More research on union soldiers

David Ireland

Corporal
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Previously, I have had the help of many people here in trying to find out more about my great great grandfather, Joseph Winters, of the 56th Penn Infantry. I’ve also had people help find out information about another local union solder, by researching his brother.

I want to try to discover whether a family story is true. Supposedly, Joseph had a brother who was also in the war, but we don’t know his name. Our family story is that he went west after the war and became a degenerate gambler.

Can anyone help me figure out if this is true?

Aside from pure curiosity, the reason that I want to know is because I want to try to figure out why my ancestor was drafted, rather than enlisting. Our story is that he was at Gettysburg and Wilderness, but the records don’t match that as he was drafted in September 1864. If he didn’t enlist under a different name before that, I wonder if it was because he had to stay home to help around the farm, which would make sense if his brother was already in the war.


Can anyone help me figure this out? He was from Tunkhannock PA.
 
If you can tell me his parents' names and the dates he was born and died I could see what I can find. There are too many Joseph Winters from Pennsylvania to narrow it down just from that.
 
If you can tell me his parents' names and the dates he was born and died I could see what I can find. There are too many Joseph Winters from Pennsylvania to narrow it down just from that.
He lived from 1842-1919. I don’t know what his parents names were, but we think his father may have been named John. He had a son named George who lived from 1898-1989.
75EC7C3B-26C1-4983-B4F8-7A5B34FB1D2E.jpeg
 
Do you have Joseph's CSR? If so, where was his place of enlistment?

I know virtually nothing about PA regiments, but I saw on the NPS Database he was in Company B, which was primarily recruited some 200 miles west of Tunkhannock. Not sure if him only joining in 1864 would make a difference.

In any event, was just trying to place his whereabouts a little more concretely because I thought it might help with tracking down a sibling.
 
Looks like this may be him from the 1850 census. Monroe County, PA (via ancestry.com) UPDATE: Digging around on ancestry, it looks like there was another brother as well- Paul (born 1828). Also, Joseph Winters' pension card only shows his service in the 56th PA.
Winters 1850 census.jpg
 
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Do you have Joseph's CSR? If so, where was his place of enlistment?

I know virtually nothing about PA regiments, but I saw on the NPS Database he was in Company B, which was primarily recruited some 200 miles west of Tunkhannock. Not sure if him only joining in 1864 would make a difference.

In any event, was just trying to place his whereabouts a little more concretely because I thought it might help with tracking down a sibling.

Why on earth would they recruit 200 miles away? That’s a long trip today, let alone back then.

What is a CSR?
 
George Winters of Lebanon County, enlisted in Company K 209th PA on 9/9/1864. Mustered out 5/31/1865 in Virginia.

Another George Winters from Philadelphia enlisted in Company I 192nd PA 7/12/1864. Mustered out 11/11/1864 at Philadelphia (90-day Regiment).
How would I figure out if this is the same
George Winters of Lebanon County, enlisted in Company K 209th PA on 9/9/1864. Mustered out 5/31/1865 in Virginia.

Another George Winters from Philadelphia enlisted in Company I 192nd PA 7/12/1864. Mustered out 11/11/1864 at Philadelphia (90-day Regiment).

Here’s a new clue. I want to find out who that George was that this person below mentioned because that’s what Joseph named his son, and because there’s a mysterious William Winters who is a brother of his not listed on the census. His mysterious civil war story is linked to on the thread I posted below as well.

Post in thread 'Joseph Winters'
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/joseph-winters.169446/post-2204622
 
The only real way to figure out if the two George Winters are the same man is to find a record showing service in both units. A pension card would do that. Also, records from a second unit often mention prior service.

George is a pretty common name so I'm not sure having the child of a brother use that name is any kind of proof.
 
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