Robert Hughett
Robert McKinley Hughett (Feb. 11, 1898 – July 18, 1918) was an Oneida man killed in World War I.
See Also: Scott Countians killed in war
Biography
Born May 8, 1868 in Huntsville, Robert M. Hughett was the son of William Alexander “Alex” Hughett (1867-1930) and Martha Phillips (1868-1955) of Oneida. He had six siblings: Euen (1893-1923), Annie Akers (1895-1925), Roddie (1901-1962), Ralph (1903-1987), Willard (1908-1971) and Semer (1912-1946).
Robert was a grandson of Jehu Phillips, an early Scott County elected official. He was descended from two Revolutionary War veterans on his mother’s side: Sgt. Timothy Sexton and Tobias Phillips. He was also descended from a Revolutionary War veteran on his father’s side: Abraham Goad. He was one of two of Jehu Phillips’ grandsons to be killed on the same day of World War I (the other being Lawrence Phillips).
World War I
Pvt. Hughett enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 17, 1917. He was assigned to Co. E, 16th Infantry Regiment. He was killed during the first day of the Battle of Soissons, which was fought from July 18 to July 22, 1918. Pvt. Hughett and his first cousin, Sgt. Lawrence Phillips, were both killed on the same day at the same battle..
The Americans and British supported the French at Soissons, which marked the turning point of the war by forcing the Germans to retreat and put them on the defensive for the remainder of the war. Allied forces suffered nearly 120,000 casualties during the battle — mostly French, but also including more than 11,200 Americans. Sgt. Phillips and Pvt. Hughett were among the Americans.
Aftermath
Pvt. Hughett was initially buried at the American Cemetery in Aisne, France. However, his body was later exhumed and returned stateside, and he was buried at Knoxville National Cemetery in Knoxville, Tenn.
Sgt. Hett Phillips from Scott County, a distant cousin, was killed in the same battle three days later.
In 1923, Pvt. Hughett’s brother, Euen, died at age 30 when he fell from a railroad train in Knoxville. He’s buried at Litton Cemetery in Oneida. Another sibling, Annie Akers, died in 1925 at age 29 and is buried at Marcum Cemetery in Oneida. The youngest sibling, Semer, fought in the U.S. Army during World War II. He died just after the war at age 33 and is buried at Litton Cemetery.
Alex Hughett died in 1930 and is buried at Morris Goodman Cemetery in Oneida. Martha Phillips Hughett died in 1955 and is buried at Litton Cemetery.