Events of close relatives
Birth	20 September 1830 4138 Tuscaloosa County, AL, USA
Occupation	farmer; author of legal papers; Sergeant, Lieutenant, then Captain of Company D (Choctaw Rough and Readies) in the Mississippi 3rd Battalion (Hardcastle's battalion) in the Confederate Army
Text	See http://www.rhitt.com/genealogy/joel_hughes.pdf for additional information written by one of his granddaughters, Lucile Hitt Hollingsworth, and for a transcription of Joel's last letter he wrote to his wife a few days before he was killed at the Battle of Shiloh. Transcriptions of other documents are in the Notes section. For a complete collection of Joel Hughes' Civil War letters see http://www.rhitt.com/genealogy/joel_hughes_letters.pdf.
Death	6 April 1862 (Age 31) Shiloh, Hardin County, TN, USA Cause of death: He died in a Confederate field hospital of wounds received in the Battle of Shiloh early in the morning of the first day of fighting. Source: The Third Battalion Mississippi Infantry and the 45th Mississippi Regiment Publication: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Last Change	15 November 2008 - 01:41:11 - by: lrh

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Note	Transcription of a Christmas furlough for Joel Hughes. It is signed by Drury J. Langston who was 1st Lt. To all whom it man concern The bearer here of Joel Hughes a sergeant in W.N. Pittmans Company 3rd Batallion Miss Infantry stationed at Camp Ross near Jackson Miss has leave of absence on special business for this company to get to Choctaw County Miss. and return by the 30th or be considered a deserter Description given under my hand at Jackson Miss. This 24th December 1861 D Langston Lt Comm ??? Camp
Note	Transcription of a letter from Joel Hughes to his wife, Elizabeth Gary ("Lizzie"). The Dickson mentioned in the letter was probably either David N. Dickson or Gilbert Dickson - fellow soldiers. Grenada Nov 13 1861 Dear Lizzie, I drop you a few lines by Mr. Dickson to let you know how I am. I have had very sore eyes and my throat is very sore now with cold. Except this I am and have been well. We are deprived of the privilege of going home at any time when we wish to now our officers or our company officers are in camp with us and they will not allow any one to go home unless necessity compells them to go. And they think that those who have guns will not stay here more than ten days and it may be that they will not let me go home at all. I cannot hear from you at all and if you knowed how bad I want to hear you certainly would write. I have no chance now to write as Dickson is about starting and I am called and bothered on every side. Mine is a troublesome office. Taylor salt is as will be by tomorrow [overleaf] $15 per sack, molasses 40 to 45 by barrel, coffee 50 to 60 per pound I guess is how thry will exchange groceries at this price for corn shelled at 75 cts per bushel they do not want it ground into meal. Lizzie keep my little children away from the spring as they could be easily drowned in that spring and don't let none of them get burned. I want you to write to me immediately and tell me what you have to eat and tell me what sort of cloth you want and how much. I think of you all the time If I had time I could give you a heap of news but they are starting and I must close. Excuse this letter for I wrote it in five minutes on my knees on a plank on the ground. Yours forever, Joel Hughes
Note	This is a transcription of a letter written from Joel Hughes to his wife, Elizabeth Gary ("Lizzie"). The letter is very difficult to read. It was written from Louisiana while the Mississippi 3rd Batallion was stationed there prior to its move to Corinth and then Shiloh. ??? Louisiana Feb 17 1862 [date very difficult to read] Lizzie I embrace this opportunity to write you again and to let you know that I have got back to camp and that my health is as good as it was when I left home. I have got the ????? there are several ???? John is [letter is torn off here] Bingham has had the mumps but is getting well of them. Lizzie, cloth calico & ??????? worth from 25 to 50 cents per yard here and you can tell Mrs. Gary that I would not buy it at that price. It is impossible for me to tell when we will be moved from here. There is four or five thousand troops being moved from this place north at this time and it has been impossible to ship anything from here since I returned on account of soldiers and government stores being sent north. I have bought one barrel of molasses for Mrs. Gary but they will not start before next friday if then. I have also bought molasses and sugar for Billy and Allen Moore but cannot get them shipped before friday. Everything has got very high. Since I left here except sugar and molasses they have fallen since I bought. Lizzie if you want any cloth of any sort for drapes buy it there the sooner the better. It will be higher if the war continues. [words worn away] worth as much again as they was before I went home. [words worn away] things that I would like [worn away] you and the children but it is almost impossible to send anything [missing words] and what things you want you can buy them as cheap there as you can here now. Lizzie we are loosing ground in the north. The Yankees seem to be driving our forces from every position and notwithstanding I am not discouraged there seems to be a deeper gloom cast over our country and it is time for you to begin to think about hard times. Some think it impossible for us to be conquered or exterminated but hopes are not always ????? it may be that you and our children will ?????????? and suffer of your freedom without any knowledge. Captain Pittman stated ????? the same ???? got here I do not think he will be able to attend the campaign and there is a general dissatisfaction in the company about his being absent so much and they have petitioned him to resign though I do not believe that he will do it as long a he can help it (say nothing about this). Lizzie there was some things that I intended to do before I left that I forgot. I want you to get Taylor to whip ???? every time she insults you and make her know better. ?????? ?? ?? it ??? was one of our ??? last night he was a member of Captain Wolff's Company. I want th hear from you very bad and you must ??? to write regularly. I shall have to send the most of my letters without paying on them as I cannot get the silver to pay with and they won't receive anything else. I intended to have brought your likeness with me and forgot. If John will come home sometime in March and you must send it to me. Please write often and take care of yourself & children. I ????? absent but true friend until ???? Joel to Lizzie

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Death	The Third Battalion Mississippi Infantry and the 45th Mississippi Regiment Publication: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Multimedia Object	joel_hughes.jpg Type: Photo Highlighted Image: Yes
Multimedia Object	Joel and Emma Hughes Type: Photo Highlighted Image: No

Show Age Differences

Family with Parents - [View Family (F4)]

Father	Jesse Hughes (I16)
4 years Mother	Dorcas Johnson (I17)
#1 Sister	Mary Ann Caroline (Polly) Hughes (I18)
2 years #2 Brother	Joseph Hughes (I19)
2 years #3 Brother	Daniel Hughes (I20)
2 years #4 Sister	Ann Hughes (I21)
2 years #5 Sister	Sarah Hughes (I22)
2 years #6 Sister	Eunice (Unity) Hughes (I23)
2 years #7 Sister	Elizabeth Hughes (I24)
3 years #8 Sister	Grace Hughes (I25)
4 years #9	Joel Hughes (I26)
2 years #10 Brother	William Hughes (I27)
6 years #11 Sister	Martha Hughes (I28)

Family with Elizabeth Ann Gary - [View Family (F24)]

	Joel Hughes (I26)
3 years Wife	Elizabeth Ann Gary (I112)
#1 Son	Joseph Hughes (I113)
#2 Daughter	Ann Hughes (I114)
#3 Daughter	Mary Emma Hughes (I68)
3 years #4 Son	James Franklin Hughes (I115)
4 years #5 Son	Joel David Hughes (I116)