Edward Clark, attorney, legislator, and governor of Texas (spring 1861-winter 1862), was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1815. His father, Elijah Clark, was the brother of John Clark, governor of Georgia, 1819-1823. In 1841, Clark, by this point a lawyer, moved to Marshall, Texas from Mobile, Alabama. Clark served the state of Texas as a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1845, as a staff member to General J. Pinckney Henderson during the Mexican War, as secretary of state (1853-1857), as state commissioner of claims (1858-1859), and as lieutenant governor of Texas (1859-1861).
Clark became governor in 1861 when Governor Sam Houston refused to support secession and was removed from office by the Seccession Convention. As governor, Clark sent regiments to protect the frontier from Indian depredations, levied a higher poll tax in an attempt to stabilize Texas’ finances, and worked closely with the Confederate army to recruit, train, and supply troops. In 1861, Francis R. Lubbock was elected governor of Texas, defeating Clark in a close election. Following this loss, Clark joined the Confederate Army as a colonel, commanding the Fourteenth Texas Infantry regiment. He took part in the Red River campaign of 1864 and was wounded during the battle of Pleasant Hill. After the surrender of the Confederacy, Clark traveled to Mexico like many other ex-Confederates, but quickly returned to Marshall. Clark practiced law in Marshall until his death in 1880.
The Edward Clark Papers, 1842-1910, 1946, contain a typescript of Clark’s diary (1842-1843) as well as photostats of letters and other documents relating to his political career. The photostatic letters and documents concern Clark’s activities as an attorney, legislator, and governor of Texas. The diary describes his social life and illnesses as a young widower near Marshall. Furthermore, the papers include correspondence concerning Clark’s life and biographical sketches by his son, John E. Clark.
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Edward Clark Papers, 1842-1910, 1946, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
See the Edward Clark letter in the
Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s “History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project,” 2009-2011.