Samuel King Vaughan (April 20, 1824September 28, 1872) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

businessman and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He served as a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer throughout 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 granted an honorary

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

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. After the war, he served a term as

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Columbia County, Wisconsin.

Career

Vaughan joined the Union Army as a second lieutenant in the

2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. It suffered the largest number ...

on June 11, 1861.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . pp. 543–544. He resigned his commission on September 16, 1861. He rejoined the army on March 31, 1862, as a captain in the

19th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 19th Wisconsin was organized at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service April 30, 1862. The reg ...

. He was promoted to major on January 22, 1864. He later took part in the Siege of Petersburg. When

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

was occupied by the Union Army on April 3, 1865, the 19th Wisconsin Infantry was the first regiment to reach the city and Vaughan received the distinction of raising the regiment's flag at the city hall. He assumed command of the regiment later that month. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on May 3, 1865. Vaughn was mustered out of the volunteers on August 9, 1865. He received an appointment as brevet

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

to rank from August 9, 1865, preliminary to his appointment as a brevet brigadier general of volunteers. On February 21, 1866,

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Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

nominated Vaughn for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers to rank from August 9, 1865, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed the appointment on April 10, 1866. Vaughan died at his home in

Portage, Wisconsin Portage is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,581 at the 2020 census making it the largest city in Columbia County. The city is part of the Madison, Wiscon ...

, on September 28, 1872, after a months-long illness.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan, Samuel 1824 births 1872 deaths People from Adams, Massachusetts People from Portage, Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army officers Wisconsin sheriffs