Richard Henry Clarke (February 9, 1843 – September 26, 1906) was a politician and

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Biography

Born in

Dayton, Alabama Dayton is a town in Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 28 at the 2020 census, down from 52 in 2010 and 60 in 2000. History Dayton began to be settled in the early 19th century, with a town survey done and a "public well" ...

, Clarke attended Green Springs Academy. He graduated from the

University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the public ...

in July 1861. He soon enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, and during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

was a lieutenant in the First Battalion of Alabama Artillery. After the war, Clarke studied law and passed the bar in 1867; he commenced practice in

. He moved to

Demopolis, Alabama Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the time of the 2020 United States census, down from 7,483 at the 2010 census. The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and T ...

, and continued to work as a lawyer. There he was elected as State Solicitor for Marengo County, serving 1872-1876. He was prosecuting attorney of the seventh judicial circuit in 1876 and 1877. He moved to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

, where he resumed a law practice. Helen Gaines Clarke

Marriage and family

In 1877 he married Helen Gaines Foot, a native of Mobile. Her father, C. K. Foot, was a native of Vermont, and a descendant of Nathaniel Foot, one of the early settlers of

Wethersfield, Connecticut Wethersfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. Its population was 27,298 at the time of the 2020 census. Many records from colonial times spell the name ...

. Her mother was Sarah Lyons, of Mobile, of the distinguished Pendleton and Gaines families. His wife spent her early years in Mobile, but she later attended school in New York City. Their daughters, Helen Gaines and Mary Morris Clarke, resembled their mother in face and manner.

Later political career

Clarke was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

from

Alabama's 1st congressional district Alabama's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It includes the entirety of Washington, Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia and Mon ...

to the Fifty-first and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1897). He was not a candidate for renomination, as he ran in 1896 for governor. He was not successful. Clarke resumed the practice of law in Mobile. He was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1900 and 1901. He died in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, on September 26, 1906. His body was returned to Mobile, where he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery.

References

;Specific

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Richard Henry 1843 births 1906 deaths People from Demopolis, Alabama Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama 19th-century American politicians