Lieutenant Vacant Preceded by Thomas H. Duval Party Democratic Party | Preceded by Francis R. Lubbock Name Edward Clark Resigned November 7, 1861 | |
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Spouse(s) Lucy LongMartha Melissa Evans Previous office Governor of Texas (1861–1861) | ||
Edward Clark (April 1, 1815 – May 4, 1880) was the eighth Governor of Texas. His term coincided with the beginning of the American Civil War.
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Early life
Edward Clark was born on April 1, 1815 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father was named Elijah Clark, Jr.. His paternal uncle, John Clark, served as the Governor of Georgia from 1819 to 1823. His paternal grandfather was Elijah Clarke.
Clark grew up in Georgia. After his father died in the 1830s, he moved to Montgomery, Alabama with his mother and studied the law.
Career
Clark moved to Texas in 1842 and set up a law practice. He served in the Texas Annexation Convention and two terms as a state representative in the Texas Legislature before fighting in the Mexican-American War. When the war ended, he served as secretary of state under Governor Elisha M. Pease and as lieutenant governor serving under Governor Sam Houston. When Sam Houston refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy, Clark became governor.
After losing the governor's race by 124 votes to Francis Lubbock, Clark joined the 14th Texas Infantry as a colonel and was later promoted to brigadier general after being wounded in battle. He fled briefly to Mexico at the end of the American Civil War, and returned home to Marshall, Texas.
Personal life
Clark married Lucy Long in 1840, but she died shortly after. He married Martha Melissa Evans in 1849. They had four children.
Death
Clark died on May 4, 1880 in Marshall, Texas. His grave in the Marshall City Cemetery is marked with a historical mark.