Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/274

 CLAYTON

CLAYTON

gusta, Ga., he was chosen to make a speech of welcome to the President, which elicited from Washington special praise and the present to the seven-year-old boy of a copy of " Sallust " dnly Inscribed. He was a member of the first class to be graduated from Franklin college (afterward the University of Geoi'gia), receiving his A.B. degree in 1804 and his A.M. degree in 1807. He read law with Judge Thomas P. Carnes and was admitted to the bar at Washington, Ga. He practised for one year in Franklin county and then settled in Athens, Ga., representing that district in both branches of the state legislature. In 1810 he was commissioned to compile the state statutes to date from 1800. He was judge of the superior court, 1819-25, and 1828-31, and in 1829 was a presidential elector. In 1830 he was elected as a Democrat a representative in the 22d con- gress, and was re- elected to the 23d congress. He was married on Dec. 20, 1807, to Julia, niece of Judge Thomas P. Carnes, of Franklin county, Ga. He ijublished '' The Mysterious Picture of Wrang- ham Fitz-ramble," and "The Life of David Crockett, written by Himself." He was made a trustee of the University of Georgia in 1816 and held the ofiice until his death, which occurred at Athens, Ga., June 21, 1839.

CLAYTON, Henry De Lamar, educator, was born in Pulaski county, Ga., March 7, 1827 ; son of Nelson and Sarah (Carruthers) Clayton. He was graduated from Emory and Henry college, Va., in 1848, and was admitted to the bar in 1849, practising in Clayton, Ala. He was a rep- resentative in the state legislature 1857-61, and then joined the Confederate army as a private. He was at once ordered to Pensacola, Fla., to take command of the Alabama troops, and on March 28, 1861, was made colonel of the 1st Ala- bama infantry, remaining at Pensacola for one year. He then organized the 39th Alabama regi- ment, which he commanded in the Kentucky cam- paign. He was severely wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, and was promoted brigadier- general, being given command of five Alabama regiments. He rendered especially distinguished services at Chickamauga, Dug Gap and New Hope Church, and was promoted major-general, taking charge of what had been General Stew- art's division, with which he participated in all the subsequent battles and campaigns of the army of Tennessee up to the surrender in North Carolina. After the war he returned to his plantation near Clayton, Ala. He was elected circuit judge in 1866, but was deprived of that oflfice in 1868 by the reconstruction act of con gress. He was again elected circuit judge in 1874, was re-elected in 1880 and held that office until 1886 when he resigned and was elected president of the University of Alabama at Tus-

caloosa. He died wliile filling tliat office, leav- ing surviving liini a widow, daughter of General Jolin L. Hunter of Alabama, and seven .sons and four daugliters. One of Iiis sons. Henry De Lamar Clayton, was elected as a Democrat a representa- tive in congress, 1897-1905. Anotlier son, B. T. Clayton of Brooklyn, N.Y.. commanded the New- York volunteer cavalry of the United States army in the Porto Rican campaign, 1898. Judge Clay- ton died at Tuscaloosa, Ala., Oct. 13. 1889.

CLAYTON, John, botanist, was born at Tul- ham, Kent count}', England, about 1685; son of John Clayton, afterward attorney -general of Virginia. In 1705 he went to Virginia where he practised medicine and was secretary of Glouces- ter county from 1722 until his death. He made observations on the natural history of the country, which he sent to the Royal society of London, and which were published in Vols. 17, 18, and 41 of the Philosophical Transactions. He also pressed many plants, which he sent to Gronovius, a Dutch naturalist, who with Lin- najLis, published at Leyden '* Flora Virginica, exhibens plantas quas in Virginia, J. Clayton coUegit "' (2 vols., 1739-43). A son of Gronovius prepared the third volume which was published in 1762. Clayton discovereil many new species, one of which Gronovius called Clmjtonia. He was an indefatigable worker and made a long botanical voyage the year before his death. He left two volvmies of manuscript and a Hortus Linwiii with marginal notes. During the ReA*o- lution his sons placed his manuscript in the hands of a relative who was secretary of New Kent, where it was afterward consumed by fire. He died in Virginia, Dec. 15. 1773.

CLAYTON, John .Widdleton, statesman, was born in Dagsborough, Del., July 24, 1796; son of James and Sarah (Middleton) Clayton ; grandson of James and Grace Clayton ; great-graiid- son of John and Grace Clayton; and great^ grandson of Josliua Clayton, who immi- grated to America with William Penn in 1682. He was prepared for college at acad- emies in Berlin, Md., and Milford, Del., and was graduated from Yale with the highest honors in 1815. He stvidied law in the of- fice of his cousin. Senator Thomas Clayton, and in the Litchfield, Conn., law school, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1819. In 1822 he was mar- ried to Sallie Ann, daughter of Dr. James Fisher