Martha Ann Hughes (maiden name: Jackson) was born into slavery in Albemarle County, Virginia. Prior to the war, Hughes lived on Lick Farm in Pike County, Missouri, with the Jackson family. They were slaves of John Coles Carter, a man from Albemarle County who had moved to Missouri in the 1850s. She married Henry Hughes while they were still enslaved. The couple had two children: Henry Hughes, born around 1862; and another unnamed child. They continued to correspond during the war. After he mustered out of the army, however, Henry did not return to his family in Missouri, instead settling and remarrying in Louisiana. Martha later remarried and changed her name to Williams. During the war, she had moved to Quincy, Illinois, where she lived for sometime before settling in Clarksville, Missouri. Believing Henry was dead, Martha applied for a pension in 1901. The government, however, rejected her application when it learned that Henry was still alive. Martha died on February 22, 1919, due to acute indigestion and valvular insufficiency.

Documents:

Conflicting Widow Claims, Henry Hughes Pension