Bruey 1

Joshua Bruey
May 1st 2014
Honors U.S. History
Mr. DiStefano
The Civil War
The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict ever on American soil. There
were over 600,000 casualties on both the Union and Confederate sides. Most
of the carnage was caused by an unholy fusion of new, modern technology
and old, outdated tactics and strategy. The most egregious example of this is
the combination of the rifled musket and Minie ball, which allowed a trained
soldier to hit a man from 500 yards away, and the outdated volley tactic,
which involved soldiers standing close together firing at the same time. This
combination resulted in utter slaughter, as men on both sides died in droves.
Also, the Civil War made names and reputations out of several distinguished
men, such as Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. But the ones whose
physical struggle won the war, the young men who sacrificed themselves for
their cause, many of them remain forgotten, lost to the sands of time.
However, some of these brave individuals managed to make sure their
impact on the war was known. These men were the ones who received the
prestigious Medal of Honor, an award for courage while in the line of duty.
Pinkerton Ross Vaughn had the honor of being one of these men.

Bruey 2

Sergeant Pinkerton Ross Vaughn, United States Marine Corps, was born
in 1839 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania to Matthew and Ann Vaughn. He was
married to Elizabeth A. Getty, and the two had a child, also named Pinkerton
R. Vaughn, shortly before his tragic death. (Bacon, 19) He was drafted into
the USMC sometime in early 1861, and he was stationed aboard the USS
Mississippi in all of her combat actions, including the Battle of New Orleans.
(Regan-Dunne, 48) Pinkerton survived the war, and returned to Pennsylvania
to live with his family. Unfortunately, on August 22, 1866, he was killed in a
horrible train accident. He was 25 years old. His son went through most of
his childhood without knowing the heroics of his father. His ship, the
Mississippi, was constructed in 1841 under the personal supervision of
Commodore Matthew Perry. Before the Civil War, The Mississippi had seen
combat service in the Mexican American War, partaking in expeditions along
the Mexican coast. The Mississippi also took part in diplomatic voyages to
Japan. The ship carried Commodore Perry himself as he established a historic
trade agreement with the Japanese. After the Civil War started, the ship was
fitted for combat and Vaughns unit of Marines was stationed aboard the
ship. The Mississippi was also involved in major action near Fort Jackson and
Fort Saint Phillips. (Foote, 87)
Sergeant Vaughn saw an extensive tour of service and combat. He
participated in the capture of the Confederate freighter Forest King, which
was smuggling supplies to the blockaded city of New Orleans. He was also
present when the Mississippi again captured a British ship, the Empress that

Bruey 3

was also smuggling supplies to New Orleans. Finally, in April of 1862, the
Mississippi was sailed near the city of New Orleans, and participated in the
capture of the Confederate held city. The ship was at the time the largest
ship to enter the port of New Orleans. She fought and successfully ran
aground the Confederate ram Manassas and heavily damaged the
Confederate vessel. (History Place, 2) Since the ship was too large to be of
much use patrolling Louisianas rivers, it remained outside of New Orleans for
much of the following year. The Capture of New Orleans was a much needed
victory for the Union, especially during the depressing time of early in the
war. However, the capture was also a major tactical victory that turned the
tide of the war. The Union had cut off Confederate supplies from the outside
and had crippled their economy. Union forces were able to then fight an
easier war of attrition against the smaller numbered and now short supplied
Confederate troops. The Confederates miniscule navy had been almost been
crushed, making it a decisive non-factor for the rest of the war. In 1862 the
Union army was being handed loss after loss by the outnumbered but better
lead Confederate troops. The incredibly decisive victory at New Orleans
provided a huge boost in morale to the Union side, who were desperate for a
victory. On March 14, 1863, the Mississippi was grounded while attempting
to sail past the Confederate stronghold of Port Hudson, Louisiana. (Bacon,
71) After being bombarded by the fort and many unsuccessful hours of
attempting to raise the ship, she was sunk to prevent capture by the

Bruey 4

Confederates. 3 men aboard the ship, including Pinkerton, were awarded

with the Medal of Honor for bravery.
As Vaughn was a Marine stationed aboard a ship, he did not suffer the
horror and hardships of the soldiers fighting the ground battles, but life on a
ship was no easy life either. Much hard work was involved in keeping the ship
maintained and seaworthy. Sails had to be mended, decks scrubbed, masts
repaired etc. to keep the ship combat ready. As a Marine stationed on the
ship, Vaughn was primarily responsible for the defense of the ship and to
board enemy ships. (Marine Corps University, 1) Due to the large and
powerful weapons that warships carried at this time, this task was incredibly
dangerous. Therefore, it was essential that the Marines performed their jobs
well nonetheless their ship be destroyed. There were only about 2000
Marines over the course of the war. Their small number may have limited
their effectiveness as a fighting force, but this made them feared and
respected among the Confederates. Marines went through some of the
hardest training out of any unit in the Union. Their training was focused on
making them some of the most elite soldiers the Union had to throw at the
Confederate troops.
Vaughn left behind little in terms of memoirs. He kept a journal, but it
was left behind when the Mississippi went down. Therefore, little is known
about his personal experiences on the ship. However there are some
excerpts from what little was recovered. Most of the crew members aboard

Bruey 5

the Mississippi described Vaughn as a dedicated and hardworking marine,

whose humbleness inspired us all. (Rugg, 25) Due to the lack of a strong
Confederate naval presence, naval battles were few and far between, and
when there was a naval battle, it was usually a somewhat one-sided Union
victory. However, the guns of Port Jackson got the better of the Mississippi on
March 14, 1863, when they forced the ship aground. (Foote, 46) Vaughn
received a Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery. His official citation
reads: Serving on board the U.S.S. Mississippi during her abandonment and
firing in the action with the Port Hudson batteries, 14 March 1863. During the
abandonment of the Mississippi which had to be grounded, Sergeant. Vaughn
rendered invaluable assistance to his commanding officer, remaining with
the ship until all the crew had landed and the ship had been fired to prevent
its falling into enemy hands. Persistent until the last, and conspicuously cool
under the heavy shellfire, Sergeant. Vaughn was finally ordered to save
himself as he saw fit. He received his actual Medal of Honor on July 10,
1863. Since the Mississippi could not be salvaged, Vaughn was assigned to
another ship, the USS Daylight. (Rugg, 48) While aboard this ship, Vaughn
was involved in the capture of Fort Macon, a Confederate fort located in
Beaufort, South Carolina. The ship afterwards was assigned to the North
Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Vaughn remained on board the ship until the
wars end in 1865.
After the war, almost none is known about Vaughns life until his death.
Based on experiences of other veterans however, it can be concluded that

Bruey 6

Vaughn had a little difficulty adjusting back into civilian life. The
Emancipation Proclamation had freed all the slaves in the Confederacy. This
meant there were now millions of freed slaves competing for employment as
well as returning war veterans. This led to a somewhat downturn in the job
market, especially the young men returning from the war who had no money
(Foote, 65). Vaughn overcame these hardships and had a relatively
successful life until his untimely death in 1866, an unfitting end for a hero.
In conclusion, the Civil War was the bloodiest conflict to be fought on
the American continent. More than half a million people lost their lives, some
dying gloriously fighting for what they stood for, others just being in the
wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless, many people were able to
distinguish themselves during the conflict. Many generals wrote themselves
into the history books, whether for fame and brilliance or gross
incompetence. For better or worse, generations will remember them forever.
The soldiers who did the real fighting, like the lowly privates marching in
formation on a barren battlefield, would be forgotten; faces without names.
But the brave ones, the men who didnt fear death, they burned their names
into the books with glory.

Bruey 7