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Otterbein Civil War Soldiers Biography

This guide details the lives of Otterbein Civil War Soldiers.

Jacob M. Winter | 10th Ohio Voluntary Cavalry

Jacob M. Winter | 10th Ohio Voluntary Cavalry
by Kristen Keppler

Jacob M. Winter  was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania on December 26, 1836 to parents Isaac and Elizabeth Winter.1   He had a younger brother named Winfield, and an older sister named Mary Catherine, who was the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, and who married famous Westerville native Benjamin Hanby.2   From their roots in Pennsylvania, the Winter family moved to Ohio and settled in Licking County, where Jacob’s grandfather, whose name was also Jacob, was a minister who wrote numerous articles about the churches of Licking County.3   Before Jacob enlisted in the Union Army, he was a carpenter and a joiner, two very handy crafts to be adept at while working on rural farms in Ohio.4

When the Civil War broke out, Jacob enlisted in the service on October 16, 1861 at the age of twenty-three.  He was first assigned to the 46th Ohio Voluntary Infantry Regimental Band, where he was a musician and served for three years (his instrument is not listed).  But, the band was mustered out on August 27, 1862 at Memphis, Tennessee by order of the War Department.5   After the band was mustered out, Jacob was assigned to Company C of the 10th Ohio Voluntary Cavalry on November 12, 1862 at the age of twenty-six.  Shortly after joining the 10th OVC, Jacob was appointed to sergeant on November 23, 1862.  From there, he made his way up the ranks quickly, being appointed to 1st Sergeant on March 1, 1864, and then again to 2nd Lieutenant on June 16 of the same year.6   Unfortunately, Jacob only served in the 10th OVC for three years, as he was killed in the line of duty at the battle of Jonesborough in Georgia on August 20, 1864.7   However, the battle of Jonesborough did not start until August 31, so perhaps his death date is inaccurate.  In any event, his body was discovered by his brother Winfield, who was also assigned to Company C in the 10th OVC.  Jacob was found dead, with a shot through the heart.  Winfield proceeded to take his brother’s watch, which he kept until his death.8

Lieutenant Winter has a memorial headstone in Otterbein Cemetery in Westerville, Ohio.  It can be found in lot number 108, grave number 2.  It is a small, upright, white headstone that lies very near the vicinity of his sister and brother-in-law’s headstone and state monument.  However, his body is not buried in the cemetery, for when he was killed, his body was buried in the South.9   Unfortunately, the inscription on the side of the monument is not legible due to extreme weathering over the years.  The only thing that is legible is his name, which is on the front of the memorial, that faces away from the brunt of the extreme weather conditions.

Lieutenant Winter’s name can be found on the Civil War Memorial that sits in front of Towers Hall on the campus of Otterbein College.  The memorial lists the names and regiments of Civil War soldiers that were either students or professors at Otterbein College during the war.  Unfortunately, the Otterbein Room in Otterbein’s Courtright Memorial Library has no record of Jacob Winter either attending or graduating from the college.  This could be due to the fact that record keeping procedures were very poor and unreliable during the mid to late 1800s.

 

Endnotes

1Cemetery Records, “Jacob M. Winter.”  Cemetery Records Resource Center, Westerville, Ohio. 
2 United States Government, 1860 Census.  Held at the Local History Resource Center, Westerville, Ohio. 
3 Chester Winter, interview by author, February 25, 2001, telephone interview. 
4 1860 Census, Westerville, Ohio. 
5 Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, vol. IV, 37th-53rd Regiments-Infantry.  (Akron: Werner Ptg. & Mfg. Co., 1887), 357, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus text-fiche. 
6 Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, vol. XI.  (Akron: Werner Ptg. & Litho Co., 1891), 512. 
7  Ibid., 513. 
8  “Shaft In Cemetery Honors J.M. Winter,” Public Opinion (Westerville), July 8, 1937. 
9  “Winter, J.M.,” State of Ohio Adjutant General’s Dept. Graves Registration Cards (Ohio Historical Society, Columbus; Salt Lake City: the Genealogical Society), Williamson-Wnuczek, GR 3235.

 

Bibliography 

Cemetery Records, “Jacob M. Winter.” Cemetery Records Resource Center, Westerville, Ohio.

“Georgia Civil War Map of Battles.” American Civil War: Civil War Documents. http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/ga/ga022.html (accessed March 1, 2001).

“Jonesborough.” The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) Battle Summaries American Battlefield Protection Program. http://ww2.cr.nps.gov/abpp/battles/ga022.htm (accessed March 1, 2001).

“National Colors of the 10th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.” Fight for the Colors: The Ohio Battle Flag Collection Ohio Historical Society Online Relic Room, Flags by Heroes Borne. http://www.ohiohistory.org/etcetera/fftc/relicroom/index.cfm?war=2&image=219 (accessed March 1, 2001).

Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, vol.IV, 37th-53rd Regiments-Infantry. Akron: Werner Ptg. & Mfg. Co., 1887. Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Text-fiche.

Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, vol. IX.Akron: Werner Ptg. & Litho Co., 1891.

Reid, Whitelaw. Ohio in the Civil War: Her Statesmen, Generals, and Soldiers, 1861-65. Vol. 2. Cincinnati: Robert Clarke Co., 1895.

“Shaft In Cemetery Honors J.M. Winter,” Public Opinion, July 8, 1937.

Stevens, Larry. "10th Ohio Voluntary Cavalry Ohio in the Civil War, 1995." http://ohiocivilwar.com/cwc10.html (accessed March 1, 2001).

---. "46th Ohio Infantry Ohio in the Civil War, 1995." http://ohiocivilwar.com/cw46.html (accessed March 1, 2001).

United States Government, 1860 Census. Held at the Local History Resource Center,Westerville, Ohio.

Winter, Chester. Interview by author, February 25, 2001. Telephone interview.

“Winter, J.M.,” State of Ohio Adjutant General’s Dept. Graves Registration Cards. Ohio Historical Society, Columbus;

Salt Lake City: the Genealogical Society, Williamson-Wnuczak, GR 3235.

Memorial Card or postcard

These images provided by the Licking County Public Library in 2022. The student essay on the left was written sometime between 2001-2011. Note how this new document may fill in some of the blanks Kristen Keppler wasn't able to resolve.

Photograph of Winter with text.

Text reads:

Above Photograph:

Killed. Sept 1st 1864. Battle Jonesboro Georgia.

Lieut. JM Winter

[Co, C1000e?]

Below Photograph:

Loved by all his boys

Back of Card

Back of Memorial Card for JM Winter

Stamp reads: J.K.Farver, Photographer, Westerville, O.

2 One cent stamps of George Washington with an X through each stamp.

J.M. Winter written in ink next to the Photographer's stamp.

Faint pencil writing is hard to decipher. Above the photographer's label it appears to read:

  • G26
  • Winter
  • Killed at Jonesboro
  • Aug [19th?] 1864

Writing along the side restates above: JM Winter [illegible] killed at Jonesboro on Aug 19 1864 at the battle of Jonesboro.