Daniel Hough was the first soldier to be killed in the American Civil War. He was an Irish immigrant who had enlisted in Battery D of the 1st United States Artillery Regiment. After serving out his enlistment, he re-enlisted on December 6, 1859 at Ft. Moultrie, South Carolina. This time he was assigned to Battery E, 1st United States Artillery.

He was a native of Tipperary, Ireland. His military record states that he had gray hair, blue eyes, a fair complexion, and was 5 feet, 8 inches tall.

Private Hough was serving as an artillerist, posted at Ft. Sumter, out in Charleston Harbor, when the Civil War began on the morning of April 12, 1861. The garrison put up a spirited defense, and the bombardment lasted until April 14, when the fort's commander, Major Robert Anderson, decided to surrender the fort. As a part of the surrender ceremony, it had been agreed upon that the Federals would be allowed to fire a 50-gun salute to the flag. During this ceremony, one of the cannon discharged prematurely, and Private Hough was killed.

The fate of Private Hough's body is unclear. His remains were first interred in Ft. Sumter's parade ground shortly after his death. It is possible that he was re-interred in the Ft. Moultrie burial ground on Sullivan's Island nearby. The location of this cemetery, however, is unknown today. His body may have been taken to the St. Lawrence Cemetery in Charleston. This cemetery has no records concerning Hough, however. If Hough's remains stayed at Ft. Sumter, it is highly possible that they were destroyed by the heavy Union bombardments of the fort during the 1863-1865 Siege of Charleston. Approximately seven million pounds of artillery projectiles were fired at the fort over the course of the siege, resulting in extensive damage to the fort.

NOTE: Many thanks to Rich Hatcher, Historian at Ft. Sumter National Monument, for providing information on Private Daniel Hough.