Saturday, March 29, 2008

Charles M. Clark

Charles M. Clark was born in November 14, 1839, or October 22, 1840, in Michigan, or in Cambridge, Rensselaer County, New York, the son of "Mike" and Jennie (Sweet).

By early 1861 Charles was probably living in Lansing or Ingham County, Michigan, when he became a member of the Lansing militia company called the “Williams’ Rifles”, whose members would serve as the nucleus of Company G.

Charles stood 5’9”, with blue eyes, auburn hair and a fair complexion and was 21 years old and probably living in Ingham County when he enlisted in Company G on May 10, 1861; he was possibly related to brothers Edgar and William Clark who were also from the Lansing area and who also enlisted in Company G.

On May 2, 1862, Frank Siverd of Company G wrote that Charles had recently been “grazed on the arm by fragments of a shell,” probably in late April of 1862, although there is no official record of his being wounded.

In any case, Charles was eventually detached to the quartermaster’s department and was working as wagoner for the Brigade wagon trains, from September to November of 1862. He was reported as a Brigade wagoner from December through June of 1863. In early August of 1863 Charles suffered a puncture wound by a stick and was treated August 4 to 13, and for incision of the wound October 13-17. Charles may have been taken sick sometime in the summer of 1863 and if so was possibly hospitalized without the knowledge of the Regiment.

Indeed, while the Regiment was on detached duty at Troy, New York, Charles was reported as having deserted on August 21, 1863. The charge of desertion was officially removed in 1915 and he was discharged by the War Department under Special Article 176 (February 27, 1915), to date from October 17, 1863. Most likely he was hospitalized, although there is no record to substantiate this.

In any case, Charles was probably "discharged for disability" sometime in 1863, probably October, although this is by no means certain.

Following his “release” or return from the army he returned to Michigan and lived in Bay City, and in Saginaw from 1863 to 1868. He eventually moved to Ohio and was living in Striker (?), Ohio from 1868 to 1871, in Cleveland, Ohio from 1871 to 1878 and “wandered some” from 1878 to 1915. He also reportedly lived in Muskegon, Muskegon County where for some years he worked as a farmer and a carpenter.

He married Jennie Conley on July 8, 1874 in Toledo, Ohio, and they had at least four children: William James, Roy, Bertha, and John Charles.

Charles was admitted to the Michigan Soldiers’ Home on April 1, 1915 (no. 6813), suffering from chronic diarrhea and defective vision. He stated in his admission application to the Home that he was married but that his nearest relative was a sister, Mary A. Linsley, of Farewell, Clare County, Michigan.

He was a Protestant. In 1914 he applied for and received pension no. 1,117,114, drawing $30.00 in late 1915.

Charles was discharged from the Home at his own request on September 3, 1918. He eventually moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He may have been the same Charles Clark (b. c. 1840 in Michigan) who was a resident of the County Home in Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio, in 1920 (he was reported as married). By 1930 he was living with Laura and Leroy Sweet in Painesville, Lake County, Ohio (Charles was listed as “father-in-law” and as having been born in Michigan while Laura’s parents were born in Pennsylvania and Leroy’s in Ohio.).

Charles was a widower living at 544 S. State Street in Painesville, Ohio when died of “old age” on January 6, 1932, in Painesville, and was buried in Washington Park cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.

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