John Bullock Clark

John Clark
Clark photographed in 1859
Member of the Confederate States House of Representatives from Missouri's 3rd district
In office June 10, 1864 – May 10, 1865
Preceded by	Caspar Bell
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Confederate States Senator from Missouri
In office February 18, 1862 – February 17, 1864
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	George Graham Vest
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 3rd district
In office December 7, 1857 – July 13, 1861
Preceded by	James S. Green
Succeeded by	William Augustus Hall
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office 1850–1851
Personal details
Born	(1802-04-17)April 17, 1802 Madison County, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	October 29, 1885(1885-10-29) (aged 83) Fayette, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Whig Democratic
Children	John Bullock Clark Jr.
Relatives	James Clark Christopher Henderson Clark
Military service
Allegiance	Missouri (pre-1861) Missouri State Guard (1861)
Rank	Major general (Missouri militia) Brigadier general (Missouri State Guard)
Commands	3rd Division, Missouri State Guard
Battles/wars	Black Hawk War Missouri Mormon War American Civil War

John Bullock Clark Sr. (April 17, 1802 – October 29, 1885) was a militia officer and politician who served as a member of the United States Congress and Confederate Congress. Born in Kentucky, Clark moved with his family to Missouri in 1818 and studied law. He opened a legal practice in Fayette, Missouri, in 1824. He held several positions in the local government in the 1820s and 1830s. Clark was also involved in the state militia, serving as a colonel in the Black Hawk War in 1832 and eventually rising to the rank of major general. In 1838, during the Missouri Mormon War, Clark was the recipient of Governor Lilburn Boggs's infamous Mormon Extermination Order, and was involved in the ending stages of the conflict. He was the Whig candidate in the 1840 Missouri gubernatorial election. Clark was accused of conspiring to commit electoral fraud in the election and as a result almost fought a duel with Claiborne Fox Jackson, later a Governor of Missouri.

In 1850, Clark was elected as a Whig to the Missouri House of Representatives and served into 1851. He was elected in 1857 to fill a vacancy in one of Missouri's seats in the United States House of Representatives. With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Clark, a wealthy owner of 160 slaves, became a leading secessionist in Missouri. After the pro-secessionist Missouri State Guard (MSG) was formed in May 1861, he was appointed by Jackson as a brigadier general commanding the MSG's 3rd Division. After leading his troops against Federal forces in the Battle of Carthage, Missouri on July 5, Clark was expelled from the House of Representatives for fighting against the United States. On August 10, he led his division in the Battle of Wilson's Creek, in which he was wounded.

After being appointed as a delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress by the Confederate government of Missouri late in 1861, Clark resigned his military commission. He was appointed to the Confederate States Senate for the First Confederate Congress, serving from February 1862 to February 1864. During his time in Congress, he opposed the Jefferson Davis administration on some issues, but supported it on others. Confederate Governor of Missouri Thomas Caute Reynolds did not appoint him to a second senate term due to allegations of alcoholism, mendacity, and womanizing. After defeating Caspar Wistar Bell in an election for the Confederate House of Representatives for the Second Confederate Congress, Clark served in that role until March 1865. After the defeat of the Confederacy, he fled to Mexico, but was arrested upon his return to Texas in late 1865. He was released after several months, and returned to Missouri in 1870, where he practiced law for the rest of his life. His son, John Bullock Clark Jr., was a general in the Confederate States Army and later served in the United States Congress.