John T. Hughes

Infobox Military Person
name=John T. Hughes
lived= birth date|1817|7|25 – death date|1862|8|11
placeofbirth=Versailles, Kentucky
placeofdeath=Independence, Missouri


caption=
nickname=
allegiance= Confederate States of America
branch= Confederate States Army
serviceyears=1861–1862
rank=Colonel / Brigadier general?
commands=
unit=
battles=Mexican War
American Civil War *Battle of Carthage *Battle of Wilson's Creek
*Siege of Lexington *First Battle of Independence †
awards=
laterwork=

John T. Hughes (July 25, 1817 – August 11, 1862) was a colonel in the Missouri State Guard and Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He might also have been a brigadier general at the time of his death but documentation of the appointment is lacking. [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 133]

Early life career, and Mexican War

John Taylor Hughes was born July 25, 1817 near Versailles, Kentucky to Samuel and Nancy (Price) Hughes. [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 132] His family moved to Fayette, Missouri when he was very young. He was an 1844 graduate of Bonne Femme College and taught school until the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846. [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 132] He enlisted as a private in the 1st Regiment Missouri Mounted Volunteers of Doniphan's expedition [Missouri State Archives, Soldiers Records, Mexican War, box 42, reel s910] and penned his personal account of the trek upon his discharge in 1847.

Hughes' book provided national fame and following his return to Missouri in 1848, he became editor of a Clinton County, Missouri newspaper, the school superintendent, militia colonel, and state representative in 1854. He was also a planter and slaveowner. [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 132]

Civil War and death

Hughes was a cousin to Sterling Price and like Price professed Conditional Unionism until the Camp Jackson Affair, after which he joined the Missouri State Guard and was elected colonel of the 1st Regiment, 4th Division. He participated in the Battle of Carthage and the Battle of Wilson's Creek. He was slightly wounded in the Siege of Lexington. [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 132]

At the Battle of Pea Ridge in March of 1862, Hughes took over command of a brigade from the wounded Brigadier general William Yarnell Slack. Hughes returned to Missouri in the summer of 1862 to recruit for the Confederacy. At this time he may have been appointed as either an acting Confederate or Missouri State Guard brigadier general. No record of the appointment has been found but he was known as "general." [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 133]

He, his recruits, and several other recruiting or partisan bands united to attack the garrison of Independence, Missouri on August 11, 1862 with Hughes in overall command. He was killed instantly by a shot to the head while leading a charge, but the city was captured. He is interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Independence. [Allardice, Bruce, "More Generals in Gray", LSU Press, page 132] He left behind a wife, Mary, and five young sons. [Eakin, Joanne Chiles, "Battle of Independence, August 11, 1862", Two Trails Publishing, 2000, page 46]

References