Corporal Oliver Hughes was born in Fentress County on January 21, 1842. He joined the Union in nearby Kentucky and was assigned to Company C, 12th Kentucky Infantry.

Hughes was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions taken on the morning of February 20, 1865. When his company was ordered to attack heavily defended Confederate emplacements at Town Creek, North Carolina, Hughes immediately caught sight of the Confederate flag bearer and rushed towards him. He captured the 11th South Carolina’s flag, which inspired his company to seize a brigade of Confederate soldiers, as well as a number of artillery pieces.

He died on January 5, 1911, and is buried in Callao, Missouri.