Information
Sheet
R Hughes, John Calvin, 1827‑1863.
309 Papers, 1862‑1863.
Two folders,
photocopies.
These are typescripts of the Civil War
letters of John C. Hughes, a native of
Washington County, Missouri,
and member of Co. I, 33rd Missouri Infantry. He wrote to his wife from camps at St. Louis, Rolla, Salem, Houston, and Hartville, Missouri, Columbus, Kentucky, and Helena,
Arkansas. Folder 2 contains
genealogical data and copies of military service and pension papers from the
National Archives.
John Calvin Hughes began his brief
military career at Caledonia,
Missouri, on 21 August 1862. In company with friends and acquaintances, he
joined Co. I of Col. Clinton B. Fisk’s 33rd Missouri Infantry. Although his grandfather, Capt. John Hughes,
had led a company of riflemen from New Madrid in 1812 and his family had a
tradition of frontier military service, his decision to enlist could not have
been an easy one. He left his wife and
four small children on their farm in the Bellevue Valley. He never saw them again.
Hughes mentioned several motives for his
enlistment. He seems to have been drawn
by a patriotic desire to strike at the rebels, by Col. Fisk’s reputation as an
advocate of temperance, and the generous enlistment bounty put up by St. Louis
businessmen. Hughes and the other
soldiers from Washington County met the remainder of the 33rd at St. Louis, where they
were mustered in during late September 1862.
The regiment was posted briefly at Rolla, then was sent on a circuitous
march through Phelps, Dent, Texas,
and Wright counties. The campaign was notable chiefly for the capture of the
regimental baggage train by rebels at Beaver Creek in Wright County.
The 33rd was recalled to
Benton Barracks in late December prior to transfer to forces operating along
the Mississippi River. After a brief stay at Columbus,
Kentucky, the 33rd was assigned to
the garrison at Helena, Arkansas.
John C. Hughes was never healthy after leaving Missouri.
He was plagued with chronic diarrhea, and in March 1863 he was
hospitalized with pneumonia. His
condition worsened and he was placed aboard the steamer City of Memphis for transport to the
general hospital at St. Louis. He died en route on 8 April 1863. He is buried in the Jefferson
Barracks National
Cemetery at St. Louis.
The Hughes collection contains 27 letters
to his wife, beginning on 7 September 1862 and continuing through 27 February
1863. Twenty‑one of the letters,
all dated 1862, were written from encampments in Missouri.
There is one letter from Columbus, Kentucky, and five from Helena, Arkansas. Hughes expressed himself well, and his
letters are interesting and informative. In addition to family and household
matters he commented on camp life, officers, furloughs, dissatisfaction with the
military, soldiers from Washington
County, the attack on the
wagon train at Beaver Creek, and sickness within the regiment. Hughes was obviously homesick, and his morale
suffered when he missed a visit by his wife to the camp at Salem.
His disillusionment with the war increased as his health
deteriorated. He wrote on 9 February
1863 that even some of the officers were suggesting that desertion, under the
conditions, had become a duty. However,
he assured his wife that he could stand the service a while longer. Less than
eight weeks later he was dead.
These typescripts were made by the donor
from the originals, which are no longer available. The donor has also supplied genealogical
material on John C. Hughes and his family, and copies of military and pension
records at the National Archives, Washington,
D.C.
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