Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/270

 CLAY

CLAY

CLAY, Henry, soldier, was born in Ashland, Ky., April 10, 1811; son of Henry and Lucrttia (Hart) Clay, and brother of James Brown Clay. He was graduated at Transylvania university in 1828 and at the U.S. military academj^ at West Point in 183L He then determined upon a civil profession and resigned from the armj-, studied law and began its i^ractice at Louisville, Ky., in 1833. He was elected to the lower house of the Kentucky legislature, serving 1835-37. Ujjon the outbreak of the Mexican war he was commis- sioned lieutenant colonel of the 2d Kentucky vol- unteers, and on Oct. o, 1846, was appointed an aid on the staff of General Taylor. He led in a charge at the battle of Buena Vista and fell, pierced by a Mexican lance, as he rode at the head of his regiment. He died on the battlefield, Feb. 23, 1847.

CLAY, James Brown, representative, Avas born in Washington, D.C., Nov. 9, 1817; son of Henry and Lucretia (Hart) Clay, and brother of Henry Clay, Jr. He was educated at Transyl- vania university and Avhen fifteen years old went to Boston, Mass., where for two years he was emplo^'ed as a clerk in a mercantile house. He then removed to St. Louis, Mo., at that period a small frontier town, and engaged in farming. In 1838 he returned to his father's home in Ken- tucky, carried on a manvifacturing business, and studied law in Lexington. He became a law partner with his father, and in August, 1849, President Taylor appointed him charge d'affaires at Lisbon. He returned home July 19, 1850, by order of the government and made his home in Missouri. In 1853, after the death of his father, he returned to Kentuckj' to take charge of Ash- land. In 1856 he was elected as a Democrat a representative in the 35th congress, from the Lexington district, and served on the committee on foreign i-elations. He was sent as a delegate from Kentucky to the peace convention in 1861. Upon his return to Kentucky he espoused the Confederate cause. He died in Montreal, Canada, Jan. 26, 1864.

CLAY, John Randolph, dii)lomatist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 29, 1808; son of Joseph and Mary (Ashmead) Clay : and grandson of Curtis Clay and of John Ashmead. He was edu- cated in Virginia at private schools, living with his godfather, John Randolph of Roanoke, from early boyhood until he accompanied him to Russia as secretary of the U.S. legation at St. Petersburg, June 4, 1830. He was charge tVaffaires at St. Petersburg, 1836-37, secretary of the U.S. legation, Vienna, Austria, 1838-45 ; acting charge d'affaires at Vienna, 1839-42, and was again made secretary of the legation at St. Petersburg, March 15, 1845. On March 3, 1847. he was appointed charge d'affaires at Peru and afterward served

as minister to Peru from March 16, 1853, to Oct. 23, 1860. He was twice married, first at St. Petersburg, Russia, Jan. 27, 1814, to Frances Ann C. S., daughter of Dr. Harry L. Gibbs of Exeter, England, and secondly to Jane T. M., daughter of Arthur Ci-awford of Renfrewshire, Scotland. He died in London, England, Aug. 15, 1885.

CLAY, Joseph, delegate to the Continental congre.ss,was born at Beverley, Yorkshire, Eng- land, Oct. 16, 1741 ; son of Ralph and Elizabeth (Habersham) Clay. He immigrated to Georgia in 1760 and engaged successfully in a general commission business in Savannah, later becoming^ interested in planting. He was married Jan. 2, 1763, to Ann Legardere. By a meeting of patri- otic citizens in Savannah, July 27, 1774, he was chosen a member of the Revolutionary committee, and on May 11, 1775, personally participated in the seizure of 600 pounds of powder from the king's magazine in Savannah. On June 22, 1775, he was elected a member of the council of safety, and on July 4, 1775, was a delegate to the Pro- vincial congress which met in Savannah, and by which he was appointed a member of several important committees. On Aug. 6, 1777, he was recognized by the Continental congress as depvity paymaster-general in Georgia with the rank of colonel, and dui'ing the years 1778, 1779 and 1780 he was a delegate from Georgia to the Continental congress. In July, 1782, he was elected treasurer of the state of Georgia and in 1785 was named as one of the trustees for establishing the college, which subsequently developed into the University of Georgia. In Maj-, 1791, he was a member of the committee which welcomed President Wash- ington to Savannah. He died in Savannah, Ga., Nov. 15, 1804.

CLAY, Joseph, clergj-man, was born at Savan- nah, Ga., Aug. 16, 1764; son of Col. Joseph and Ann (Legardere) Clay. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1784, with the highest honors, and was admitted to the Georgia bar at Savannah in 1787. He was a member of the state convention of 1798 that framed the consti- tution, and was .iudge of the U.S. district court of Georgia by appointment of President Wash- ington, 1796-1801. He was ordained a Baptist preacher in 1804 and was assistant pastor of the 1st BaiJtist church in Savannah till 1807, when he became pastor of the 1st Baptist church, Boston, Mass. He resigned the latter charge in 1809 by reason of failing health. He received the hon- orary degree of A.M. from Brown university in 1806 and was a trustee of that institution, 1807-11. He died in Boston, Mass., Jan. 11, 1811.

CLAY, Joseph, representative, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., July 24, 1769; son of Curtis and Margaret (Wood) Clay; grandson of Slater and Ann (Curtis) Clay, and of Joseph and Mary