Alfred Benfield ~ Civil War Hero ~ Winters Connection

Louisa "Leweasy" Catherine Winters married Alfred A. Benfield on August 10, 1852 in Burke County, NC.

May 25,  1831  ~  May 1, 1932



Alfred Augustus Benfield was a brother of Elizabeth Caroline Benfield, who married James Lenoir Winters.

The following article was printed in the Morganton Newspaper ~

During recent Veterans Day celebrations, President Bush placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.

Across our vast nation, many communities such as Burke County, also honored our military veterans from all wars.

While sometimes overlooked , the United States has also experienced the most destructive of wars, -a civil war- that raged from 1861 to 1865 as men that were dressed in blue or gray were killed and maimed by the tens of thousands in the defense of their nation and their honor.

Although Southerners, are on occasion, criticized for their failure to forget this war, there are many of us that believe that a nation is judged by its ability to remember such sacrifices.

In fact, our current Memorial Day began as “Decoration Day”, an observance started in the South after the war between the states when the flowers were placed on the graves of the Confederate and Union soldiers.


Alfred Augustus Benfield is such a man to be remembered. Born in the Oak Hill community of Burke County, where he lived as a farmer, Benfield enlisted in the Confederate Army on July 14, 1862. Assigned to Company C, 5th Battalion, North Carolina Calvary, this unit was known as the “Burke Rangers” under the command of Junius Tate.

Company C was later stationed in Clinton, Tennessee as a unit of Colonel John Palmer’s 58th Regiment of North Carolina Troops.



Benfield was captured at Wildcat, Kentucky on August 1, 1863 and taken to the Union’s prison camp at Camp Chase in Ohio.

Shortly before his capture, Benfield wrote to his wife from Big Creek Gap in eastern Tennessee, to report that he “was alive yet and in common health but all the men were suffering greatly from lack of food.

He wrote, “ I tell you men can’t stand it much longer, nor they won’t do it. There has ten run away out of our company….”

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James Lenoir Winters ~ The Basket Maker

Obituary:

"Uncle Jimmy" Winters was described in his obituary as a "gentle spirit". He was married to Caroline Elizabeth Benfield, and they had four children.



James Winters was a master basket-maker in his younger years. He was described as "honest and industrious". At the time of his death he had 3 living children, 19 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren.

Death of Aged and Respected Citizen

"Uncle Jimmy" Winters passes to His Reward - Was Veteran Basket Maker of County.



On Wednesday evening of last week, death claimed the gentle spirit of "Uncle Jimmy" Wintersm one of the county's aged and highly respected citizens. Until a few weeks ago, he had been, in spite of his years, in fairly good health and not very long ago he was able to come to town and visit his good friends here. He never came to Morganton without coming to The News Herald office, where he was a prime favorite. A very strong friendship has existed between him and the late editor of this paper.



"Uncle Jimmy" was a past master of the art of basket making, His baskets were the objects of admiration of all who saw them, the work of a skilled artist in that line.

Honest as honesty itself, God-fearing, industrious, it could well be said of him when he did that he had kept the faith and henceforth there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness.



The funeral services, attended by many relatives and friends, were held at Oak Hill Church Thursday afternoon, conducted by Rev. J. B. Taber, who read the following sketch of his life:



James Lenoir Winters was born September 24, 1831, and died May 29th, 1918, at the ripe old age of 86 years, 8 months and 5 days. He was married to Caroline Elizabeth Benfield about the year 1855. To this union there were born four children - 2 sons and 2 daughters. He was converted early in youngmanhood and joined the M.E. Church, South, of which he lived a consistent member until his death. He leaves to mourn their loss, two sons, one daughter, 19 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and a large number of relatives and friends.



According to one source, (Robert E Winters) James Lenoir Winters joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War, but he returned home "with rheumatism". It is not known his length of stay. A photo of his hands shows enlarged knuckles which would suggest arthritis.



Tombstone Tuesday ~

Not so sure I want to follow, at least not

until I know which way you went....grin.

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Captain Marcus Winters ~ Obituary ~ 1828-1899

IN MEMORY OF W.M. WINTERS ~

William Marcus Winters was born in Burke County on the 19th day of February, 1828, and died on the 22nd day of December, 1899. His father, Zachariah Winters , died when Marcus was a boy, and the responsibility of helping his widowed mother to support and rear a large family devolved upon him.

His early experience was fruitful in forcing the formation of habits of systematic industry and studied economy. He appreciated in boyhood the importance of education and improved diligently the limited opportunities afforded him at a country school nearly sixty years ago.

About the year 1845 he was employed by Thomas Lenoir Avery to manage a gold mine in Randolph County , and in 1851 he went with him and others to California, where he accumulated enough money to give him a start in life. Soon after his return he married Mary Owens , of Macon County, and established himself at the hospitable home where they lived happily for more than forty years.

Take him all in all, no man who has ever going in and out before the people of Burke County has led a more blameless life. His daily walk has furnished a beautiful illustration of the softening and restraining influences of christianity. His example has been a benediction to the community in which he lived. He was generous without being unjust. He prospered without oppression or wrong to others.

Capt. Winters became a Mason about the beginning of the late Civil War. He was captivated by the beauty of Masonic work and was an enthusiastic admirer of its fraternal features. Up to the time that his defective hearing began to mar the pleasure of meeting with his brethren, he was probably the most zealous Mason in the county. No man has been more fully exemplifief the virtues, that are typified by the emblems of our ancient order.

Capt. Winters was endowed with a clear head and an unusually retentive memory. Few men, if any, in Burke County recollected more accurately facts and statistics bearing upon political questions which had been issues between the political parties for thirty years , and not man was more deliberate, conscientious or independant in working out his conclusions or firmer in standing by his convictions.

He was repeatedly urged by the influential men to become a candidate for the Legislature, but persistently declined to accept any office except that of Justice of the Peace , which enabled him to render valuable service to the public and to benefit his neighbors without calling him away from his home or business.

Resolved, That in the death of our worthy brother, William Marcus Winters, Burke County has lost one if its most useful and patriotic citizens, his church an humble and exemplary christian, and the Ancient Order a member who lived up to the highest conception of the precepts of Masonry.

Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing memorial and these resolutions be recorded in our minutes and a properly certified copy be furnished to the family of our deceased brother and that copies be furnished by the Secretary to both of the newspapers of Morganton for publication.

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Signed: A. C. Avery, C. M. McDowell, S. J. Ervin, Committee.

In Search of Joseph Winters, Son of Stephen and Sarah Duckworth Winters ~

I finally located Joseph G. Winters, son of Stephen W. Winters and Sarah E. Duckworth Winter. He was the grandson of William and Mary Belew Winters of Quaker Meadows, Canoe Creek, Burke County, North Carolina.

He died after accidentally being burned with scalding water. He apparently sat in boiling water and suffered second degree burns from which he never recovered.

God Bless him, for he must have suffered with such burns.

He was living in Durham County, North Carolina and his death record indicates he had lived in Durham for fourteen years preceding his death at age 77.

Birth: Mar. 21, 1850
Oak Hill (Burke County)
Burke County
North Carolina, USA Death: May 12, 1927
Durham
Durham County
North Carolina

Name: Joseph G Winters
Gender: Male
Race: White
Age: 77
Birth Date: 21 Mar 1850
Birth Place: Burke, North Carolina, United States
Death Date: 12 May 1927
Death Location: Durham, Durham County
Spouse's Name: Francis Carolina Winters
Father's Name: Stephen Winters
Mother's Name: Doe (Sarah Duckworth)
Cause of death: Accidentally burned, scalding water


Joseph's first wife was Kansas Salina Pope ~


Joseph is buried in what is now called Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Durham, North Carolina.

It has been called different names through the years and changed ownership as well. Formerly known as Markham Cemetery and Pine Hill and more recently as Woodlawn Memorial.

Joseph was my first cousin, five times removed.

Rest in Peace, Joseph.

Zachariah Winters and Temperance London Winters ~ During the Civil War

Zachariah Winters, son of William and Mary Belew Winters, is listed as "head of household" in the 1830 and 1840 NC Census records. Later, in the 1850 and 1860 Census records, Temperance is listed as "head of household".

In April of 1845, Temperance and her brother-in-law, Stephen Winters were listed as "Qualifying executors"" for William Winters' Will, when presented for probate.

Temperance passed in 1869, her will was dated July 22, 1868 and was probated on April 7, 1869.  Listed in her Will were son,

James Winters, daughters Louisa Winters Benfield and her husband Alfred Benfield. 

Witness : James Avery, R. H. Alexander.

Probate:  Entitled parties were (Sons) William MarcusWinters, James Lenoir Winters, and Zachariah Doctor Winters, (Daughters) Louisa Catherine Benfield, Delphia J. Giles and Ann M. Benfield.

Four of Temperance and Zachariah's sons served for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

William Marcus Winters was called "Captain".

Zachariah Doctor Winters was captured in Jacksboro, Tennessee and confined to Rock Island, Illinois until the end of the war in 1865.

Moulton Winters served in several Companies during the course of the war and last served in Company G, Ist Regiment NC Infantry as of February 10, 1862.   Moulton mustered in as a Private, promoted to Corporal,  and was present and accounted for until he was killed at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1 , 1863.

Name: Moulton Winters

Enlistment Date: 25 Apr 1861

Enlistment Place: Burke County, North Carolina

Side Served: Confederacy

State Served: North Carolina

Service Record: Promoted to Full Corporal (As of Co. D, 11th Inf Rgmt).

Enlisted in Company D, 11th Infantry Regiment North Carolina.

Enlisted as a Private on 25 April 1861 at the age of 21.

Enlisted in Company G, 1st Volunteers Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 25 Apr 1861.

Mustered Out Company G, 1st Volunteers Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 12 Nov 1861.

Killed Company D, 11th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 1 Jul 1863 at Gettysburg, PA.

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Alfred Winters was injured and taken prisoner and transported to Point Lookout in Maryland, where he died, as rank Private, on December 12, 1863.
To read further about the deplorable conditions of Point Lookout, click here.

He is buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Point Lookout Park.

His memorial in Find A Grave.

Name: Alfred Winters

Residence: Burke County, North Carolina

Occupation: Farmer

Enlistment Date: 22 Apr 1862

Enlistment Place: Burke County, North Carolina

Side Served: Confederacy

State Served: North Carolina

Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 22 April 1862 at the age of 21.

Enlisted in Company B, 54th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 19 May 1862.

Died of disease as a POW Company B, 54th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 12 Dec 1863 at Point Lookout, MD.

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Moulton and Alfred's names are listed on the Civil War Monument located on the grounds of the old Court House in Morganton, Burke County, North Carolina.

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