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Edward Clark (April 1, 1815 - May 4, 1880) was an American politician in the mid 19th century in the state of Texas and Confederate soldier during the American Civil War. From 1859 to 1861 he served as the state's lieutenant governor, and succeeded to the governorship on March 18, 1861 when incumbent Governor Sam Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederate States of America and thus (according to the state's secession convention, a body of dubious legality) forfeited the office.
Clark was narrowly defeated in a very close election for his own term as governor, losing to Francis Lubbock on November 7, 1861. On leaving the state house, he joined the Confederate States Army as a colonel and became commanding officer of the 14th Texas Volunteer Infantry. He was given a field promotion to brigadier general in 1864 after being wounded in battle.
After the war he briefly fled to Mexico but returned to the US and lived out the rest of his life there.
Edward Clark in "Lee at the Alamo"
On hearing that Texas had joined the Confederate States, Robert E. Lee predicted that the state government would soon oust its unionist governor, Sam Houston, and replace him with the secessionist lieutenant governor, Edward Clark. As long as Houston was governor, Benjamin McCulloch's Texan militia could not claim that its actions were sanctioned by the state government. That would change with Clark in the Governor's Mansion.
| Political offices (OTL) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Francis R. Lubbock |
Lieutenant Governor of Texas 1859–1861 |
Succeeded by John McClannahan Crockett |
| Preceded by Sam Houston |
Governor of Texas 1861 |
Succeeded by Francis R. Lubbock |
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