John W. Clark

John Wesley Clark, his personal and family background, and his involvement in the Mountain Meadows Massacre

John Wesley Clark

1818-1869

Biographical Sketch

John Wesley Clark was a native of Warren County, Indiana with American forebears from Kentucky and the backcountry of western Pennsylvania. In his early years he moved from Indiana to Arkansas and Texas, then back to Arkansas. Joining the Mormons he moved with them through Iowa and Nebraska territories to frontier Utah. He was an American frontiersman and pioneer of southern Utah.

Early Years: Westward from Indiana

Clark was born in Williamsport, Warren, Indiana. He may have been christened in 1820 in White County in central Arkansas. His mother and her forebears were from Kentucky. His father’s mother was born in Ireland. His father was from Bedford County, part of the upper Appalachian Mountains in south-central Pennsylvania. Thus, the majority of Clark’s forebears were Scots-Irish.

In 1841, Clark married Evaline Brown (1822-1893), a Arkansas native, in White County in central Arkansas. They lived in White and Van Buren counties, then later moved to Grimes County in the newly-formed Republic of Texas. By 1851, they returned to Arkansas, settling in Galveston County, Arkansas.

Migration to Utah

They joined the Mormons and passed some years in the Mormon settlements in western Iowa. In 1853, they joined the Moses Daley freight train that departed in July for Utah Territory. Their family consisted of John Wesley, 35, Evaline, 30, Thomas Jefferson, 10, James Madison, 9, John Wesley, Jr., 4, and Lucinda Margaret, 2. In early August, Evaline gave birth to twins, Hyrum Brown and Nancy Jane, at Chimney Rock, Nebraska Territory.

The Mormon Trail

They passed the later milestones on the trail: Fort Laramie, the Sweetwater River, Independence Rock, Devil's Gate, Green River, Fort Bridger, Bear River, and Weber River. After suffering the usual hardships of overland trail they arrived in Great Salt Lake City in late September. They settled in Grantsville in Tooele County to the south of Great Salt Lake and remained there until 1857.

Joining the Southerners in Washington County and the Cotton Mission

The Cotton Mill in Washington County.

In spring 1857, the Clarks were part of a migration of southerners to the new settlement of Washington in Washington County. These southerners founded the Cotton Mission in what came to be known as Utah's Dixie. By the time they joined the new colony in southern Utah, the Clarks had six children, the oldest of whom was fourteen.

Washington appeared to have many advantages over other nearby locales. It was located near several fine springs and the Washington fields seemed to provide a lush expanse of farmland. However, appearances proved to be deceiving and soon "Dixie" was considered one of the most difficult areas to colonize. The broad fields were actually floodplains so if their dams washed out, as they did with discouraging frequency, their crops were jeopardized. Meanwhile the springs, so inviting in an arid, hot country, created marshes, the perfect habitat for mosquitos. Many of them suffered from bouts of malaria (the "fever and ague" or "chills") for many years.

Although the Cotton Mission eventually proved commercially unsuccessful, it did succeed in producing cotton goods for local use and export at an important stage in Utah Territory's economic development.

In the Iron Military District: Private John Clark, Company I, John D. Lee's 4th Battalion, Washington

In 1857, the Iron Military District consisted of four battalions led by regimental commander Col. William H. Dame. The platoons and companies in the first battalion drew on men in and around Parowan. (It had no involvement at Mountain Meadows.) Major Isaac Haight commanded the 2nd Battalion whose personnel in its many platoons and two companies came from Cedar City and outer-lying communities to the north such as Fort Johnson. Major John Higbee headed the 3rd Battalion whose many platoons and two companies were drawn from Cedar City and outer-lying communities to the southwest such as Fort Hamilton. Major John D. Lee of Fort Harmony headed the 4th Battalion whose platoons and companies drew on its militia personnel from Fort Harmony, the Southerners at the newly-founded settlement in Washington, the Indian interpreters at Fort Clara, and the new settlers at Pinto.

In September 1857, Clark, 39, was a private in a Washington platoon, in Harrison Pearce’s Company I in John D. Lee’s 4th Battalion. See A Basic Account for a full description of the massacre.

Clark was among those recruited from Washington, setting out for Mountain Meadows on Monday, September 7, arriving there on Tuesday, the 8th, and encamping there.

According to James Pearce and John D. Lee, Clark was at Mountain Meadows. His role in the massacre is unknown. Clark was not named in the 1859 arrest warrant.

Later Years

Clark and his family remained in Washington County until his death in 1869. He was buried in Washington, survived by his wife and ten living children. In later years his children were in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

References

Bradshaw, ed., Under Dixie Sun, 235; Lee, Mormonism Unveiled, 228, 379; Lee Trial transcripts; New.FamilySearch.org; Walker, et al, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, Appendix C, 256.

For full bibliographic information see Bibliography.

External Links

For further information on John Wesley Clark, see:

• http://mountainmeadowsmassacre.org/appendices/appendix-c-the-militiamen
• http://www.lindasgenealogy.org/getperson.php?personID=I481&tree=tree3 (genealogical information)
• http://www.ourfamilylegacy.info/files/clarkjohnowens1763posterity.html (biographical sketch)
• http://www.ourfamilylegacy.info/files/clarkjohnwesley1818biography.html (biographical sketch with family lore)
• http://www.geni.com/people/John-Clark/6000000007086682218 (brief genealogical information)
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jbturner&id=I3309 (ditto)
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/r/i/Michael-Brightwell/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0581.html (ditto)
• http://www.mocavo.com/family-tree/John-Buck/Genealogy-of-John-Buck/John-Wesley-Clark (ditto)
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Clark&GSiman=1&GScty=1995&GRid=91778426&

Further information and confirmation needed. Please comment or contact 1857_militia@roadrunner.com.