Isaac C. Pugh

Isaac C. Pugh
Isaac C. Pugh
Born	November 23, 1805; 41st Illinois Infantry Regiment; 1st Brigade, 4th Division, XVI Corps
Battles/wars	Black Hawk War; Mexican War; American Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson; Battle of Shiloh; Siege of Corinth; Battle of Hatchie's Bridge; Siege of Vicksburg; Siege of Jackson;
Other work	merchant, clerk, postmaster

Isaac Campbell Pugh^[1] (November 23, 1805 – November 19, 1874) was a United States volunteer soldier who was a veteran of the Black Hawk War, the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War; rising to the rank of Brevet brigadier general.

Early life

Pugh was born in

4th Illinois Volunteer Regiment during the Mexican War

and was mustered out of the volunteer service the following year.

Civil War

Fort Donelson

Pugh's most notable military service came during the

41st Illinois Volunteer Regiment which he commanded as colonel,^[2]^[3] and would chiefly be associated with for the rest of the war. Pugh led the regiment into action at the Battle of Fort Donelson fighting as part of John McArthur

's brigade on the extreme right of the Union line.

Shiloh

After Fort Donelson the 41st Illinois was assigned to the 1st Brigade in Stephen A. Hurlbut's 4th Division of the Army of the Tennessee. Shortly after the fighting began at the Battle of Shiloh, the 1st Brigade's commander Col. Nelson G. Williams was severely wounded and command of the brigade was turned over to Pugh.^[4] Colonel Pugh ably led the brigade through the two days of fighting at Shiloh in the vicinity of "Bloody Pond".

Vicksburg and Jackson

After Shiloh, General

Daniel W. Adams

' entrenched brigade. This attack resulted in heavy casualties for Pugh's brigade and Lauman was subsequently relieved of command.

Furlough and Atlanta Campaign

Pugh continued in brigade command until October 1863 when the veteran officers and soldiers of the 41st Illinois were granted a furlough while the new recruits in the regiment fought in the

XVII Corps

which was composed of regiments primarily on guard duty in Georgia. He was mustered out of the volunteer service with the rest of his regiment on August 20, 1864.

Command History^[3]

1st Brigade, 4th Division, Army of the Tennessee (6–7 April 1862)
1st Brigade, 4th Division, XIII Corps (1 Nov-18 Dec 1862)
1st Brigade, 4th Division, XVII Corps (18 Dec 1862-20 Jan 1863)
1st Brigade, 4th Division, XVI Corps (20 Jan-28 July 1863)
1st Brigade, 4th Division, XIII Corps (28 July-17 Aug 1863)
1st Brigade, 4th Division, XVII Corps (17 Aug-24 Oct 1863)
2nd Brigade, 4th Division, XVIII Corps (4–19 July 1864)

Later life

Pugh returned to his home in Decatur, Illinois and served as a clerk and postmaster there before his death on November 19, 1874. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur.

Notes

^ "41st Illinois Volunteer Infantry". Dieterich, Illinois: Dieterich Community Unit School District (CUSD) #30. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
^
OCLC 2504772
.

^ ^a ^b Eicher p.442
^ Official Records
^ Civil War Archive: 41st Illinois

References

Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001,
ISBN 0-8047-3641-3
.

"Union Regimental Histories: Illinois: 41st Regiment Infantry". Civil War Archive. 17 January 2009. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2009.

[1] "41st Illinois Volunteer Infantry". Dieterich, Illinois: Dieterich Community Unit School District (CUSD) #30. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2009-01-03.

[Johns-2] 
OCLC 2504772
.

[Eicher-442-3] Eicher p.442

[4] Official Records

[5] Civil War Archive: 41st Illinois

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]