WINSTON, Joseph, soldier, born in Louisa county, Virginia, 17 June, 1746; died near Germantown, North Carolina, 21 April, 1815. His ancestor was one of five brothers from Winston Hall, Yorkshire, England, who came to Hanover county, Virginia, in the 17th century. Joseph received a fair education, and at the age of seventeen joined a company of rangers. While pursuing a party of hostile Indians they fell into an ambuscade, and young Winston was twice wounded, one of the balls remaining in his body till his death. The savages put the rangers to flight, but Winston escaped and was carried on a comrade's back for three days, till they reached a frontier cabin. He was afterward pensioned by the legislature, and in 1766 removed to Surry county, North Carolina In 1775 he was a member of the Hillsborough convention, and in February, 1776, he was in the expedition against the Scotch Tories. In the same year he was made ranger of Surry county and major of militia, serving against the Cherokees, and in 1777 he was a member of the legislature and of the commission that made a treaty with that tribe on Holston river. In 1780 he took part again in partisan warfare with the Tories, and at King's Mountain he led the right wing, and was conspicuous for his bravery, contributing greatly toward the victory. For his services on this day the legislature afterward gave him a sword. After defeating a band of loyalists in a running fight in February, 1781, he took part in the battle of Guilford in March. He represented Surry county in the state senate for three terms, and when Stokes county was formed became the first senator from that county, serving five times between 1790 and 1812. In 1793-'5, and again in 1803-'7, he was a member of congress. The county-seat of Forsyth county, North Carolina, is named for him.--His son, JOSEPH (1788--1840), served in the war of 1812, was many years in the legislature, and was a major-general of militia. William Winston Seaton, the journalist, was the elder Joseph's nephew.