44 TEXAS AND TEXANS FIFTY YEARS AGO.
ered the plume of the gallant gentleman from Navarro. On the
breaking out of the Civil War he entered the ranks of the Confederate
army and rose to the office of colonel, IHe remained in the
service during the entire war, and was surrendered at Appomattox.
At the close of the war he returned home, renewed his practice and
helped to build up his devastated and impoverished country. The
first democratic State convention after the close of the war met in
Corsicana, and that convention nominated him as congressman for
the State at large, and he was elected. He was continued as congressman
until he was elected to the United States Senate; so he
was congressman and senator without a break from the time of his
first election until he was succeeded in the Senate by Governor Culberson,
an official career almost unprecedented. He still resides in
Corsicana, hale and vigorous, with the promise of future usefulness
to his countrymen.
* * *
C.. M. WINKLER, of Corsicana, was a noted member of the
Navarro county bar. He espoused with sincere zeal the cause of
the Confederacy, volunteered at an early day, rose to the rank of
colonel in the service. He served in Virginia during the entire
war, and surrendered with Lee. After the close of the war he
came home, took up the duties of his profession, and labored with
patriotic zeal to rehabilitate the waste and destruction caused by
the war. During Governor Throckmorton's administration, under
the Constitution of 1866, he and R. S. Gould were opposing candidates
for the office of judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District.
Winkler was declared elected and entered on the duties of the
office, but it was shortly ascertained that, through a mistake in
counting the returns from Robertson county, Mr. Gould had a
majority of all the votes cast. As soon as this fact came to the
knowledge of Judge Winkler he at once stepped down and out, and
Judge Gould, by special act of the Legislature, which was then in
session, was declared to be entitled to the office, and he at once
assumed its duties. Under the Constitution of 1876, Colonel
Winkler was elected one of the judges of the Court of Criminal
Appeals, which office he held at his death. He discharged the
duties of judge of this court in a most efficient and satisfactory
