William Henry CLARK

   Cause of death was Dropsy, fever sore from Civil War injury.

   General Notes:

Obit. Ingham Co. Democrat, Mason, Michigan January 9, 1902

Death of William H. Clark Occurred January 5, 1902. Over 30 years an active business man.

William H. Clark, for nearly 40 years an active business man and citizen of Mason, died last Sunday morning at 7:15 o'clock. For nearly 40 years he has suffered with a fever sore on his limb, contracted in the war of the Rebellion and for the past three or four years has been afflicted with diabetes but the immediate cause of his death was heart disease and dropsy. His final illness lasted about a month and he was unconscious for fully 20 hours before his death.

By request of the deceased, the interment took place at the Felt cemetery in Bunkerhill township, beside his father and mother. Capt. J.G. Snook, H. Blakely, R. Raymond, S.C. Parker and A.V. Peek acted as bearers. Phil McKernan Post of the G.A.R. of which the deceased was a charter member, attended the services in a body, headed by the stars and stripes, and escorted the remains a short distance on their last journey.

Deceased came to Mason in December 1864, soon after coming out of the army, and was followed by his family Jan. 2, 1865. He engaged in the Livery business, which with the hotel business has been his occupation most of the time. A portion of his time has been devoted to the marble business, the blacksmith and wagon business, running a saw mill, and at one time was interested in a grocery and drug store at Lansing and grocery store in Mason.

During his residence here deceased was marshal of Mason, while a village; was undersheriff of Ingham County under ex-sheriff William Spears, who resides at Wyandotte; was mayor of the city one term and justice of the peace for four years, besides holding other minor positions.

Deceased had many good qualities, one of which was charity and benevolence. He never turned a fellow being, no matter how lowly, from his door who asked for something to eat or a night's lodging, and many a poor family in our city has been gladdened with a basket of provisions left at their door. He was of a jovial disposition and no matter how much he was suffering he could tell a good story and appreciate a joke. He was an admirer of young men and delighted to talk and counsel with them, after giving them good sound advice.

He is survived by a widow and four sons, all of whom reside in this city, and two sisters, Mrs. William Marshall of Ithaca and Mrs. E. L. Cooper of Grass Lake. The latter with her husband was present at the funeral services. Mrs. Marshall was unable to attend owing to ill health.

The following sketch of the deceased is taken from the Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties:

William H. Clark of Mason, Ingham County was born in Elba, Genesee County N.Y., Feb. 20, 1831. He is a son of Abijah and Phebe Ann (Driggs) Clark, both natives of Genesee county, where the family has resided for generations and indeed for one hundred years. Our subject was brought up on a farm and at the age of 15 began his apprenticeship as a printer at Mason and completed his training on the Detroit Free Press in 1850. Five years later he purchased a newspaper at Wilmington , Will County, Illinois and conducted it until 1859, when he moved to Yorkville, Kendall County, Ill, where he remained until 1861. He studied law and was admitted to the bar while in Wilmington about the year 1857.

At the breaking out of the war this young man sold out his paper and entered the 36th Illinois Infantry., receiving a commission as second lieutenant. His first heavy battle was at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Later he was transferred to the vicinity of Shiloh after the battle had been fought at that place and was with the army that drove Beauregard out of Corinth, Ky. While at Rienzi he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant for meritorious service on the field of Pea Ridge.

His regiment was transferred to Cincinnati and later to Louisville. They were in the battle of Perryville, being in Sheridan's division under Gen. Buell, and here our subject was wounded in the left arm so that he was disabled for two months. He took part in the battle on Stone River at Murfreesburo and was again wounded but being the only officer left in his company, he remained in charge. The regiment lost about two fifths of its number in this battle. He was now promoted to the rank of regiment adjutant. In the battle of Chickamauga his horse was shot from under him and he never received pay for the loss until 21 years afterward. At Chattanooga he received a captain's commission for meritorious service during the preceding battles. At the battle of Missionary Ridge he was wounded by a bayonet in the right leg and soon afterward resigned on account of disability.

Before going into the army Mr. Clark had been married and by this union there were two children, William Lee Clark, editor of the Ingham County Democrat and Lillian P. Clark, who was married to Frank C. Miner of Vevay and died several years later, leaving a daughter. The mother of this son and daughter was called from earth in 1863. Our subject was again married and located at Mason, where he has conducted a hotel and livery business for many years, being proprietor of the Clark House. By his second marriage he has three sons, Charles Spencer, Fred J. and George O.

The first Mrs. Clark bore the maiden name of Julia A. Mead and was a daughter of Andrew J. and Parnell (Wait) Mead. The present Mrs. Clark was known in maidenhood as Kate M. Marsh and was the daughter of Spencer and Charlotte Marsh. Mr. Clark's parents moved to Michigan when he was only four years old and he remembers the soldiers who took part in the boundary war between Michigan and Ohio. His paternal grandfather, William Lee Clark, was killed at the siege of Buffalo in the War of 1812.

From Some of the Descendants of Samuel Clark of Batavia and Elba, New York: "William H. Clark was a native of Elba, Genesee County, N.Y., and went to Bunker Hill Township, Ingham County, Michigan, with his father, Abijah Lee Clark, in 1843. he commenced learning the printer's trade in the office of the Ingham Herald, at Mason, Michigan, in 1845, after which he worked for several years at Lansing. In 1855 he went to Illinois, in which State he published a paper until the outbreak of the Civil War.

"He enlisted in the 36th Illinois Infantry and was successively promoted to 2nd Lieut., 1st Lieut., and Adjutant. He was wounded at Pea Ridge, and served throughout the war. When discharged, he returned to Mason in December, 1864. he was engaged in the livery business for several years, and in 1875 erected the Clark House." (Refs. Ingham County, Mich., History.): He fought in many of the battles of the western campaign - Pea Ridge, Stone's River, Chickamaugua and Chattanooga to name a few. He was wounded at least 3 times and his horse was shot out from under him. He received a telegram in April 1863 informing him of his wife's (Julia) death. He requested and was granted leave to go home and make arrangements for the care of his two small children, William Lee Clark and Lillian Clark. He returned to Stone's River and following that went on to Chickamaugua and Chattanooga. I have visited these battlefields and find records in all of them commending him and telling the story of the 36th Illinois Infantry Company E in which he was first a 2nd Lieutenant, then 1st. Lt. and finally appointed Company Adjutant. He lead the entire company in the final days of his service time. He was wounded seriously and suffered other ailment such a rheumatism making it too hard to be in battle. He resigned in Nov. 1863 and returned to Yorkville, IL where he met and married (1864) Kate Maria Marsh. They moved to Michigan almost immediately and became residents of Mason which is about 10 miles from Bunker Hill where his father and mother, Abijah and Phoebe (Driggs) Clark had lived and where he spent much of his childhood. Kate treated his two children as she would her own. She bore three sons, Charles S., George O. and Fred. .... He is buried in Bunker Hill township in Felt Plains Cemetery with his parents, Abijah & Phoebe. William H. Clark was a newspaper publisher and editor. He ran first the Willmington Herald in Willimington, IL from 1855 to ? then bought a paper in Yorkville called the Clarion. .... He sold the Clarion in 1861 and enlisted being mustered in at Aurora, IL in September. ++++++ from a page copied out of a History of Will County Illinois sent by a historian in Wilmington: Wilmington's first newspaper, the Wilmington Herald, was established in this place in 1854 by D.H. Berdine. Whether misfortunes never come singly or not, that year marked the advent of the cholera in our midst, also. The Herald was a joint stock institution, gotten up by a number of citizens; and the setting-up of the press and material was literally a nine-days wonder in the eyes of many villagers. Cholera swept off one of the printers - John J. Post - and sickness and disaster threaten the Herald's success. In less than a year afterward, R. W. Waterman, a large stockholder, obtained control of the office and placed it in charge of William H. Clark, of Michigan, who was to edit and publish the sheet (a six or seven column folio) at a salary of $15. per week. Clark watched his opportunity. The stock gradually merged in the hands of a few, and that few mortgaged it; a snide "mortgage sale." made in the presence of a chosen few, was had, and the Herald passed into the hands of Clark, the consideration being $7.00! It ran along three or four years when Joseph Braden of the Joliet True Democrat, came down to Wilmington with an old Ramage press to trade for the Herald press - a Foster, but the citizens got wind of it and mobbed the office. How the aggrieved and swindled original stockholders settled the matter, the writer does not remember, but it was patched up somehow and security given. In 1956 or thereabout, Clark removed from this place - office and all - to Kendall County, where he established the Kendall County Clarion. The present publisher of the Advocate was chief "devil" of the Herald office for some time, while J. H. Reubenau, now a C & A express-train conductor, was the principal typo when not engaged in stealing Waterman's dry wood. (Written by E.D. Conley, Esq. editor and proprietor of the Wilmington Advocate.) ----------

   Events:

1. Funeral Services. Funeral services were held at the residence of his eldest son Tuesday forenoon at 9:30 and were attended by a large number of old settlers, old soldiers, business men and friends of the family. Services were conducted by Rev. A.S. Zimmerman, assisted by Rev. A.F. White.

2. Resided; Mar 1843; Bunker Hill Township, Ingham Co., MI. ²

3. Military Service; 20 Aug 1861-23 Dec 1863. ⁵ Promoted to Full 1st Lieut on 16 July 1862. Promoted to Full Adjutant on 12 March 1863 (Not Mustered) Served Illinois Commission E Co. 36th Infantry Regiment. IL

4. Resided; Dec 1864; Mason, Ingham Co., MI.

   Marriage Information:

William married Julia A. MEAD in 1856 in Mason, Ingham Co., MI. (Julia A. MEAD was born in New York, died on 16 Apr 1863 in Bristol, York Co., IL and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Bristol, York Co., IL.)

   Marriage Information:

William also married Katherine Maria MARSH on 23 Nov 1864 in Yorkville, Kendall Co., IL. (Katherine Maria MARSH was born on 6 Jul 1843 in Allegan, Allegan Co., MI, died on 15 Apr 1921 in St. Johns, Clinton Co., MI and was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery, Mason, Ingham Co., MI.)