Isaac Campbell Pugh (November 23, 1805 – November 19, 1874) was a United States volunteer soldier who was a veteran of the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

, the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

; rising to the rank of Brevet

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Early life

Pugh was born in

Christian County, Kentucky Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,748. Its county seat is Hopkinsville. The county was formed in 1797. Christian County is part of the Clarksville, TN–KY Metropo ...

. He moved to

Macon County, Illinois Macon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 110,768. Its county seat is Decatur. Macon County comprises the Decatur, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hist ...

and became a private and served during the

. In 1846 he became a captain in the 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

. He volunteered and became the captain of Company A of the

8th Illinois Infantry Regiment The 8th Illinois Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Initial 3 month service The infantry regiment was organized at Springfield, Illinois and mustered in on April 25th, ...

when it was mustered in on 23 April 1861. When the 8th was demobilized three months later, he formed the 41st Illinois Volunteer Regiment which he commanded as

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

,Eicher p.442 and would chiefly be associated with for the rest of the war. Pugh led the regiment into action at the

Battle of Fort Donelson The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought from February 11–16, 1862, in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The Union capture of the Confederate fort near the Tennessee–Kentucky border opened the Cumberland River, an important ave ...

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 An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

. 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. 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 Jacob G. Lauman was transferred to command the brigade and Pugh returned to command of his regiment. He led his unit in the subsequent

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth (also known as the first Battle of Corinth) was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry ...

and the Battle of Hatchie's Bridge. When General Lauman was elevated to command of the 4th Division, Pugh again assumed command of the 1st Brigade. Pugh's brigade and the rest of the division were assigned to the XVI Corps during the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mis ...

and the following expedition against Jackson, Mississippi. During the

Jackson Expedition The Jackson Expedition, also known as the Siege of Jackson, occurred in the aftermath of the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in July 1863. Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman led the expedition to clear General Joseph E. Johnston's ...

, General Lauman ordered Pugh to make an attack against Brig. Gen. 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 Red River Campaign and at

Tupelo Tupelo , genus ''Nyssa'' , is a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves. It is sometimes included in the subfamily Nyssoideae of the dogwood family, Cornaceae, but is placed by other authorities in the family Nyssaceae. In ...

. Pugh returned to active duty with the veterans of the regiment in 1864. Instead of reuniting the entire regiment in Mississippi, Pugh commanded the so-called "Veterans Battalion" of the 41st Illinois and was sent to Georgia to join William T. Sherman's campaign against Atlanta.Civil War Archive: 41st Illinois
/ref> Pugh's Veteran Battalion was assigned to railroad guard duty near Marietta, Georgia. Pugh briefly commanded the 2nd Brigade, 4th Division 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 *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

References

*Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., ''Civil War High Commands'', Stanford University Press, 2001, . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pugh, Isaac C. 1805 births 1874 deaths American people of the Black Hawk War People from Decatur, Illinois People from Christian County, Kentucky People of Illinois in the American Civil War American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Union Army colonels United States Army officers