Vaughan family

Joseph Gibson Vaughan

Vaughanhigh

Vital Information

Field Value Source
Full Name Joseph Gibson Vaughan Death certificate; Find a Grave
Alias "Dan Vaughn" (guerrilla nickname) Burch p. 261
Born 5 Aug 1839, Missouri Death certificate
Died 24 Apr 1918, Buckner, Jackson County, MO Death certificate #12983
Father George Albert Vaughan (listed as "Albert Vaughan, Virginia" on death certificate) Death certificate; Find a Grave
Mother Minerva Gibson (listed as "Miss Gibson" on death certificate) Death certificate; Find a Grave
Spouse Sarah Bell Harris (m. 1870 or 1872; sources differ) Family Tree
Children Josephine Agnes (1871), Walter M (1874), Nannie Catherine "Katie" (1881), Stella Elizabeth "Lizzie" (1884), Samuel Gibson (1886), Elsie May (1889), Mollie Mabel (1892); 9 born per wife's obituary, 2 died young Family Tree; wife's obituary
Sibling Matilda Caroline Vaughan Colville (1836-1927) Family Tree
Occupation Retired farmer Death certificate
Burial Oak Grove Cemetery, Oak Grove, Jackson County, MO Find a Grave #88078489

Biography

Joseph Gibson Vaughan was born August 5, 1839, in Missouri, the son of George Albert Vaughan and Minerva Gibson. He married Sarah Bell Harris around 1870-1872 and farmed in Jackson County, Missouri for most of his adult life, raising nine children. He died April 24, 1918, in Buckner, Missouri, at age 78.

Civil War Service: Quantrill's Guerrillas

Joseph was one of the first eight men to join William Quantrill's guerrilla band in 1861, and according to Burch, one of the last eight to survive. He served under the alias "Dan Vaughn" and fought in at least 19 named engagements across 1861-1865, including the Fight at Independence (Feb 1862), Capture of Independence (Aug 1862), Battle of Lone Jack (Aug 1862), Lawrence Massacre (Aug 1863), Centralia Massacre (Sep 1864), Little Blue (1864), and the Battle of Wakefield Farm (Jun 1865), where Quantrill was mortally wounded. He is listed alongside Frank James, Cole Younger, and Bill Anderson in Burch's history.

The Vaughan Gun

A gun and scabbard taken from a Union soldier during the war was later identified as having originally belonged to his father, George Albert Vaughan. A sworn affidavit to this effect was made in 1965 by Joseph's son Samuel Gibson Vaughan.

Data Notes

The death certificate informant did not know the mother's birthplace; Find a Grave records it as Tennessee. The father is listed as "Albert Vaughan, Virginia" on the death certificate, which corresponds to George Albert Vaughan (b. 1812, Mecklenburg, VA) in collateral records.