Henry Clay Jr. (April 10, 1811 – February 23, 1847) was an American politician and soldier from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
, the third son of US Senator and Representative
Henry Clay and Lucretia Hart Clay. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1835 and served one term. A graduate of
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
, he served in the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
and was killed in 1847 at the
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...
.
Early life and education
Born on his family's estate of
Ashland, in
Lexington, Henry, Jr. was the older brother of
James Brown Clay
James Brown Clay (November 9, 1817 – January 26, 1864) was an American politician and diplomat who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Kentucky's 8th congressional district from 1857 to 1859.
Early life and ed ...
and
John Morrison Clay, the only sons surviving at the time of their father's death. He had six sisters, all of whom died before their father.
After graduating from
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...
in 1828, Clay gained an appointment to the
U.S. Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
. He graduated in 1831 (2nd of his class), and served as a
second lieutenant in the artillery for a few months before resigning. Returning to Kentucky, he
read law and was admitted to the bar in 1833.
Marriage and family
In 1832, Henry Clay Jr. married Julia Prather (1814–1840), with whom he had five children.
Their daughter Anne Brown Clay (1837–1917) married Major
Henry Clay McDowell (1832–1899). In 1883, they purchased her grandfather's
Ashland estate from other heirs. Their son,
Thomas Clay McDowell, was a major figure in
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
horse racing in Kentucky. He was a breeder, owner, and
horse trainer
A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...
, who won the 1902
Kentucky Derby with
Alan-a-Dale
Alan-a-Dale (first recorded as Allen a Dale; variously spelled ''Allen-a-Dale'', ''Allan-a-Dale'', ''Allin-a-Dale'', ''Allan A'Dayle'' etc.) is a figure in the Robin Hood legend. According to the stories, he was a wandering minstrel who became a ...
.
Career
After starting his law career, in 1835 Clay was elected as a member of the
Kentucky State House of Representatives
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives.
The General Assembly meets annually in the ...
, serving a two-year term to 1837.
Mexican–American War
![Death of Lieut Col Henry Clay Jr by N Currier 1847](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Death_of_Lieut_Col_Henry_Clay_Jr_by_N_Currier_1847.jpg)
When the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
threatened, Clay raised a
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
, the 2nd Kentucky Volunteers. He was commissioned a lieutenant colonel and led his regiment in support of
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
's invasion force in 1846.
Clay brought one of his slaves named John with him to the war. On January 1, 1847, he wrote a letter back to his Kentucky family: "John asks me to give his Xmas compliments to you. He is still with me and has turned out on the whole a very good boy. He thanks God that he is still safe as several of his black companions have been killed by the Mexicans."
Clay was killed in action while leading a charge of his regiment in the
Battle of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...
on February 23, 1847. His body was transported to Kentucky and interred in
Frankfort Cemetery
The Frankfort Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located on East Main Street in Frankfort, Kentucky. The cemetery is the burial site of Daniel Boone and contains the graves of other famous Americans including seventeen Kentucky governors and a ...
in
Frankfort.
His slave John also returned to Kentucky, where after emancipation, he took the full name John Henry Clay. In 1876, he and his wife Sallie had a son, Herman Heaton Clay. In 1912, Herman and his wife Edith had a son of their own and named him
Cassius Marcellus Clay, after the
abolitionist cousin of Henry Clay. In 1942, Cassius and his wife
Odessa Grady Clay
Odessa Lee Clay ( née O'Grady; February 12, 1917 – August 20, 1994) was the mother of three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Rahman Ali, and the paternal
grandmother of Laila Ali. She married Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. i ...
had a son they named Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., who would later change his name to
Muhammad Ali and become three-time heavyweight champion of the world and one of the most famous humans of the 20th century.
Legacy and honors
Clay County, Iowa
Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,384. Its county seat is Spencer. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay Jr., a colonel who died in action in the Mexican–American War, and so ...
is named in his honor.
References
External links
*
Service Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, Henry, Jr.
1811 births
1847 deaths
Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives
American military personnel killed in the Mexican–American War
Kentucky lawyers
American people of English descent
United States Military Academy alumni
Burials at Frankfort Cemetery
Henry Clay family
American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law
19th-century American politicians