Biographical Sketch of Maj. John T. Clarke, Washington County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Maj. John T. Clarke, well known for the past fourteen years as an effi-
cient, capable and obliging book keeper in the State Auditor's office,
and for the past six and a half years chief clerk in that office, was
born in Culpeper County, Va., at Stevensburg, March 20, 1843.  James
Clarke, his father, a native of Orange County, Va., was a soldier in
the War of 1812, and died in 1854, leaving three children, of whom John
T. is the eldest.  A brother, James W., is postmaster at De Soto, and a
sister, Mary A., is now Mrs. A. J. Norwine.  Mrs. Clarke, whose maiden
name was Elizabeth T. Murphy, was married a second time to Rev. James
Keen (deceased).  She is still a resident of Washington County. John T.
received his education in the schools of Virginia and Missouri, attend-
ing during the sessions of 1858-59 and 1860-61 the State University, at
Columbia.  In July, 1861, he commenced to teach school, but soon dis-
continued it on account of the turbulent condition of the country.  In
August, 1862, convinced that the preservation of the Union was para-
mount to all other considerations, he enlisted as a private in the 
Thirty-first Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry, under command of
Thomas C. Fletcher, was attached to Frank P. Blair's brigade, and later
came under command of Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, being assigned to duty 
on the adjutant general's staff.  In September, 1864, he was transfer-
red to Gen. Rosecrans' headquarters at St. Louis, where he served until
honorably discharged July 1, 1865.  Upon returning home he was engaged
in the drug business at Irondale for a time, and from the fall of 1866
until November, 1870, served faithfully as deputy sheriff and collector
of Washington County, was then elected sheriff and collector, and among
other duties performed during his official career was the execution of
Jolly and Armstrong, elsewhere mentioned in this work.  In 1873, upon
the expiration of his term, he entered the office of State auditor, as
referred to above, where his subsequent career is too well known to 
need any additional words to empty comment.  In the State campaign of 
1884 he warmly supported the candidacy of Gov. John S. Marmaduke, who,
after his election, tendered him the office of commissioner of labor
statistics.  This offer was declined.  Maj. Clarke belongs to the class 
of stalwart Union Democrats, who, passing through the dark days of war
and reconstruction, never faltered or weakened in the faith.  He was
married December 10, 1874, to Miss Sadie Bolton, a daughter of Dr. Bol-
ton, of Cole County, Mo.  They have two children, Bessie and Fletcher.

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