Springs
Valley Herald
November
3, 2010
Winegar Descendants Honor American Revolution Veteran
Descendants
of American Revolution veteran John Alexander Winegar traveled from as far as
Texas and Kansas traveled to Cane Creek Church and Cemetery in Jackson Township
to honor their ancestor during a rededication ceremony on Oct. 24. The Indiana
Daughters of the American Revolution oversaw the service, with more than eight
Daughters of the American Revolution chapters present.
Members of
the Indiana Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard, which included members
of the Daniel Guthrie Chapter of Bedford and the Clarence A. Cook Chapter of
Indianapolis, were dressed in American Revolution-era costumes. They assisted
in the ceremony by posting the colors.
Information
about Winegar was discovered when descendant Charlie Tredway of Goshen was
researching genealogy. When Tredway found his
great-great-great-great-grandfather’s grave, he learned it needed a new marker.
The Bureau of Veteran Affairs provided a grave marker for his ancestor, and
there was enough space left on the stone to include Winegar’s wife, Catherine.
According
to American Revolution enthusiast Phoebe Hamilton, she had learned about the
militia unit Winegar served in during her research and discovered that it
involved in George Rogers Clark’s campaigns in the Northwest Territory during
the American Revolution. Indiana was formed from part of the Northwest
Territory.
Hamilton
stated during the war, the British were riling up the Indians in order to
attack U.S. settlers, and Clark was in charge of defending the region.
One of the
militia leaders that would have served with Winegar was President Abraham
Lincoln’s grandfather.
According
to Tredway, Winegar came to Indiana from Tennessee with his second wife,
Catherine, between 1830-1835. During the time period, five of Winegar’s sons
came to Indiana and settled in Orange and Dubois counties. One opened a trading
post in the community of Davis Creek, now known as Hillham.
Winegar was
the son of Nicholas Winegar of Germany, who arrived in Philadelphia on Sept.
12, 1750 on a ship named Priscilla. During that time period, the trip would
have taken 72 days on average. Since the county was a British colony then,
immigrants would have taken an oath of allegiance to England’s King.
Some of the
direct descendants in attendance to the ceremony include Clarence Marie
Wineinger Elkins, the oldest family member attending at 87 years; Ron Elkins
and Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Elkins; Robert Wineinger; the Rev. Darrell Wineinger;
Leroy and Patricia Wineinger Hoffman, Joel and Sandy Wineinger Franklin;
Georgia Wineinger Marson; Bonnie Wineinger Mahaan; Cathy Wineinger Taylor; Gina
Booher, Alexi and Delaney Taylor; Ginger Adams, Virginia Wineinger, Edith
Wineinger, Dean Wineinger, Elsie Hoffman and Charles Tredway.