General Joseph Martin Chapter

Cumberland Gap, TN

 


Cumberland Gap Patriot



Vincent Vaughn

 Vincent Vaughn was born in  New Kent Va on February 8, 1761. As a child, Vaughn moved with his parents to  Halifax Nc located in Granville county. In 1775, Halifax was a major recruiting center for the continental army when war broke out between the American colonies and Britain. Halifax was  a major supply house of gun powder and a small arms factory was built also.  In April 1776, Halifax became the site  where the Halifax Resolves, a document declaring Nc independence from Britain was written.
     Vaughn's first duty was to guard the powder House at Halifax. Later his unit was marched to  West Point NY to build a fortification there. After  this Vaughn was sent to the Winter Hill POW camp at Cambridge MA to guard Hessian prisoners  captured at the battle of Saratoga.
     After the British defeat of Saratoga in October 1777, over 900 Hessian prisoners were sent to different prison camps in the colonies. At the Convention of Saratoga, Gates, the American General had promised to send the British soldiers back to Britain,and the Hessians back to Germany, but the Continental Congress voted not to send them back. British ships were not allowed in Boston Harbor to take the British soldiers back to Britain. Also unknown to the Americans, The German Duke of Brunswick  had decreed that the Hessian soldiers were not allowed back in to Germany because it might make  it harder to recruit soldiers in Germany for the British wars after  the defeat at Saratoga.
    On July 21, 1780. Vaughn participated in the battle of Colson mills Nc which was a small skirmish where the Americans defeated a group of Tories. On February 27, 1781, Vaughn participated in the battle of Haw river Nc where Lee and Pickens dressed their men in green jackets pretending to be British dragoons. Thinking they were British soldiers they rode into a British camp with ease and killed several British soldiers in this ruse.
 At the battle of Guilford courthouse nc  fought on March 15, 1781, Vaughn was in charge of transporting wounded soldiers  to a camp hospital.
 After  the battle of Guilford courthouse, Vaughn moved back to Halifax Nc where he died on November 11, 1837 


All Contents Copyright © 2004 – 2009 - The General Joseph Martin Chapter TNSSAR – All Rights Reserved.   No part of this material may be reprinted or utilized in any manner without express written consent from The General Joseph Martin Chapter TNSSAR.