Examination

of

Mary Vaughan

Made at Kansas City, Mo

Feb. 14th 1865

 

 

 

Office asst Pro Mar

Kansas City, Mo

Feb 14, 1865

Statement of Mary Vaughn a female Prisoner made Feb. 14th 1865.

 

I live in Jackson Co Mo near Hickmans Mill where I have lived for 26 years past.  I have one son, Daniel Vaughn, now in the brush, a bushwacker.  I have two daughter married, Mrs. Lindsey & Clifton.  Lindsey is in the Rebel Army, and Clifton is or has been in the brush, bushwacking.  They were both here with Price last fall.  Lindsay left with Price, Clifton did not.

I am acquainted with many of the people who have lived & now live in my old neighborhood.  I know Mr. McSpadden and Green Shelton, they are good Union men.  I know Ben Robinson, Sam Greg, Mr. Hackler and Ci Collins, they all claim to be loyal men.  I suppose they are, they have done me favors many a time.  I think they have never done anything for or against the Government, if they have I do not know it.  I know Polly Maxwell,  She is a Rebel and a bad woman.  She feeds and aids bushwackers and has always done it.  My son Dan Vaughn gave her sixteen dollars to buy a pistol with.

She said there were five or six families living in my old neighborhood that she had her finger on and that they should be rousted out of there when she got to Kansas City.  She is a sister of Burgess Wyatt, her husband is in the Rebel Army, his name is Ely Maxwell, her husband was here with Price last fall and stayed a short time.  This is all I have to say about any one.  I have always claimed to be a Union woman.

 

                                                (Signed) Mary Vaughn

 

Made before me at my office this 14th day of Feb 1865

                                                J. H. Smith

                                                Lt. & A P Marshall

 

 

 

Examination

of

Mary Vaughan

of Jackson Co, Mo

Confined at Gratiot Prision

Taken March 29th 1865 by Orlando Clarke Ex.

 

 

Office of the Pro. Mar. Gen. of The Dep.

of the Mo, St. Louis, March 29th 1865.

 

Statement of Mary Vaughan, wife of Josiah Vaughan, made the 29th day

of March 1865.  Prisoner of Gratiot Prison.

 

I live, and have lived in Jackson County Missouri for the last 24 years: except from April 1862 to August 1864: during which time I was a part of the time in Kansas & a part of the time in Ill.  I have two sons in California and one son Daniel Vaughan the last I know of him was after Price left Missouri in 1864.  He came to my door in company with two other men on horseback in citizens clothes & armed.  I have two married daughters, Mrs Martha Jane Lindsey & Mrs. Margaret Ann Clifton, whose husbands are now in the Rebel Army.  They were at my house last fall during Price’s raid.  Lindsey went back with the rebel army but Clifton did not: and I suppose he is in the brush.  I live about a half a mile from Hickmans Mill.  I have seen bushwackers there often, and they have eaten at the house of my daughter in Law Nancy Jane Vaughan.

I reported my son and two others who came to my house last fall.

I know Polly Maxwell, her husband is in the Rebel army and I have heard her say she has fed bushwackers.  My son Thomas Vaughan died three years ago.  He never was in the rebel army, but was murdered for his money upon the highway.  His wife Nancy Vaughan died in Gratiot prison March 17th 1865 leaving three children : Richard B. Vaughan age 4 years & Josiah Vaughan age 3 years; also Charley Gray age 10 years, a son of Nancy Vaughan by her first husband.  The two former are left to my care, Charley Gray has an Uncle & Aunt Wm. & Maranda Whitehouse living in Jackson County Mo. near Kansas City to whom the boy Charley should be returned as I have no charge of him.

I have three children of mine now with me :                Susan Vaughan                     age 15 years

Alexander Vaughan                     age 11     “

Sarah Vaughan                     age 7     “

 

I returned to Jackson Co Mo from Ill May 1864 for the purpose of collecting money due me there and remained there because I could not get the money due me.

In 1861 rebels frequented my house and I had to feed them.  I left home to get rid of them.  In the Fall of 1864 I cooked for my sons and son-in-law who belonged to Price’s Army.  Price’s men took the only horse I had and ate the flour, cornmeal and meat from my house during the raid of 1864.  I never willingly furnished the rebels any thing last year except my own sons & son-in-law whom I willingly fed when at my house.

I have tried hard to act as a loyal woman and I submit myself willingly to be dealt with as my actions merit.  I have been under protection of Post at Hickmans Mill Jackson Co, Mo since the last of August 1864.

About the 28th of Jany 1865 bushwackers came to the house of my daughter in law Nancy Vaughan and during her absence cooked and eat there; while there five Federal Soldiers came up, and attacked them; & two of the Federal Soldiers were killed.  Mrs Nancy Vaughan’s house was about two and a half miles from the post and Mrs Lydia Taylor’s house was within ¾  of a mile of Nancy Vaughan’s.  Nancy Vaughan was at Mrs. Lydia Taylor’s when the bushwackers were at Mrs. Nancy Vaughan’s house.  Nancy Vaughan’s & Lydia Taylor’s houses were burned by Federal Soldiers after the bushwackers escaped.  Nancy Vaughan & her children came then to my house at the post for shelter and we all moved to Westport by direction of the Commander of the post at Hickmans Mills; and were arrested there the 3rd of Feb 1865 and remained there five weeks under arrest: and were sent to Gratiot Street Prison St. Louis Mo, March 16th 1865.

                                                                                            her

                                                                                Mary   X    Vaughan

                                                                                           mark

 

Subscribed by the prisoner in my presence this the 29th day of March 1865.

                                                                                Orlando Clarke Ast. Exr.