Born April 12, 1839 at Draper, Rockingham County, North Carolina,
John Reynolds Winston attended Trinity College (now Duke University) in Randolph, North Carolina from 1856-1859. He resided at Reidsville, Rockingham County when he enlisted as Captain of Company F, 45th North Carolina at Elm Grove on March 11, 1862. He stood 5' 9" tall. Promoted to major on February 9, 1863 and to lieutenant colonel on June 26, 1863, he fought at Gettysburg on July 1, but on the late forenoon or early afternoon of July 3, while his regiment was on Culp's Hill, he received a bad gunshot wound. Because he was admitted to the General Hospital in Frederick, Maryland on July 6, he was almost certainly captured in the wagon train of wounded by Federal cavalry near Monterrey Pass on the night of July 4/5. He was briefly in the post hospital at Fort McHenry by July 10, then sent to Johnson's Island, Ohio by September 28, 1863. He escaped on January 15, 1864, across the ice, to Canada, and returned to his regiment on February 29, 1864, which dates the image. He was wounded again at Spotsylvania Court House on May 15, 1864 and was appointed colonel four days later. Wounded in the head at Sayler's Creek on April 6, 1865, he surrendered three days later at Appomattox. He died on March 7, 1888 and was buried in the Red House Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Caswell County, North Carolina.
(
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=26713126; Southern Historical Society Papers, vol. 7, p. 94; Confederate Casualties at Gettysburg, by John W. Busey and Travis W. Busey, 2:1149; Compiled Service Records of J. R. Winston)