Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/240

 CLARK

CLARK

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a private in tlie 11th Alabama regiment. He was promoted lieutenant and participated in the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fredericks- burg, Chancellors- ville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsj'l- vania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and in the severe fighting along the Welden railroad, the "mine," and va- rious engagements north of the James. He was wounded at Gaines" Mill in 1862, at Gettysburg in 1863 and at Ream's Sta- tion near Petersburg, in August, 1864. He was promoted to a captaincy in 1862 and he served in that capa- city to the end of the war. After the sur- render at Appomatox he returned home, studied law with his father and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1866. In January, 1867, he removed to Texas and practised at Weather- ford until December, 1868, when lie removed to Waco and permanently established himself in his profession. He was secretary of state for Texas in 1874; attorney -general, 1874-76; served as a commissioner on the revision and codifica- tion of the statutes until 1878; and was judge of the court of appeals, 1879-80. In 1892 he was a candidate before the Democratic primaries for nomination as governor of Texas. Upon the assembling of the convention the demands of the extremists caused a split in the Democratic party in Texas and Judge Clark was defeated.

CLARK, George Bassett, mechanician, was born in Lowell, Mass. , Feb. 27, 1827 ; son of Alvan and Maria (Pease) Clark. He was educated at the grammar school, at Mr. Whitman's private school, Cambridge, and at Phillips academy, Andover, where he was prepared to enter the sophomore class of Harvard. He decided, how- ever, to devote himself to the business of a civil engineer on the Boston and Maine railroad. He went to California in 1848, but soon returned and commenced to manufacture and repair telescopes. The accidental breaking of a dinner bell at An- dover academy in 1843 had furnished him the metal from which, by the addition of some tin, he formed a mass from which he ground a con- cave mirror and, with the help of his father, con- structed a 5-inch reflecting telescope, with which he could see the satellites of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. Their early instruments were fitted with reflecting lenses, but they developed the refracting, which gave the name of Alvan

Clark & Sons a world-wide reputation. They constructed the celebrated 36-inch glass of the Lick observatory. He was a master mechanician, enjoying the confidence of the best astronomers of Harvard ob.servatory, and liis life work was in this famous observatory, where he made many important discoveries. He was a member of Professor Winlock's eclipse party at Shelbyville, Ky., in 1869, and was repeatedly urged to occupy other eclipse expeditions. He was unanimously elected a member of the American academy of arts and sciences, Jan. 9, 1878, his special depart- ment being that of practical astronomy and geodesy. In 1882 he was elected a member of the Count Rumford committee and continued as such until his death, which occurred at Cam- bridge, Mass., Dec. 30, 1891.

CLARK, George Henry, clergyman, was born at Newburyjiort, Mass., Nov. 7, 1819; son of Thomas March and Rebecca (Wheelwright) Clark; and a descendant of Nathaniel and Eliza- beth (Somerby) Clark of Newbur}', and of the Rev. John Wheelwright, the "puritan heretic,"' foimder of Exeter, N.H., and of Wells, Me. He was graduated at Yale in 1843; pursued his the- ological studies at the Virginia theological sem- inary ; and was admitted to the priesthood of the Protestant Episcopal church in 1846. He was rector of All Saints' church, Worcester, Mass., 1846-49; of St. John's, Savannah, Ga., 1854-61; and of Christ church, Hartford, Conn., 1861-67. Trinity college conferred upon him the degree of D.D. in 1862. He is the author of many published sermons and a book on Oliver Cromwell.

CLARK, George Rogers, soldier, was born near Monticello, Albemarle county, Va., Nov. 19, 1752; son of John and Ann (Rogers) Clark; and grandson of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Wil- son) Clark. His maternal great-grandfather, Giles Rogers, im - migrated to Amer- ica from Worces- tershire, Eng. , early in the 17th century and set- tled in King and Queen county, Virginia. He prac- tised sm'veying early in life and in 1771 or 1772 he made a long tour through the upper Ohio valley for the purpose of locat- ing land for himself, and for several years spent much of his time clearing and im- proving his land, in Grave creek township,