Robert Patterson Hughes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ness County Echo (Ness City, Kansas), March 15, 1902 | |
| Born | April 11, 1839 Canonsburg, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 27, 1909 (aged 70) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | Union United States |
| Service | Union Army United States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 (Union) 1865-1903 (United States) |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | U.S. Army Infantry Branch U.S. Army Inspector General's Office |
| Commands | 199th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment Inspector General of the United States Army (acting) First Separate Brigade, Military Department of the Visayas First Military District of the Philippines Military Department of the Visayas Department of California |
| Battles / wars | American Civil War American Indian Wars Spanish–American War Philippine–American War |
| Alma mater | Jefferson College (attended) |
| Spouse(s) | Clara Henrietta Terry (m. 1876-1891, her death) |
| Relations | Alfred Terry (brother-in-law) |
Robert Patterson Hughes (April 11, 1839 – October 27, 1909) was an American military officer. He served from 1861 until 1903 and attained the rank of major general.
A native of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, he was educated at local academies and taught school before attending Jefferson College. He left college to join the Union Army for the American Civil War, and rose to the rank of colonel by brevet. After the war, Hughes received a commission in the United States Army. He participated in engagements of the American Indian Wars, and served for several years as aide-de-camp to Alfred Terry, who became his brother-in-law.
By the mid-1880s, Hughes had been promoted to major and began to serve in various commands as an inspector general. During the Spanish–American War in 1898, he was promoted to brigadier general and served on the staff of Major General Elwell Stephen Otis, the commander of Eighth Army Corps during its duty in the Philippines. Hughes continued to serve in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War and was assigned as commander of the Military Department of the Visayas. After returning to the United States, Hughes was promoted to major general as commander of the Department of California.
Hughes retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 64 in 1903. He lived in Philadelphia, where he died on October 27, 1909. He was buried at Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.