Gov. John Anthony Winston:

John Anthony Winston was a man of many firsts. He was the first governor of Alabama born within the borders of the territory (and later, the state) of Alabama. When the Civil War began, he became the first colonel of the Eighth Alabama Infantry. After the war, he was among the first delegates from the former Confederate states to attend a national political gathering—the 1868 Democratic National Convention.

Born on September 4, 1812, in what would become Madison County, in the Alabama Territory, Winston moved to Mobile in 1844, where he worked as a cotton broker and merchant. His political ascent was swift: On December 6, 1845, he was elected President of the Alabama Senate. He continued his rise through state politics, eventually serving as Governor of Alabama from 1853 to 1857, where he earned the nickname John Anthony “Veto” Winston for his frequent use of the executive veto.

During the tumultuous presidential election of 1860, the former governor served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charleston. A supporter of Stephen Douglas, Winston found himself at odds with fellow Alabamian William Yancey, a staunch “Fire-Eater” backing John C. Breckinridge. Like many pro-Douglas delegates, Winston walked out of the convention, contributing to its collapse. Historian Hilary Herbert later wrote: "Not even Andrew Jackson had a more inflexible will than John A Winston.”

Following Abraham Lincoln’s election, Alabama Gov. William Moore sent commissioners to neighboring Southern states, urging them to join Alabama in secession. Winston was dispatched to Louisiana, where he reported, “There is little or no doubt, but that Louisiana will co-operate with the States taking action.”

In 1861, Winston was given command of ten Alabama companies already in, or en route to, Virginia. This force became the Eighth Alabama Volunteer Infantry—the first regiment from the state to enlist for the duration of the war. Lacking military experience and disliking the demands of drilling raw recruits, Winston delegated training duties to Lt. Col. Young Lea Frazier, a West Point graduate.

At the Battle of Seven Pines on June 1, 1862, the Eighth Alabama saw heavy fighting. At one point, Union soldiers demanded Winston’s surrender. He famously replied that he “did not join the army to surrender” and that it was “not his business here.” Though he fought with gallantry, the physical toll of campaigning proved too great. Just over two weeks later, on June 16, 1862, he resigned his commission due to rheumatism.

Winston returned home to Alabama by July 3 and remained as active as his health allowed in supporting the Confederate cause. He unsuccessfully sought to fill the Confederate Senate seat left vacant by the death of William Yancey and later attempted to organize a Home Guard unit, a project he was unable to complete.

John Anthony Winston died on Dec. 21, 1871, in Mobile, Alabama. He is buried in the Winston family cemetery in Gainesville, Alabama.

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