Morgan Hughes enlisted in Co. E of the 8th Illinois Cavalry on September 18th, 1861 in Saint Charles, Illinois at Camp Kane. Towards the end of his original three year enlistment, he reenlisted as a veteran. The official records show him mustering out of service on July 17th, 1865 as a bugler in Chicago, Illinois.

Muster rolls show him as being the bugler of Co. E at the time of the battle of Gettysburg. The battle was started by Lt. Marcellus Jones of Co. E, who fired the first shot from Levi Shaffer’s carbine and gave the command to open fire to the rest of the boys of Co. E. As bugler Morgan would have been the company’s main means of communication. One source suggests that Morgan was standing next to or near Lt. Jones when he fired the first shot of the battle.

The Illinois 8th Cavalry was attached to General Buford’s Corps. They were the first union troops to enter Gettysburg, and the first to fire on the Confederate forces early on July 1, 1863. Buford’s Corps held off the Confederate troops until reinforcements arrived on the evening of the 1st.

Morgan’s obituary appeared in the Aurora Beacon News on Wednesday, November 1, 1916:

Death Summons Morgan Hughes—Prominent Civil War Veteran and Grand Army Officer Passes away Late Yesterday

Was for 22 Years Officer of the Day for Post 20 G.A.R. -Funeral Friday Afternoon

Morgan Hughes, aged 73 years, veteran of the civil war, and one of the best known men of Aurora, died yesterday afternoon at 1 o’clock at his home. 438 North Avenue, after a lingering illness of nearly three years.

Mr. Hughes was born at Schuylkill Haven, Pa., July 25, 1843, and came to Illinois in 1856, first settling on a farm near Naperville. Later, at the close of the civil war, in 1866, through which he had served, he moved into this city. He enlisted at the outbreak of the war at age of 19 years and served four years in Company E, Eighth Illinois Cavalry as Bugler. He was past commander of G.A.R. post no. 20, of Aurora and was always active in the social and other activities of that organization from the time it was formed. He was Officer of the Day of the post for 22 years. For many years he had charge of a squad of the old veterans which visited the different schools each Decoration Day. He had been connected with the Western United Gas & Electric Co. for the past 25 years in the capacity of salesman.

Mr. Hughes leaves to mourn his death, his wife Lavinia; three children, Frank A. Hughes, Omaha, Neb., Bert Hughes, Detroit, Mich., and Mrs. George Shields of Aurora; three brothers, Joseph, Bushrod and Martin, all of Naperville; two sisters, Mrs. Sarah Enck and Mrs. Hartzell of Naperville; four grandchildren, Agatha and Virginia Adams, Corp. Russell G. Hughes who is at the border at the present time, and Aldine Hughes of Detroit.

The funeral Services will be held from the Grand Army hall Friday afternoon at 3 o’clock. Full military Grand Army burial services will be held under the charge of Comrade Cronk. The Rev. R.H. Claxon of the First Baptist church will officiate. Short services at the home, 438 North Avenue will precede the services at the G.A.R. hall, and will be strictly private, for family only. Interment will be in Montgomery Cemetery. [Military History Online]

The following letter, written in December 1890, to his comrade Bent Kelley, records some remembrances of their time together in the 8th Illinois Cavalry during the Civil War.

Transcription

Aurora, Illinois
December 28th 1890

T. B. Kelley
Dear Comrade

Look out! I am about to take the bugle and give you a blast. Hold your horse well in hand—load, sling, and cap carbine. Now forward, let down the fence—here we go! Bent, it has been a long—yes, a very long time since we have met. Many changes have been wrought since we rode through the valleys and over the mountains on the Sacred Soil of Old Virginia. But thanks to Wise Providence, we have been spared while so many of the old boys have been called to the great Commander above. There is our old, tired and true, brave and courageous Capt. [Elisha S.] Kelley. Bent, I can now see him as we move up the Peninsula and through the swamp of the Chickahominy at Mechanicsville, Ashland Station, all through the Seven Days Battles, at Despatch Station, on the Maryland Campaign at Boonsboro, so distinctly where he received that wound which finally caused his death.

I well remember I called to see him while he was laying in a room at Boonsboro. Capt. [Elon J.] Farnsworth came in and the two strong men wept but Kelley said, “Oh my boy, be careful that you do not meet my fate.” But he is gone and the next year at Gettysburg, Farnsworth gave his life to his country. We hope they are in a better land. Hardy, Deuse, Wayne, Doc, Hard and many others. I often wish I could see the old boys once more as we looked while in Virginia in ’61 in the freshness and vigor of manhood. But it is impossible. We are getting old and our dark brow hairs are sprinkled with gray and not many of them left. Bent, I am a little bald, but fat and look healthy which I am with the exception of inflammatory rheumatism. But I must grin and bear it.

I see Capt. [Marcellus] Jones occasionally. He is getting old fast. George Bartholomew is here in Aurora. He looks well. Is very portly. Our regimental post master Fred Brown and Capt. [John A.] Kinley of K Company also live here, glad to say all doing well. I was to our last reunion. Saw many of the boys. Have met you but once since we were mustered out. How long it seems. Would have like to have come to Boston but could neither spare tie or money. But Bent, I hope to meet you at our next reunion which you know will be held at Gettysburg next year. I was at Prospect Park a short time ago. The Old Kelley House looks as of old. The place though is growing. Last Memorial Day I was at Wheaton and went with E. S. Kelley Post GAR and assisted in decorating the graves of our comrades there and Prospect Park. While there I visited the graves of Charles Slyter of our company who died from wound received at Beverly Ford, Va. June 1863.

What sad recollections came to my mind then, and then you remember our crossing the ford to support the 8th New York—how they were repulsed, fell back with the death of their Col. Davis, and our charging up the road, formed in line on the left of the road, our action in the woods at close quarters where Charles Slyter fell, our driving the Rebs finally through the woods, out in the opening where they drove us back to the woods by heavy artillery, firing in the field where Jud Farr received his death wound. All are now fresh in my mind.

Bent, these are days not soon forgotten. John Stoner is alive and well and so is Riddle, Shaffer, Ditzler. Frank Shurte, Bub Chadwick, Bejamin Hart and Doyle I have not seen since the war. Cooley is in Lacross, Wisconsin. Old Bill Jones I see two years ago. Bill is the same old Bill.

Must give you a little account of myself. Have been married 23 years, have 4 children, oldest a girl, married this summer. One boy 19 in the City of Chicago in wholesale hardware store, one boy 17 in Printing Office here in Aurora, Our baby, a girl, 11 years old. All strong and healthy. A good wife. My own home but not what we might call an abundance of te world’s riches.

I received your poem through the kindness of Mr. Ayles. It is splendid and sounds like Bent of old. I shall always keep it as a remembrance of you. I must close. I hope to jear from you. Enclosed I send you my photo. Hope you will recognize it. It is not the smooth face lad I was 25 years ago but I hope to be strong and able to meet you on our next reuion at Gettysburg. I hope you will send me one of your pictures. I never had one although I distinctly remember you your looks. Write soon. I am as ever, F C & L, — Morgan Hughes, Aurora, Illinois