| Birth date | 1750 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Fauquier County, Virginia |
| Death date | December 19, 1818 |
| Death place | Maury County, Tennessee |
| Office 1 | 19th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina |
| Term start 1 | December 4, 1800 |
| Term end 1 | December 8, 1802 |
| Predecessor 1 | John Drayton |
| Successor 1 | Ezekiel Pickens |
| Office 2 | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina |
| Term start 2 | March 4, 1793 |
| Term end 2 | March 3, 1797 |
| Predecessor 2 | Thomas Sumter |
| Successor 2 | Thomas Sumter |
| Term start 3 | January 24, 1803 |
| Term end 3 | March 3, 1813 |
| Predecessor 3 | Thomas Sumter (4th) William Butler (5th) |
| Successor 3 | Wade Hampton I (4th) David R. Evans (5th) |
| Constituency 3 | (1803) (1803-13) |
Richard Winn (1750 – December 19, 1818) was an American politician, military officer, surveyor, and merchant. He served as a general in the South Carolina militia during and after the American Revolutionary War and represented South Carolina in both state and federal government.[1]
Early life and family
Richard Winn was born in 1750 in Fauquier County, Virginia. He was one of the children of Minor Winn and Margaret Conner Winn, a family that traced its American roots to early Welsh migration.[2]
He moved south with his brothers John and William, first to Georgia and then to Fairfield County, South Carolina, where he worked as a land surveyor and merchant.[1]
He married Priscilla McKennie, and the couple raised eleven children to adulthood.[2]
Revolutionary War
At the start of the American Revolutionary War, Winn received a commission as a lieutenant in the Third South Carolina Regiment and participated in early actions in defense of the Southern colonies.[1]
He later served with the South Carolina militia under leaders such as General Thomas Sumter. Winn was severely wounded at the battle of Hanging Rock in 1780 but returned to service after his recovery.[2]
After the war, he continued his service in the state militia and was appointed brigadier general and later major general of the South Carolina militia.[1]
Political career
Winn was a member of the South Carolina General Assembly from 1779 to 1786.[1]
In 1778, he was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs for the Southern District of South Carolina.[1]
He was elected as a Representative from South Carolina to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving in the Third and Fourth Congresses from March 4, 1793, to March 3, 1797.[1]
Winn later returned to Congress following a special election and served from January 24, 1803, to March 3, 1813.[1]
Between his congressional terms, he served as Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina from December 4, 1800, to December 8, 1802.[3]
Founding of Winnsboro
Winn was among the chief petitioners who laid out and chartered the village that later became Winnsboro, South Carolina. The land on which the town developed included a large tract originally owned by him.[3]
According to local history, the settlement was known as “Winnsborough” as early as 1777 due to his position as a major landowner and emerged formally under that name in 1785 through the efforts of Richard, John Winn, and John Vanderhorst.[3][2]
Later life and death
After his final term in Congress, Winn relocated his family to a large tract along the Duck River in Maury County, Tennessee, where he continued in planting and mercantile pursuits.[1]
He died on December 19, 1818, on his Tennessee property. The exact location of his burial is uncertain; however, it was historically reported to be in Fairfield County, South Carolina, with some memorialization in Greenwood Cemetery in Columbia, Tennessee.[1]
References
- ^ "WINN, Richard". United States House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
- ^ Chappell, Buford S., M.D. (1975). The Winns of Fairfield County: Colonel John Winn, William Winn, General Richard Winn. Columbia, South Carolina: R. L. Bryan.
- ^ "Winnsboro". South Carolina Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2026-02-04.