Clinton McKamy Winkler (October 19, 1821 – May 13, 1882) was an American soldier, judge and legislator. Winkler was elected to the Texas Legislature in 1847 and 1873. He practiced law in

Corsicana, Texas Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, 56 miles northeast of Waco, Texas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County, and an important Agri-busines ...

through the 1850s. Winkler served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and was seriously injured at the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

. He returned to law practice in Corsicana after the war. From 1876 until his death, Winkler served as a judge in the Texas Court of Appeals.

Winkler County, Texas Winkler County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,791. Its county seat is Kermit. The county was created in 1887 and organized in 1910. It is named for Clinton McKamy Winkler, a colonel in the ...

is named for him.

Biography

Winkler was born in

Burke County, North Carolina Burke County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 87,570. Its county seat is Morganton. Burke County is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

on October 19, 1821. He moved to Indiana with his parents in 1835. When he was 19, Winkler moved to

Franklin, Texas Franklin is a city and the county seat of Robertson County, Texas, United States. It is within the Brazos Valley on the cusp of East and Central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,614. Geography Franklin lies near the ...

, located in Robertson County. Winkler was a clerk for the district court in Robertson County in 1844 and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

the following year. Winkler was elected to the House of Representatives for the

Second Texas Legislature The Second Texas Legislature met from December 13, 1847 to March 20, 1848 in regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1847. Sessions * 2nd Regular session: December 13 ...

in 1847. He introduced a petition that resulted in the creation of

Navarro County, Texas Navarro County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,624. Its county seat is Corsicana. The county is named for José Antonio Navarro, a Tejano leader in the Texas Revolution who signed th ...

from a portion of Robertson County. In 1848, Winkler married Louisa Bartlett-Smith, who was recently widowed from Texas legislator Thomas Ingles Smith. After his service in the legislature, Winkler practiced law in Corsicana, Texas in Navarro County for several years. After

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

was elected president, Winkler was one of a few men who organized a

Texas secession movement Texas secession movements, also known as the Texas independence movement or Texit, refers to both the secession of Texas during the American Civil War as well as activities of modern organizations supporting such efforts to secede from the Unite ...

in Navarro County. In the Civil War, he commanded a unit known as the Navarro Rifles, a

unit that belonged to Hood's Texas Brigade. Winkler's wife died in 1861 while he was at war. He married writer Angelina V. Smith, the sister of Thomas Ingles Smith, in January 1864. She founded and edited a literary publication known as the ''Corsicana Prairie Flower''. Winkler sustained a serious wound to the leg during the

. He continued to fight in the Civil War up to Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Smith later wrote an autobiography which included her experiences during the war. In 1872, Winkler was elected to the

Thirteenth Texas Legislature The Thirteenth Texas Legislature met from January 14 to June 4, 1873 in its regular session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1872. Sessions *13th Regular session: January 14� ...

as a representative for District 20. His legislative district included

Ellis Ellis is a surname of Welsh and English origin. Retrieved 21 January 2014 An independent French origin of the surname is said to derive from the phrase fleur-de-lis. Surname A * Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series ' ...

Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct Summit (topography), summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally con ...

Kaufman Kaufman or Kauffman may refer to: People *Kaufmann (surname) ''Includes Kaufman, Kauffman, Kauffmann'' Places * Kaufman, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Madison Count * Kaufman, Texas, a city in Kaufman County * Kaufman County, Texas, ...

and Navarro Counties. He became a judge on the newly established Court of Appeals of Texas in 1876. Winkler died of

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

while serving on the court. In 1887, a new county was established in West Texas with land that had been part of Tom Green County. It was named after Winkler. The county's population was 60 in 1900, but it increased to 442 by 1910. The population peaked at over 10,000 in 1950; it had 8,626 residents in 1990.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Winkler, Clinton M 1821 births 1882 deaths Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives People from Burke County, North Carolina Republic of Texas politicians Texas lawyers Winkler County, Texas 19th-century American politicians People from Franklin, Texas 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Texas