Governor of Texas. He was a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1845, a member of the first state House of Representatives, and a senator in the Second Legislature. He served on the staff of General James Pinckney Henderson in the Mexican War and was cited for bravery at the Battle of Monterrey. From 1853 to 1857, he was Secretary of State of Texas under Governor Pease, and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas on a Democratic ticket headed by Sam Houston in 1859. When Houston refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederay in the Spring of 1861, the Secession Convention declared the office vacant and elevated Clark to that position. As governor, he attempted to mobilize the assets of the state for the war. He was active in recruiting, enrolling, and training troops; purchasing weapons and supplies; and communicating and coordinating with Confederate officials and governors of Mexican provinces. He ran for a full term as governor in the fall of 1861, but was defeated in a very close race by Francis R. Lubbock. After he left the governor's office, he received a commission in the Confederate Army as a colonel in the 14th Texas Infantry. He was wounded in the leg at the Battle of Pleasant Hill during the Red River campaign, and subsequently was discharged from the army. When the Civil War ended, he fled to Mexico, but returned shortly thereafter to Marshall, Texas to resume the practice of law.
Governor of Texas. He was a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1845, a member of the first state House of Representatives, and a senator in the Second Legislature. He served on the staff of General James Pinckney Henderson in the Mexican War and was cited for bravery at the Battle of Monterrey. From 1853 to 1857, he was Secretary of State of Texas under Governor Pease, and was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas on a Democratic ticket headed by Sam Houston in 1859. When Houston refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederay in the Spring of 1861, the Secession Convention declared the office vacant and elevated Clark to that position. As governor, he attempted to mobilize the assets of the state for the war. He was active in recruiting, enrolling, and training troops; purchasing weapons and supplies; and communicating and coordinating with Confederate officials and governors of Mexican provinces. He ran for a full term as governor in the fall of 1861, but was defeated in a very close race by Francis R. Lubbock. After he left the governor's office, he received a commission in the Confederate Army as a colonel in the 14th Texas Infantry. He was wounded in the leg at the Battle of Pleasant Hill during the Red River campaign, and subsequently was discharged from the army. When the Civil War ended, he fled to Mexico, but returned shortly thereafter to Marshall, Texas to resume the practice of law.
Bio by: Thomas Fisher
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