marching to his fate in Vir-
ginia, and Green transferring his army
to South Carolina.
Active in war, Major Winston was no
less energetic in peace. The esteem and
the confidence of his people was shown
by his being elected five times as senator
from Surry county, and three times from
county OF Stokes, after its organization.
OF the latter he was also appointed lieu
tenant colonel. He was likewise a rep
resentative of his district in the congress
OF the United States, first in 1791-1752,
and twice afterwards, from 19O3-1SO7.
In politics he was Ieffersonian repub-
lican OF the most ultra type. an ardent
advocate of the strictest construction of
the federal constitution, and of the re-
served rights OF the states.
This is well shown by his votes in Con-
gress. He was painfully aware of the ex.
trPnP laCk nj t11nnny a,nnnrr he co,,t.t,,