Remembering a Shipmate: Dwight S. Hughes

Last Thursday, Chris Mackowski and I both together learned about the passing of Dwight Hughes. I immediately reached out to Chris and we spoke for a while about Dwight, his life, his work, and his contributions to Emerging Civil War.

As Chris previously shared, Dwight had quite the career. His naval career began at the US Naval Academy and took him around the globe. He capably served our country afloat and ashore, including tours with riverine forces in Vietnam, with resupply forces at Diego Garcia, and teaching at the University of Rochester. For his naval service, Dwight earned both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Dwight joined Emerging Civil War in 2015 and over the years has authored over 100 posts on the ECW blog. He also authored A Confederate Biography: The Cruise of the CSS Shenandoah (Naval Institute Press, 2015); Unlike Anything That Ever Floated: The Monitor and Virginia and the Battle Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862 (Savas Beatie, 2021) for the award-winning Emerging Civil War series; and co-edited The Civil War on the Water: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War (Savas Beatie, 2023), for the Emerging Civil War Tenth Anniversary Series.

To honor Dwight, a number of ECW’s community of historians have offered to share their own remembrances of the man Chris Mackowski frequently called Commodore Hughes. I will start with my own.

Neil P. Chatelain:
My very first interaction with Emerging Civil War was with Dwight. He wrote an article in June 2017 about Confederate engineer Eugene Matthew O’Brien. I stumbled on the article by chance and left a comment on it. A month later, I wrote my own first guest post for ECW. So, in a way, my path into Emerging Civil War began with Dwight. Since then, we have collaborated on a host of projects, sharing articles, editing one another’s work, speaking at conferences, tag-teaming podcasts, and walking the grounds of his alma mater, the US Naval Academy. More recently, we worked together on the ECW editorial board and in frequent conversations about our current book projects. As ECW’s other navy guy, I frequently sought out Dwight’s thoughts on the naval war and traded numerous sea stories from each of our past experiences as surface warfare officers. We sat side by side at past ECW symposia talking about some of the most obscure stuff from the naval war. It is that time talking shop and swapping stories that I will miss the most.

Rest easy shipmate; we have the watch.

Evan Portman:
I first met Dwight on one of the many Emerging Civil War Zoom calls about two years ago, when I first became a member. He was always gracious and eager to contribute to ECW’s Patreon page, which I agreed to help out with. But my best memory of Dwight was at last year’s symposium. I sat and chatted with him over a beer at Strangeways, and he was interested to learn about one of my high school friends who graduated from the Naval Academy and is now aboard the USS West Virginia submarine. “USS West Virginia, that’s an Ohio-class, right?” Dwight asked, as his eyes perked up. I asked him about his own service, and he proudly told me that he had served on everything from a small river gunboat to a carrier. I was looking forward to more conversations with Dwight at this year’s symposium, but I’m grateful for the time I shared with him last August. I’m certain his legacy will live on through his research and writing as well as his exceptional service to his country.

Sheritta Bitikofer:
On every occasion that I interacted with Dwight, he was nothing but sweet and kind. At my first ECW Symposium as a new member of the team, he and my husband were able to talk a little shop, and I think it made him feel much more comfortable and that meant the world to me. He was always encouraging and so knowledgeable about everything Civil War navy related. He will be sorely missed.

Chris Kolakowski:

Dwight and I collaborated on many projects together, for Emerging Civil War and including presenting at several McMullen Naval History Symposia at his alma mater, the Naval Academy. In all cases, I was struck by Dwight’s passion and desire to illuminate the naval side of the Civil War. He was a superb storyteller, especially in writing, and his scholarship added greatly to our understanding of the Civil War afloat. He used his experiences in the U.S. Navy to inform his writing, and it showed in the vivid and insightful portrayals of his subjects.

Dwight and I also enjoyed talking stuff other than the Civil War, both personal and professional – and we covered a wide range of topics. I heard stories of Midshipman Hughes, and some sea stories from all over the world. As a Purple Heart recipient, he spent time on destroyers off North Vietnam, and was a proud Tin Can Sailor. I’m glad to have been associated with him.

Fair winds and following seas, Dwight. You’ll be missed.

Cecily Zander:
Dwight Hughes was an example of everything that makes ECW feel like a family. He always had a kind word of support or helpful suggestion ready at the drop of a hat. He was an unexcelled scholar of naval affairs in the Civil War era, and a great reminder to us all that we should look beyond the battlefield more often. He will be much missed at ECW gathering and events — especially the annual symposium, where I know so many of us looked forward to seeing him signing books and raising spirits with his ceaseless energy and good cheer. I know that each time I teach or write about the Navy, I will think of Dwight fondly, and I trust many of us will do the same.

Pat Kelly-Fischer:
Whether it was Civil War navies or the wildlife around his house, I’ll always remember the way Dwight’s eyes would light up when the conversation turned to a topic he was excited about. One of my favorite ECW memories is the morning Dwight and I spent before the 2023 Symposium, when we had two or three hours together to talk between stops on Kevin Pawlak’s Bristoe Station tour.

Jon-Erik Gilot:
For many years I had the honor of serving with Dwight on the ECW editorial board, and to say I learned a lot from him would be an understatement. Dwight had a discerning eye not only for the historical record, but for helping aspiring authors with diction and prose. I’ve been able to take many of his editorial comments and suggestions for others to use in improving my own writing. In his work on the ECW10 Civil War on the Water, I was humbled when Dwight requested several of my blog posts for the book. We worked with Edward Alexander to chart a brief riverine engagement that had never been mapped, and with each email you could feel Dwight’s excitement for the project. I’ll miss his wise counsel, his thoughtful contributions, and his eagerness to advance our organization.

Sarah Kay Bierle:
Dwight always wanted to learn. He asked questions, tried new ways of formatting blog posts, and showed up at tours, Symposiums, and history retreats with a kindness and curiosity that warmed a room. He was a wealth of information and yet also humble as he shared his deep knowledge, especially about Civil War navies and maritime. I am grateful to have met and worked with Dwight on several writing projects. His enthusiasm, genuineness, and ideas for furthering the research about the Civil War on the waters will be missed. Safe voyage, my friend.

Josh Frye:
Being a relatively new face to Emerging Civil War, I have only had the opportunity to meet Dwight face-to-face only on one occasion. I first had the pleasure of meeting him during the 2024 Emerging Civil War Symposium. During the event, he aided in helping me pack the welcoming packets prior to the arrival of guests. I must admit that I was a little starstruck. Dwight was one of the most knowledgeable individuals in Civil War Naval history that you could cross paths with. Besides that, he led a very interesting life and was a very big role model, not only to me, but many other historians and students of the American Civil War. Not only was I meeting Dwight, but he was taking the time to help me and get to know me. For over two hours, he offered me advice and made me feel welcome to the ECW family. He constantly let me know how happy that he was that I was there. We talked about his life, my life, members of the organization and about our mutual interest in the Civil War. His published works will live on and continue his memory. More than that, they enable Dwight to continue offering his knowledge and aid in educating students of the Civil War. Even though he may be gone, he remains teaching us all through his achievements. Dwight will be missed. I am honored to have had the chance to learn from him and serve with him in the ranks of Emerging Civil War. He is finally getting the chance to meet many of the individuals that he spent his life studying. You will be missed, but we all will carry your legacy and the lessons that you taught. Fair winds and following seas!

Brian Swartz:
Thursday night, April 17, I arrived home from the Shenandoah Valley to learn that our friend and colleague Dwight Hughes had died. The news stunned me.

Of all the editors with whom I’ve worked over the many decades, Dwight was the toughest — and perhaps the most patient. He and Chris Mackowski co-edited ECW’s The Civil War on the Water, the only such sea-oriented book to which I ever contributed.

I’m a landlubber, as Dwight quickly realized. Editing and re-editing my chapters, he helped me tighten the copy and learn ship nomenclature from a naval officer’s viewpoint. Striving to develop the best book for the Emerging Civil War Anniversary Series, he taught me much while accomplishing that goal. I was honored to be his student.

We ECW’ers who Zoom’ed with Dwight will recall his smile and soft voice and insightful comments, plus that stunning library backdropping him. Dwight will be missed.

Terry Rensel:
I first met Dwight when I joined the Editorial Board. Reading his edits on submissions helped make me a better member of the board. He was quick to offer suggestions, and edits, on my writing, which I always appreciated. Having lived in Alaska, I was familiar with part of the story of the CSS Shenandoah, his book filled in the rest of the story for me. I’m grateful for all I learned from him.

Sean Michael Chick:
I met Dwight Hughes only in person once, at the 2021 Emerging Civil War symposium. I bought his wonderful book, Unlike Anything That Ever Floated. Later, I contributed to Hughes’s The Civil War on the Water, which is my favorite ECW essay collection. Hughes wrote a passage on Trent’s Reach for an upcoming volume on Petersburg, which is unpublished. We were recently in communication about having him on the YouTube channel Thersites the Historian to discuss Trent’s Reach. Sadly, that will not happen, but his account of the battle will be published in a few years. For that and his contributions, thank you, Dwight.

If you have your own remembrances of Dwight, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.