Hughes was born on May 15, 1842, in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to
Welsh immigrants Samuel and Elizabeth (Edwards) Hughes. The ninth of ten children, which included siblings Samuel, Thomas and Annie he was orphaned in 1845 and lived in an orphanage for several years. At the age of ten, Hughes was
indentured to a "Calvinist farmer". At sixteen, Hughes gained his release and lived in
Meadville, Pennsylvania, working his way through a local academy until the start of the
American Civil War. A strong
abolitionist, Hughes attempted to enlist in the
Union Army but had difficulty doing so due to generally poor health and his small stature. He did enlist with Company A, 101st Pennsylvania Volunteers for two years before health problems forced him to leave. Once his health recovered, he re-enlisted in the army as a sergeant with Knapp's Pittsburgh Battery stationed at
Washington D.C., and served 100 days before the end of the war. Following the war, Hughes worked as a
machinist, saving money and attending
Meadville Theological School and
Edinboro State Normal School. He remained active in union activities during this period, helping to form the
Ancient Order of United Workmen. Hughes' other union efforts included gathering 7,000 signatures on a petition calling for establishment of an
eight-hour day for government workers and founding a
Rochdale Plan cooperative store. By 1868, his prominence had grown to the point where he was selected as a speaker for the Columbus, Ohio, meeting of the International Convention of Machinists and Blacksmiths' Union of America and Great Britain. ==Arizona==