Amasa Clark
Amasa Clark | |
|---|---|
1922 portrait of Clark by Noah Hamilton Rose | |
| Birth name | Amasa Gleason Clark |
| Born | September 3, 1825 (or 1828) Schoharie Creek, Schoharie County, New York, US |
| Died | January 28, 1927 (aged 101) (or 98) Bandera County, Texas, US |
| Buried | Amasa Clark Family Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1847–1852 |
| Unit | 3rd Infantry Regiment |
| War | |
| Children | 19 |
Amasa Gleason Clark (September 3, 1825 (or 1828) – January 28, 1927) was an American soldier.
Biography
Clark was born on September 3, 1825[1] or 1828,[2] on the Schoharie Creek in Schoharie County, New York. In January 1847, during the Mexican–American War, he enlisted to Company I of the 3rd Infantry Regiment for five years, and was fighting by February or early March. He served under David E. Twiggs in the Siege of Veracruz and the Battle of Cerro Gordo. By the time the regiment reached Puebla, Clark became ill, later recovering then fighting in the Battles of Contreras, Churubusco and Chapultepec.[2][3][4]
Though Clark chose to enlist for the duration of the war, he was erroneously entered for five years, thus serving until 1852. Afterwards, he settled in Bandera County, Texas. There, he operated a farm and had 19 children between 2 wives. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Pioneer Freighters Association.[5] In his later life, Clark was relatively healthy for his age, having never smoked or drank alcohol. He was one of the last surviving veterans of the Mexican–American War,[2] behind Owen Thomas Edgar. He died on January 28, 1927, aged 98[2][4] or 101, of illness,[1] and was buried at the Amasa Clark Family Cemetery, which had a placard erected in 1990 by the Texas Historical Commission.[6] A placard in Bandera honors him.[5]
References
- ^ a b Frontier Times. Western Publications. 1926. p. 6.
- ^ a b c d "Remarkable Story of a Very Old Man - Amasa Clark | Texas History and genealogy, written by those who lived it". www.frontiertimesmagazine.com. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ Sowell, Andrew Jackson (1900). Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas. B. C. Jones. pp. 519–523. ISBN 978-1-5190-3898-2.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - ^ a b Edd, Barbara L. Skipper (2010-09-28). Amasa Clark's Journey: The Road from New York to Texas. Outskirts Press, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-4327-6390-9.
- ^ a b "Amasa Clark Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
- ^ "Clark Family Cemetery Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2025-06-30.