Fox Valley Chapter Patriot Profile
Private Frederick Vaughan 1767 - 1845This page contains information on Frederick Vaughan, also spelled Vaughn, one of the soldiers who fought in the American Revolution and who are buried in the counties served by the Fox Valley Chapter. On this page are photographs of his grave and his son's grave, his biography, and a portion of a newspaper article. Frederick Vaughan enlisted before his 14th birthday!! Frederick Vaughan lived to be 78 years old and is buried in Spring Lake cemetery in Aurora, Illinois. |
Biography of Patriot Frederick Vaughan
Frederick Vaughn was born in Lebanon, Windham County, Connecticut, on November 26, 1766, the son of John Vaughn.
In October of 1780, the Governor of Connecticut issued a call for militia volunteers and on October 13, 1780, at the age of 13 years, 10 months and 17 days, Frederick Vaughn volunteered for an enlistment period of nine months in a company commanded by Captain Whitney Backus in a regiment commanded by Colonel Daniel Tilden.
The regiment was initially marched to New Lebanon and then on to Windham, then to Colchester and eventually arriving at Norwich Landing. Here the regiment took up their quarters for several weeks with the main part of the regiment. From here they were marched to New London near the Sound where the regiment took up winter quarters.
In the spring of 1781 the regiment was employed as guards and scouts along the Connecticut coast until they were marched back to Norwich Landing where on July 14, 1781, Fredrick Vaughn was discharged having fulfilled his nine month enlistment.
On September 1, 1782, Frederick once again volunteered for an enlistment period of three months in a company commanded by John Vaughn, Frederick’s father, in a regiment under the command of Colonel Canfield of the Connecticut militia. The regiment was immediately marched to Fishkill, New York near the Hudson River. Here the regiment crossed the Hudson River to West Point where they were stationed on garrison duty for three months. On December 1, 1782 Frederick’s three month enlistment ended. He was discharged and returned home to Lebanon, Connecticut.
After the war, Frederick remained in Lebanon, Connecticut for five years. In 1788 he then moved to Westmoreland, Oneida County, New York, where he remained twenty eight years. In 1816 Frederick then moved to Hector, New York and lived there four years, eventually moving to Big Flats, New York in 1820.
By May 1845, Frederick had moved to Kane County, Illinois where he stayed for the short remainder of his life. Frederick Vaughn died on August 10, 1845 at the age of 78 years, 8 months and 14 days, and was laid to rest in the Root Street Cemetery in Aurora, Kane County, Illinois. On June 22, 1914 Frederick’s remains were moved to the Spring Lake Cemetery in Aurora and placed in the GAR plot, section A, lot 5.
Sources:
Frederick Vaughn’s Revolutionary War Pension File #S.32.565
The Aurora Beacon-News
Records of Spring Lake Cemetery, Aurora, Illinois
1800 Federal Census, New York, Oneida County, Westmoreland Township
1820 Federal Census, New York, Tioga County, Elmira Township
1830 Federal Census, New York, Tioga County, Big Flats
1840 Federal Census, New York, Genesee County, Batavia
Aurora Beacon-News Article in 1959
. . . The Revolutionary war veteran was Frederick Vaughan who died Aug. 10, 1845. Born Nov. 14, 1767 in Lebanon, Conn., he served in the Revolutionary War under Lt. Col. J. Campbell of the Connecticut Militia.
After the war he moved to Illinois where he remained until death. He was originally buried in the Root Street Cemetery, but on June 22, 1914, his remains were removed to Spring Lake and buried in the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) section with memorial services held by the Aurora chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Another member of the family, who carried the same name, served in the War of 1812 and is also buried in the Aurora cemetery. He is Frederick Vaughan, born in New York state, May 14, 1796, who served as a drummer boy in Capt. James Colgrove's company of militia. He died in DuPage county, Nov. 17, 1881 and was buried in the Vaughan lot in Spring Lake.
Veterans' organizations of today honor a veteran of the past at Spring Lake cemetery. Robert W. Mitchler, Kane County vice commander of the American Legion, and John Minich, commander of Widley Post No. 468 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, place a flag on the grave of Frederick Vaughn, a private in the Revolutionary War when he was nine years of age. Vaughn, one of many veterans buried in the cemetery, is the only revolutionary War veteran interred there. . .
Photos from Spring Lake Cemetery in Aurora
Frederick Vaughan lived to be almost 79 years old and was originally buried in the
Root Street cemetery in Aurora in 1845. On June 22, 1914,
his remains were moved to the Spring Lake Cemetery with memorial services held by the Aurora chapter of
the Daughters of the American Revolution. His son, who was a drummer boy in the War of 1812, and
other descendants are buried in the Vaughan family plot in the same cemetery.
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for MapQuest map to cemetery.
Click on thumbnail and enlarged photo will autoclose in 15 seconds.
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The road to Frederick Vaughan's grave is on the right and the road to his son's grave is on the left. |  |
Frederick Vaughan was re-buried in the Grand Army of the Republic section. | |||
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This new headstone has a birth year of 1767 (vs. 1766) and service years (1776 to 1781) at variance with his pension file (1780 to 1782). |  |
The Aurora Chapter of the DAR marked this grave and conducted a memorial service on June 22, 1914 when Frederick was moved to the Spring Lake cemetery. | |||
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Vaughan Family Plot where his son and grandchildren are buried. |  |
Son Fredrick was a drummer boy in the War of 1812 and was buried in 1881. |