William Winters

[David Ireland]

I've posted here before about my great great grandfather, Joseph Winters, of the 56th PA. We had always heard that he had a brother named William who also was in the war, and who went out West and became a degenerate gambler after the war, but couldn't verify this. My cousin recently found this in a box, and it says William Winters on the back. How would I know what regiment he might have been in? The family was from Tunkhannock, in Wyoming County.

 

[wingatecivilwar5]

Have you checked the soldier and sailer data base?

Soldiers and Sailors Database - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[wingatecivilwar5]

I filtered a search to just the last name and state and found a few William and Joseph Winters listed. State muster rolls in archives maybe able to help or a site like Fold3. Good luck hopefully find what your looking for.

 

[David Ireland]

Have you checked the soldier and sailer data base?

Soldiers and Sailors Database - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

There are so many that come up I don't know how to narrow it down

 

[David Ireland]

I filtered a search to just the last name and state and found a few William and Joseph Winters listed. State muster rolls in archives maybe able to help or a site like Fold3. Good luck hopefully find what your looking for.

Would muster rolls list his siblings?

 

[wingatecivilwar5]

Would muster rolls list his siblings?

I don't think so just who was in that unit. If your wanting to know for sure who his siblings were you will have to research census reports. That can be done through sites like Ancestry.com which cost money but it can be done.

 

[wingatecivilwar5]

Did some digging in Ancestry.com I get in for free via the US Army and I found an 1850 census with a William and Joseph Winters. Do u happen to know their parents names? Also did they spend entire life in Tuckhannock?

 

[Mike Serpa]

A William Winters was in Co. F, 143rd PA

History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature : Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

16

archive.org

 

[David Ireland]

Did some digging in Ancestry.com I get in for free via the US Army and I found an 1850 census with a William and Joseph Winters. Do u happen to know their parents names? Also did they spend entire life in Tuckhannock?

Joseph did. Don't know anything other than that William supposedly fought in the war and then went West and became a gambler and wasn't heard from again. My guess is that this postcard was one of the last things they heard from him. Joseph's son George was born in Tunkhannock and Joseph is buried nearby.

 

[David Ireland]

Did some digging in Ancestry.com I get in for free via the US Army and I found an 1850 census with a William and Joseph Winters. Do u happen to know their parents names? Also did they spend entire life in Tuckhannock?

Does this report list the name of the father and any other brothers?

 

[David Ireland]

A William Winters was in Co. F, 143rd PA
View attachment 440302

History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature : Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

16

archive.org

Where was this company recruited? Was it in the Tunkhannock area?

 

[David Ireland]

A William Winters was in Co. F, 143rd PA
View attachment 440302

History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature : Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

16

archive.org

I'm thinking this is him because now that I think about it I remember my dad saying that William fought at the railroad cut, which appears to be the case with this regiment. I wonder if there's a way to find out if he enlisted or was drafted.

My next step is to see if I can find his grave out west to confirm the stories.

 

[David Ireland]

I'm thinking this is him because now that I think about it I remember my dad saying that William fought at the railroad cut, which appears to be the case with this regiment. I wonder if there's a way to find out if he enlisted or was drafted.

My next step is to see if I can find his grave out west to confirm the stories.

The story that my dad told us that Joseph reportedly said he was driving a wagon train at one point at Gettysburg in the rear of the line and that artillery started landing near him. He also allegedly said that Wilderness was worse for him than Gettysburg. I'm wondering if these stories might have come from William and been attributed to his brother Joseph since Joseph wasn't drafted until late 1864. Is there a way to tell whether the 143 was ever in the rear of the line at Gettysburg and whether they had a worse position at Wilderness? Given what I'm reading about their role on July 1, I can't imagine anything could have been worse.

 

[steamboater]

I checked on www.civilwardata.com and found 9 "William Winters" who served PA. One died during the war, so, of the remaining 8, none served the 56th PA Vol Regiment. This info came from "History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1861-65". The records do not include residence or age or birthdate.

Then, I looked up Joseph, and he was the only "Winters or Winter" on the rosters of the 56Th. He was drafted on 9/29/1864, and was mustered out with the regiment on 5/31/1865.

Your image of William is not a post card, it is a cabinet card, first patented after the WBTS was over.

 

[Mike Serpa]

A few Winters' in this book

Portrait and biographical record of Wyoming and Lackawanna counties, Pennsylvania : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties : Chapman Publishing Company (NY) : Free Download, Borrow, and

Includes index

archive.org

 

[David Ireland]

You solved the mystery! It appears that Joseph enlisted in the 50th NY Engineers and helped build the bridges at Fredericksburg and elsewhere before later being drafted into the 56th Pennsylvania when he came back home to PA. So the stories about him serving at the Wilderness, Gettysburg, and then later at Five Forks, Freeman's Farm, and Appomattox all add up. I'm so grateful. You also helped me learn the names of his parents and where they may have more records about him (the Scranton GAR).

 

[Mike Serpa]

You solved the mystery! It appears that Joseph enlisted in the 50th NY Engineers and helped build the bridges at Fredericksburg and elsewhere before later being drafted into the 56th Pennsylvania when he came back home to PA. So the stories about him serving at the Wilderness, Gettysburg, and then later at Five Forks, Freeman's Farm, and Appomattox all add up. I'm so grateful. You also helped me learn the names of his parents and where they may have more records about him (the Scranton GAR).View attachment 440305

Thanks. I read that and thought it was your relative. I'm happy you have more information about your family.

 

[David Ireland]

You solved the mystery! It appears that Joseph enlisted in the 50th NY Engineers and helped build the bridges at Fredericksburg and elsewhere before later being drafted into the 56th Pennsylvania when he came back home to PA. So the stories about him serving at the Wilderness, Gettysburg, and then later at Five Forks, Freeman's Farm, and Appomattox all add up. I'm so grateful. You also helped me learn the names of his parents and where they may have more records about him (the Scranton GAR).View attachment 440305

This says he enlisted in the 56th PA in March 1862, but his draft notice isn't in the Wyoming County Republican until Fall 1864. This biographical sketch verifies the story we inherited that he fought at the Wilderness, and likely Gettysburg as well. But the draft notice seems to undermine this. What's the explanation?

 

[David Ireland]

Is anyone able to confirm in the roster that he also served in the 50th NY Engineers, and when?