The remainder of their 12 chhildren were all born in what is now Washington County, Missouri. (at that time, Missouri was part of the Louisiana District, later Upper Louisiana, the Missouri Territory and finally the State of Missouri). These children were:

The exact date of John and Susannah's move to what is now Missouri is not known, but they surely had moved by February 6, 1810 as is evident by a deed between "John Hughs of the District of Louisiana of the one part and Charles Carter of Jefferson County and State of Tennessee of the other part." Two other biographical sources state that John and Susannah Hughes relocated in Missouri in 1806. One is the Biography of Captain John Hughes and the biography of their son Mahlon Hughes Although no exact record of just HOW they made this move, it is reasonable to assume they traveled by flat boat down to the the Tennessee River, carrying both their boat and posessions over Muscle Shoals in Alabama, on down to the Ohio River and then on to the Mississippi River. From there they would have moved up the Mississippi to around Cape Girardeau or Sainte Genevieve, and finally cross country to Washington County.

The Hugheses settled in what is now Concord Township of Washington County, Missouri, where John Hughes built a buhr grist mill on the Big River, at the base of Hughes Mountain. John and Susannah Hays Hughes were members of the Bellvue Presbyterian Church, the first Presbyterian Church west of the Mississippi River, per HOUCK'S HISTORY OF MISSOURI Vol 3, pgs. 228/229 footnote #458. A few years after their westward move the United States went to war with Great Britain in what became the War of 1812. On February 13th, 1813 appeared a decree under the orders of Fredrick Bates (acting Commader in Chief).

TERRITORY OF MISSOURI GENERAL ORDERS
St Louis March 1st, 1813

The usual orders for the musters of battalions in the spring will now be given. The threatened invasion of our settlements by the northern indians , requires arrangements of another character. To repell and if possible to chastise these inroads, if they should be attempted, the acting Commander in Chief orders...

That the volunteer companies commanded by Captain's Dodge, M'Nair, Callaway, Ashley, Young, Hughes, Millard, Ramsay, and Rankin, muster for inspection at their respective parade grounds on Saturday the 20th of the present month and hold themselves thenceforth in readiness to be called into actual service at a moments warning. .........."

It appears as if Captain Hughes' company, The 4th Mounted Riflemen, saw no action since they were mustered in to service on September 9, 1812 (1813?) and out on October 25, 1812(1813?) and were under the command of Col. Henry Dodge. (I believe the decree that appeared in the newspaper appeared "after the fact.") Although they saw no action, it is clear that Captain Hughes and his entire company of Mounted Riflemen were prepared to defend Missouri against any and all invaders.

Based on this service, John Hughes applied for, and received a Bounty Land Warrent, and a pension.

John Hughes was also involved in farming. To this end, John, and his sons, obtained Land Patents from the US Government. Between John, his sons and one of his grandsons, a total of 20 land patents were acquired.

Most of John and Susannah's children were married in Washington County:

On 9 February 1855 Captain John Hughes died. He was buried in the Big River Cem., Washington Co., Mo.less than 2 miles from his homestead at the base of Hughes Mountain. His last will and testament was probated on February 16th, 1855. On of the executors was his grandson, John C. Hughes, son of Willam Hughes and Mary Campbell. Susannah Hays Hughes had died on 17 October 1852 and was buried in the Big River Cem.

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Some of Captain John Hughes' children remained in the Washington Co., Missouri area, others moved on.

Mary Hughes and husband Elisha Wallen also remained in Washington County. What is known comes from the biography of their son, Henry C. Wallen, and a brief biography of Elisha Wallen found in THE WAR OF 1812 AND INDIAN WARS, by Robert Parkin (1961).

William relocated to Rockwall, Texas where he died on 22 Feb 1875. He is buried in the Mt. Zion Cem., Rockwall Co Tx. His first wife, Mary Kirkpatrick Hughes, died 31 Oct 1831 as a result of childbirth with son William "Billy" Hughes BORN on 12 Oct 1831 and DIED 29 Oct 1831. Mary and son William are buried in the Big River Cem. One of William and Mary's sons, John C. Hughes, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War. John C. Hughes died of disease on the Hospital Steamer, THE CITY OF MEMPHIS and is buried in Jefferson Baracks National Cemetery, St. Louis County, Missouri. During the war he wrote a series of letters home to his wife Harriet N. Campbell Hughes. These have been compiled into a book, A SOLDIER'S DREAM OF HOME: THE CIVIL WAR LETTERS OF JOHN C. HUGHES TO HIS WIFE, HARRIET, compiled by Grata Jeter Clark & Jeffrey S. Clark.

Mahlon Hughes remained in Washington Co., and continued in the family business as a millright. His biography can be read at http://files.usgwarchives.org/mo/washington/bios/h2200007.txt. The US GenWeb Archives site also has the biographies of Mahlon's sons James M. Hughes and John M. Hughes.

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Larry Flesher, Washington County, MO