Hines' Raid - The Story of George W. Vaughn

While not directly related to the Great Raid, Thomas Hines, one of Morgan's most trusted scouts, raided Indiana in June 1863 in an effort to obtain information about the sentiments of the Indiana citizenry, whether support might be coming from those who were Copperheads. We would like to thank Taylin Allen for allowing us to use the following article that appeared in the Indiana Sons of Union Veteran of the Civil War newsletter.

George W. Vaughn was the son of Lewis A. Vaughn & Hannah Applegate, who were natives of Virginia and had moved to Indiana in search of better opportunities. He was born in Harrison County, Indiana in May of 1846, the third eldest son of a large family. By the time the war broke out in 1861 he was just shy of turning fifteen years old, likely not being permitted to enlist at this time, he had to stay home and watch as his older brothers, James and Richard, joined the army and headed off to war. As the oldest son still at home he undoubtedly bore many of the responsibilities taking care of the family farm.

Two years later, On June 17th of 1863, Confederates invaded the state under the command of Captain Thomas Hines in what is now known as Hines’ Raid. The raiders passed through Perry, Crawford, Orange, Washington and Harrison Counties over the next three days, disguised as Union home guard under the command of General Jeremiah Boyle, commander of the Military Department of Western Kentucky.

On the 18th their ruse was discovered near Paoli in Orange County and the alarm was sounded through the whole of that portion of Indiana. George was now seventeen years old and was likely influenced, as younger siblings tend to be, by his brothers’ service. Answering the call, he did not hesitate to fall in line with the Scott Guards, a home guard company of the Sixth Indiana Legion that formed in the first year of the war and now under the command of Captain James Bracken Carnes.

Mobilizing at Corydon, Harrison County, Captain Carnes then proceeded to take his men to Scott Township, namesake of the company he led. It was here, now on the 19th of June, that these home guards were put to the test. Captain Hines’ and his band were racing towards the Ohio River with all manner of home guard and citizen militia hot on their heels from Perry, Crawford, Orange, Washington and Harrison Counties.

Bryant Breeden

Hines came within sight of Leavenworth in neighboring Crawford County but dared not try and slip past the town as the local home guard were out in force. He and his men crossed east into Harrison County instead and impressed a local as a guide. This was Bryant Breeden, and he was a true Union man, secretly having his son head to Leavenworth and tell the home guard there that he planned to lead Hines’ men to Upper Blue River Island, about three miles upriver from the town. Mr. Breeden took a very roundabout route to the island which gave all of the Hoosiers in pursuit time to catch up. Captain Carnes and the Scott Guards, catching wind of the rebel presence, headed for the river. Back in Leavenworth, the Crawford County home guard, armed with a cannon, pressed the steam ship Izetta (Isetta) into service and started upstream to the island.

The sidewheeler Izetta

Now all the chaos of past days seemed to align. Just as the Confederates reached the Ohio River and began fording it to the island, Hoosiers from the aforementioned counties started to pour out of the woods. At first the rebels thought they had made a great escape, prematurely celebrated their “victory” and jeered at the Union men on the Indiana shore. Mr. Breeden, however, was too cunning, as they found out, because while the river was fordable from Indiana to the island, that was not the case from the island to Kentucky, as the water was much deeper. Their cheering was quickly silenced by the sound of Union bullets.

A skirmish ensued, lasting fifteen minutes or so. Men from Indiana who had never fired a shot in anger were now pouring lead onto the veteran rebels trapped on the island with only trees for cover. Miraculously not a single Hoosier was hurt in the fight. The same could not be said for the enemy. Reports state that up to three Confederates were killed or drowned in the river, with a few more being wounded. Among the confirmed dead was John A. Warfield of Company E, 9th Kentucky Cavalry who drowned.

Blue Island on the Ohio River - much smaller today due to the damming of the river.

An attempt was made by the rebels to hail a passing ship and escape to Kentucky when the Izetta pulled within range and the Leavenworth men fired began firing rounds from their cannon, promptly convincing not only the passing ship to steer clear, but the Confederates that their situation was hopeless, forcing them to surrender. Somehow in the midst of this Captain Hines managed to swim across the river unnoticed and make his escape. In total nearly the entire raiding party, fifty-two Confederates were taken prisoner and marched to Leavenworth, where they were put on the steamer John T. McCombs and transported to Louisville. Three weeks later Morgan would use the very same boat to cross the Ohio River and begin his raid into Indiana.

Tensions in southern Indiana were understandably high during this period. Not only was there was Hines’ Raid from the 17th to 19th, but also false reports over the weekend of the 20-21st that a force of nine hundred Confederates invaded Indiana. Citizens and home guards alike on both sides of the Ohio River were at alert at all times.

On June 23rd, while patrolling the riverside about six o’clock in the morning, the Scott Guards tried to hail the steamer Minerva to shore. This was routine for Carnes, as this was how he obtained information on possible Confederate activity up and down the river or across Kentucky. It wasn’t until the Scott Guards fired a volley over the ship to get attention that she stopped. When asked what Carnes wanted, he signaled that he wanted the Minerva landed. Not liking the answer and supposing that the men under Captain Carnes were guerrillas given their lack of flag, uniforms, and owing to the recent headlines of rebels in Indiana, she put on full steam to get away.

Here accounts differ, according to the Home Guard they were fired upon by the Minerva and at once put a volley into her pilot house. The Minerva however, reported that they had no guns save for a hunting musket, and that when they were fired upon to halt, bullets actually hit the pilot house.

A man picked up the hunting gun and fired back. This shot hit and killed George Vaughn, the only casualty of the event. He had been on active duty in the Legion a mere five days before his tragic and needless death.

Over thirty years later in 1896 Lewis Vaughn, now a widower living in Missouri, sought to get a pension for his son’s death during the war. At age eighty-seven, a pension would have been potentially all the difference in Mr. Vaughn’s quality of life - it is unfortunate, however, that he was denied on the basis that George was never called into service under the United States Government, or died under the service of an officer of the United States. Lewis would go on to live until 1906, passing away at the age of 100.

Note: There are conflicting dates on George’s death. His father recalls that he was killed on June 20th, the few newspaper articles on the incident date it to June 23rd, while his headstone reads July 13th.