Alfred J. Vaughan

Born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, in 1830, Alfred Jefferson Vaughan Jr. studied at the Virginia Military Institute and later worked as a civil engineer before settling as a planter in Mississippi. During the American Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army, rising to brigadier general and fighting in major western campaigns.

After the war, Vaughan returned to civilian life, resuming farming and taking part in veterans' activities. He is also remembered as a writer: his memoir, Personal Record of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Infantry, offers a firsthand account of the war and helped preserve the experiences of the soldiers who served with him.

For listeners interested in personal narratives from the 19th century, Vaughan stands out as a figure whose life crossed several worlds at once—military, agricultural, and literary.