DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker says about Governor Edward Clark — and friend, this one's worth the time. Edward Clark was born in 1815, the son of a Georgia governor. So you might say public life was something he came into honestly.
He made his way to Texas in 1842 — this corner of Harrison County his home from then on — and he didn't stay quiet for long. He served in the Annexation Convention, sat in the First and Second Texas Legislatures, and took part in the Mexican War. By 1853 he was Secretary of State, a post he held until 1857.
In 1859 he was elected Lieutenant Governor. Respectable career. Steady climb.
And then 1861 arrived, and everything changed. Governor Sam Houston opposed secession. He was removed.
And just like that, Edward Clark became the Governor of Texas — the first Confederate Governor Texas ever had. Now consider what that job actually was. Texas was swapping out one nation for another, mid-stride.
New flags. New seals. New currency.
New postal systems. New tax systems. The entire machinery of government had to be re-fitted while the machinery kept running.
Clark's term ran from March to November of 1861, and not a single month of it was quiet. He made plans to prevent federal invasion. He moved to take over enemy property.
He organized resources — supplies, arms — to defend the state and to care for the families of Texas soldiers already fighting at the front. Camps of instruction were set up across Texas to enroll, equip, and train troops. And then there was the cavalry problem.
Texans, the marker will tell you, were considered the best horsemen in the world. Every last one of them wanted to fight on horseback. Every single one.
Convincing Texans that some of them — some of the finest riders on earth — would have to put their boots on the ground and serve as infantry? That may have been the hardest job Edward Clark had. Harder than the seals, harder than the currency, harder than the postal system.
You try telling a Texas horseman he's walking. Before his term ended, Clark had delivered to the Confederate States of America: guns, powder, lead, cloth manufactured in the penitentiary, salt, and twenty thousand troops. Then he went further.
In late 1861, he raised a regiment himself and became colonel of the 14th Texas Infantry. He led those units through the Arkansas and Louisiana campaigns — fighting to keep the war from crossing into Texas. He was wounded at the Battle of Pleasant Hill in April of 1864, and commended for his conduct there.
He was discharged in 1865. After the war, he returned to law and business. He died in 1880 and was laid to rest in Marshall Cemetery, right here in Harrison County — the place he'd called home since 1842.
The son of a Georgia governor. The first Confederate Governor of Texas. A colonel who bled at Pleasant Hill.
And by all accounts, the man who somehow talked Texans into walking. That last one alone ought to earn him a marker.
What the marker says
(1815-1880) Hometown Texas First Confederate Governor Son of a Georgia governor. Came here in 1842. Member Annexation Convention, 1st and 2nd Texas Legislatures. Participant Mexican War. Secretary of State 1853-7. Elected Lieutenant Governor 1859. Made Governor 1861 upon removal of Gov. Sam Houston, who opposed secession. Clark's major activity was mobilizing Texas in cause of Confederacy. Plans were made to prevent federal invasion, take over enemy property, organize resources to provide supplies and arms for defense, and to properly care for families of Texas soldiers battling at the front. Gov. Edward Clark's term from March to November 1861 also faced difficulties caused by mechanics of changing flags, seals, currency, postal and tax systems for membership in new nation. Camps of instruction were set-up over state to enroll, equip and train troops. Hardest job was to convince Texans, the best horsemen in world, that all could not ride in cavalry but some must be foot soldiers in infantry. The C.S.A. was supplied guns, powder, lead, cloth made in penitentiary, salt and 20,000 troops in his term. In late 1861 he raised and became colonel 14th Tex. Inf. Regt. Led units in Arkansas-Louisiana campaigns to prevent invasion of Texas. Wounded and commended Battle Pleasant Hill April 1864. Discharged 1865. Postwar lawyer, businessman. Buried in Marshall Cemetery.