A Guide to the Benjamin Franklin Hughes Diary, 1835-1875

Biographical Note

Benjamin Franklin Hughes (1820-?) was a soldier and sailor, who spent most of his life in the navy. In 1836, while in New Orleans, he enlisted in the battalion of Colonel Fannin and sailed to Galveston. He joined the army a few days before the Massacre at Goliad and fought in the battles of Refugio and Caleto, before surrendering with the rest of Fannin’s men. Hughes was rescued from the Massacre at Goliad by the order of Madame Captain Alvres. She requested that some men be saved to assist the army surgeons. Following his escape from Goliad, Hughes served in the Texas Navy aboard the Invincible, and later the United States Navy (1842-1844, 1853-1861). In the U.S. Navy, Hughes sailed aboard the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, the U.S.S. Constitution, the U.S.S. Brandywine, and the U. S. S. Lexington. During the Mexican War, Hughes served in the 10th Louisiana Regiment Volunteer Army. Hughes was a merchant seaman after the war and sailed all over the world.

Scope and Contents

The diary documents Benjamin Franklin Hughes life as a soldier and seaman, 1835-1875, and relates to his experiences at the Battles of Refugio and Caleto, the Goliad Massacre, in the Texas and U. S. navies, and during the Mexican War. The Briscoe Center transcribed two copies from the original in 1936.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Benjamin Franklin Hughes Diary, 1835-1875, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.

Detailed Description of the Papers