First Kentucky "Orphan" Brigade 

Hampton "Ham" Mason Hughes

Company G, 4th Kentucky Infantry CSA

 compiled by John R. Edwards, COL, USAF (Ret)

 Ham Hughes was the son of Joseph Hughes and Elizabeth Mason, who both died an untimely death, when Ham and his brothers and sisters were very young. He was born on March 4, 1842, in what was then Hickman County, KY(now Graves County, KY), in the vicinity of the Wickliff Community. He and his siblings were orphaned, split up and were reared by other Families in the local area. He struck out on his own at an early age for Cadiz in Trigg County. It was from Trigg County at 19 years of age, along with his brother Zem Thompson Hughes and other Volunteers, that he joined Co G,  4th KY Infantry Regiment(CSA) of the Orphan Brigade.  He returned after the War to Cadiz and settled in just West of town on his Farm.  On September 12, 1871, at 29 years, he married Mary Della Guier (b. March 23,1851), daughter of Richard T Guier and Elizabeth Cunningham Guier of Trigg County. They had nine(9) children: Joseph Richard(1872), Luther Lee; (1875); Elizabeth(Bessie) Ellen Hughes Wright(1877); Mason Ham Hughes(1880); George Err Hughes(1882); Ida Martin Hughes Wolfe(1885); Verna Della Hughes Mize(1887); Lela Margaret Hughes Lawrence(1891); and John Harvey Hughes(1894). He died January 16, 1909 at Cadiz, Trigg County, KY at the age of 66 years. Ham is buried in the Lawrence Cemeteries, in Trigg County.

His Obituary in The Cadiz Record was as follows:

"Well-known Citizen Answers the Death Summons. Sixty-six Years Old and
                           Leaves Wife and Nine Children

Mr Ham Hughes, one of the best-known men in Trigg County, died last Saturday
morning at 5 o'clock at his home west of Cadiz, KY.  Heart and Kidney
troubles were the cause of his death.  He had suffered for 5 or 6 years, and
for the past 6 or 8 months his health had given away to such an extent that
he had been unable to do anything around his Farm.  His condition became
worse about 2 weeks ago, and he continued to sink until he breathed his
last.
     Mr Hughes was born in Hickman County sixty-six years ago the 4th of
last March and was a son of Joe Hughes.  His father and mother died while he
was quite young.  At the age of eighteen he came to Trigg County, where he
had since resided. In 1871 he married Miss Della Guier, daughter of old
"Uncle Dick" Guier and to that union nine children were born, all of whom,
with the heart-broken wife, are still living. His two brothers Err and Zem
Hughes, died a number of years ago, while three sisters survive him.They
are:

      Mrs Margaret (Hughes) Cunningham of Paducah, KY
      Mrs Caleb (Hughes) Boyd of Hampton, KY
      Mrs D R (Hughes) Potter of Kemniet, MO

The burial took place Sunday afternoon at the old Lawrence graveyard, four
miles west of Cadiz in the presence of a large number or friends and
relatives."

"Ham" Hughes was in Co. G, 4th Kentucky Infantry, Orphan Brigade. He enlisted as a Private on 10 September 1861 at Camp Burnett, TN. He was promoted to 4th Corporal and then to 3rd Corp., 20 January 1864. He fought in the following campaigns and battles: Shiloh, Vicksburg, Murfreesboro, Jackson, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Pine Mt. - Kennesaw Line, Peachtree Creek, Intrenchment Creek, Utoy Creek,  Jonesboro, and in all of the engagements of the campaign as mounted infantry. He was wounded at Intrenchment Creek (Battle of Atlanta), 22 July 1864, and was paroled (as 2nd Corp.) with his unit on 7 May 1865 at Washington, GA.

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Geoff Walden: enfield577 (at) live.com
Laura Cook: lcook62 (at) hotmail.com

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