Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Winston (June 17, 1746 – April 21, 1815) was an American pioneer, politician and American Revolutionary War hero from Surry County, North Carolina, and the first cousin of statesman and Virginia governor Patrick Henry. He also served in the United States House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate. In 1766, Winston moved to the northern part of Rowan County, North Carolina, the area which subsequently became the current Stokes County, North Carolina.
Early life
Joseph Winston was born on June 17, 1746, in Louisa County in the Colony of Virginia. His ancestors emigrated to the American colonies from Yorkshire, England, in the 17th century. His father was Samuel Winston. In his youth, he fought with the Virginia militia against border Indians in 1763 before moving to the province of North Carolina in the late 1760s. He settled on the Town Fork of the Dan River in what was Surry County and later became Stokes County, North Carolina.
Winston owned slaves.
Death
thumb|right|175px|Monument to Major Joseph Winston, [[Guilford Courthouse National Military Park]]
He is buried in the National Park at the site of the Battle of Guilford Court House, where a monument erected in 1893 notes Major Winston's command of the militia forces. The town of Winston, North Carolina (which later became part of Winston-Salem), is named for him.