This name is familiar to a large portion of the solid residents of Thompson Township, and is recognized as belonging to one of its most reliable citizens. The Sergeant may most properly be termed a self-made man, one whose early life was developed under many disadvantages, and during which he was deprived of the opportunity of a thorough education. He has, however, by his own efforts obtained a useful fund of knowledge, a fair acquaintance with both the German and English language, and has always been inclined to industry and frugality. Nature has gifted him with a Herculean frame, and a large amount of sound common sense. These qualities will assist a man through the world where a superficial education is sure to fail.

Sergeant Winter was born near the little city of Wittenberg, Germany, on the 2d day of April, 1844, where he lived until a lad of fourteen years. He dreaded the idea of being compelled to enter the King’s service, and about that time set out for America. He arrived in season to become acquainted with the main principles of American Government, and at the outbreak of the Rebellion, gladly entered the ranks of the Union Army to assist in the preservation of his adopted country. His duties as a soldier were performed courageously and conscientiously, and on account of this, he was given the appellation to which he was so justly entitled, and by which he is now most familiarly known.

Soon after landing upon American soil, our subject found his way to this county. He had in his native Province been confirmed in the Lutheran Church. He attended school for a season after his arrival here. He distinctly remembers his ocean voyage, and the keen interest with which he observed the many incidents of the journey. He set sail from Hamburg, and landed in New York City, making his way from there by the Erie canal and the Lakes to Chicago, Ill., and thence by rail to this county. In 1865 he secured his present farm, which was then an unimproved tract of land, and standing upon it a little log-house.

Mr. Winter enlisted as a soldier of the Union in August, 1862, becoming a member of Company F, 96th Illinois Infantry, commanded by Capt. Charles Rowen. They drilled at Galena three weeks, and then removed to Rockford, Ill., where they sojourned another three weeks, and then were ordered to Covington, Ky. They spent the winter following at Danville. Our subject first saw the smoke of battle at Chickamauga, which lasted from 9 a.m., until darkness closed over the scene, during which time desperate fighting was kept up, and the living climbed over the dead to get at their enemies. He fought at Lookout Mountain above the clouds when the Union troops drove the rebels before them. On account of his bravery at Chickamauga, Mr. Winter was promoted to the rank of Corporal, and he thereafter participated in most of the important engagements which followed. With the exception of a two weeks’ illness, he remained with his regiment until receiving his honorable discharge in, in June, 1865, being in the meantime promoted to Sergeant. His company was at Nashville, Tenn., fighting Hood’s army at the time of the assassination of President Lincoln. The privations and hardships which he endured were many and great, but he has never regretted that he listened to the patriot’s call, and performed his duty to his adopted country.

After his retirement from the service, Sergeant Winter resumed his farm-life in Thompson Township. Dec. 25, 1865, he was united in marriage with Miss Barbara, daughter of Michael Winter, the latter a native of Germany. Mrs. Winter was born near Wittenberg, Germany. Of this union there are four children, the eldest of whom, a son, John, married Miss Maggie Grepner, and is the father of one son, George; they live in Thompson Township. Mary, Louis, and Amanda are at home with their parents.

Mr. Winter has wisely effected the improvements most needed, but in the near future expects to put up a more commodious residence than that which he is now occupying. He has a good barn and a small, but flourishing orchard. He gives considerable attention to stock-raising, in which industry he has been quite successful. It is hardly necessary to state that he votes the Republican ticket. He has held the various local offices, serving as School Director, Assessor, and Collector, also Treasurer of the Board and Highway Commissioner. In religious matters he belongs to the Lutheran Church, in which he is Trustee, and one of its pillars. Among his own countrymen, especially, he is looked up to as a leader. In personal appearance he is above the average height, being six feet two, weights about 250 pounds, and is finely proportioned. He appreciates a good joke, and is remarkably social. He is most decidedly in favor of those enterprises calculated to advance the community, and socially, educationally, and religiously.

The parents of our subject were Andrew and Gertrude (Grepner) Winter, also natives of Bavaria. Their family consisted of ten children, and within the recollection of our subject they were never all at home at one time. They were named respectively: Margaret, Barbara, Rachel, Caroline, Conrad, Andrew, Maria, Mary, Martin, and Babette. Seven of these are living, making their homes mostly in Thompson Township. In 1852 some friends of the family set out for America, and with them Rachel, a sister of our subject, she being the first of her family to cross the Atlantic. She came to this county, and in due time was married to Mr. Christian Durrstein, and died about 1886. Most of them came later. Margaret is the widow of Henry Bahr, and resides in Guilford Township; Barbara is the wife of Nicholas Grepner, a farmer of Thompson Township; Caroline (Mrs. Michael Heusser) lives in Buffalo County, Wis.; Andrew, in 1864, during the Civil War, enlisted in Company E, 153d Illinois Infantry, was taken ill, and died at Memphis, Tenn.; Maria is the wife of Anton Schap, of Thompson Township; Mary (Mrs. Gottlieb Stadd) also resides in Thompson Township; Martin died at the age of nineteen years, in Scales Mound; Babette is the wife of John Winter, of Thompson Township. The father died in 1870, at the age of fifty-nine years. He had become owner of 160 acres of land. The mother is still living, aged seventy-five.

Contributed by Carol Parrish - Portrait and Biographical Album of Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties, Illinois (1889), 386-388