John T. Hughes

John T. Hughes (July 25, 1817 – August 11, 1862) was a Confederate military officer who served as 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.

Early life career, and Mexican War

John Taylor Hughes was born July 25, 1817, near Versailles, Kentucky, to Samuel and Nancy (Price) Hughes. 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. and penned his personal account of the trek upon his discharge in 1847.

Hughes' book provided national fame and following his move to Plattsburg, 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.