Known Activities
Hudson enlisted in the Union Army on July 30, 1861, joining Company K of the Forty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Over the course of the war he advanced through the ranks, ultimately receiving a promotion to captain on September 8, 1865. He was wounded through the leg at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863 but reportedly returned to service and continued with his regiment until his honorable discharge on December 16, 1865. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 2 (Joslyn, 1908))
Following his military service, Hudson was described as a respected and worthy resident of Elgin, Illinois, for many years. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 2 (Joslyn, 1908))
His father, William Hudson, had been among the early English immigrants to settle near Dundee in Kane County, farming land at a time when the region was still sparsely settled and largely uncultivated. The elder Hudson's presence in the Dundee area places the family among the earlier generations of European settlers in this part of Kane County, Illinois. (Source: History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 2 (Joslyn, 1908))
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 24, 1837 | Born in England |
| Early settlement era | Family settles near Dundee; father William Hudson farms land when Indians were still numerous in the area |
| July 30, 1861 | Enlists in Company K, Forty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry |
| 1863 | Wounded through the leg at the Battle of Chickamauga; reportedly returned to service |
| September 8, 1865 | Promoted to captain |
| December 16, 1865 | Discharged from Union Army |
| Post-1865 | Resided in Elgin, Illinois, for many years |
- History of Kane County, Ill., Vol. 2 (Joslyn, 1908). Available at archive.org. Cited as: historyofkanecou02josl