A Civil War Biography

John Bullock Clark

Clark was born 17 April 1802 in Madison County, Kentucky. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1824 then set up a practice in Fayette, Missouri. He was named clerk of the Howard County, Missouri courts in 1824 and remained in that post for ten years except while serving as a colonel of the Missouri Mounted Volunteers during the Black Hawk war in 1832.

He was named a major general of the Missouri militia in 1848 then was elected to the state house of representatives in 1850 and served until 1851. He was elected as a Democrat from the 3rd Missouri district to the US House of Representatives to fill the seat vacated when James S. Green resigned. Clark took his seat on 7 December 1857. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1860.

He was expelled from the House on 13 July 1861 for taking up arms against the US because he had joined the Missouri State Guard as a brigadier general. He commanded the 3rd division at Carthage and Wilson's Creek. He was a delegate to the Confederate Provisional Congress in October 1861. He was appointed to the Confederate Senate in 1862 and served a full term until 1864. Although he failed in his reelection bid mainly due to lack of support from Missouri governor Thomas Reynolds, Clark was elected to the Second Confederate Congress and served until that body was dissolved.

After the war Clark returned to the practice of law. He died 29 October 1885 in Fayette.

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