Isaac C . Pugh Isaac Campbell Pugh ( November 23 , 1805 – November 19 , 1874 ) was a United States volunteer soldier who was a veteran of the Black Hawk War , Mexican War and American Civil War rising to the rank of Brevet brigadier general . Early life . Pugh was born in Christian County , Kentucky . He moved to Macon County , Illinois and became a private and served during the Black Hawk War . 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 American Civil War . He volunteered and became the captain of A Company when the 8th Illinois Volunteer Regiment was mustered in on 23 April 1861 . When the 8th was demobbed three months later , he formed the 41st Illinois Volunteer Regiment which he commanded as colonel , and would chiefly be associated with for the rest of the war . Pugh led the regiment into action at the Battle of Fort Donelson fighting with 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 . 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 1st Brigade and Pugh returned to command of his regiment . He led his regiment in the subsequent Siege of Corinth and 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 1st Brigade and the rest of the 4th Division were assigned to the XVI Corps during the Siege of Vicksburg and the following expedition against Jackson , Mississippi . During the siege of Jackson ( 10 – 17 July 1863 ) , 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 . 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 . 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 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 .