Morgan thought that Hughes escaped, but by comparing Morgan's narrative with those of Dr. Shackelford and Joseph Spohn, it is plain that Hughes is identical with "Bills" of Spohn and Shackelford, and Spohn says that "Bills" died a natural death after a 24 hour illness. It would seem that the Mexican officer who spared him must have required him to change his name, in order that it might not be discovered that he had saved a Texan officer.

It was proved in 1843 that Sarah Hughes was James' surviving widow, and that Willis H. Hughes, William Hughes, and Louisiana Sewell, a widow, were James and Sarah's surviving children. [Abel Morgan's narrative; Memorial, No. 65, File Box, No. 39, (1843), Archives Dept. of State, State Library, Lewis M. H. Washington's narrative of Fannin's Command.]
 

Wesley Hughes was a son of James Hughes of Milledgeville, Georgia, Fannin's Commissary, and a brother of First Lieutenant Wiley Hughes, of the third, or Winn's, company of Georgia Volunteers. His name appears as Fourth Sergeant of Winn's Company on LOMR and on the original and all revised versions of the T&TR roll. He was a victim of the general massacre at Goliad, March 27, 1836.