He was 29 years old when he was enrolled (2, 6 [40 at death in 1862]).
He was enrolled and mustered into service on 15 October 1861 (1, 3). He was enrolled at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3). He was mustered in as a private, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3). He served as a private in company B (1).
On Wednesday 8 January 1862, he was part of a corporal's guard arresting a deserter (6). They began fighting at Third and German Streets, at least partly because most of them were drunk (6). McLaughlin hit one with his rifle so hard that he himself fell, breaking his skull when he hit the corner of a step (6). He was initially taken to the Southwark Hall, but the injury was so severe that he was sent to the Government Hospital on Christian Street, above Ninth Street (6). When they refused to admit him, he was returned to the Southwark Hall, and then sent to Penn Hospital, which treated him (6). He died of this accident on Friday 10 January 1862 (1, 2, 3, 6).
On 3 August 1863, his widow, Emeline McLaughlin, successfully applied for a pension (4, 5).
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster) (William McLaughlin)
2 company B Register of deaths (William McLaughlin)
3 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 28 June 2004 (Wm McLaughlin)
4 pension index, by regiment (William McLaughlin)
5 pension index, by name (William McLaughlin)
6 'Fatal result.' Philadelphia Press Monday 13 January 1862, page 2 (William McLaughlin)
[I did not find an entry for him in the LDS pilot index to the Philadelphia death records; I also paged through the first 600 [of 1047] entries in 1862 without finding him (accessed 21 June 2009)]
[I did not find an entry for him in RootsWeb WorldConnecxt (accessed 21 June 2009)]
FATAL RESULT.--On Saturday the coroner held an inquest on the body of William McLaughlin, forty years old, a corporal of Col. Gregory's regiment, who died at the Penn Hospital on Friday, from the result of receiving a fracture of the skull. It seems that on Wednesday a corporal's guard had a deserter, or a fellow who overstaid his time. At Third and German streets the party got into a squabble, most of them being under the influence of liquor. The corporal struck one of the men on the head with his rifle, inflicting a nasty and dangerous wound on the head, the hammer of the lock penetrating the skull. The blow was so violent that its rebounding force threw the corporal off his guard, and he fell, with violence enough to break his skull, by coming in contact with the corner of a step. He was taken to the Southwark Hall, where he was attended to by Dr. Stewart, who was called in by Lieutenant Hampton.
The injury being very severe, a cab was procured by Lieutenant Hampton, who sent him to the Government Hospital, on Christian street, above Ninth. His admittance into this institution was refused, and the unfortunate man, still insensible, was taken back to the Hall. Lieutenant Hampton then sent him to the Penn Hospital, where he was at once received and properly attended to. The coroner having made a full investigation on Saturday, the jury rendered a verdict attributing his death to accident.
When the unfortunate corporal was taken to the Southwark Hall, it was reported that he was the victim of foul play. The police went at once in search of the others of the party, and succeeded in taking them. They were under the influence of liquor.
The facts being made known, the party were sent to the camp, when the man who was wounded by the blow given him by the corporal, as above stated, was placed under the care of the surgeon. We learn that his wound is considered rather dangerous.