Complex sentence: He commanded the screw steamer "Niphon" during the Civil War, taking a prominent part in the destruction of the saltworks in engagements at Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina, and other expeditions ashore.
Split into simpler sentences: He commanded the screw steamer "Niphon" during the Civil War. He took a prominent part in the destruction of the saltworks in engagements at Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina, and other expeditions ashore.