CLIPPED SIGNATURE OF ARMY OF THE POTOMAC STAFF OFFICER WITH AN ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY

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Item Code: 1054-2303

Clipped endorsement from an official Army document that reads:

OFFICE OF COM. SUBS. ARMY OF THE POTOMAC

WASHINGTON,  DEC. 7/61

RESPECTFULLY RETURNED – I KNOW OF NO OBJECTIONS

(signed) H. F. CLARKE

COL. + CS. USA

Clipping is attached to a blue mount with a silver border. Also attached to the mount is a Xerox copy of Henry F. Clarke’s entry in “BRIGADIER GENERALS IN BLUE” by Roger D. Hunt and Jack Brown. The mount is topped with “THE UNION” in silver script.

Henry Francis Clarke was born November 9, 1820 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. He attended Jefferson College and was an 1843 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Clarke began his army career as a 2nd lieutenant in the 2nd US Artillery. He saw service in Mexico being engaged at Palo Alto, Resaca De La Palma, Monterey, siege of Vera Cruz, Cero Gordo, Churubusco, Molino Del Ray where he was wounded, storming of Chapultepec and the assault and capture of Mexico City. By the war’s end he had received a promotion to captain by brevet for meritorious conduct at Chapultepec.

In the years following, Clarke served as an artillery instructor at West Point as well as professor of mathematics. He also served against the Seminoles in Florida before transferring to the Commissary of Subsistence Department in 1857.

When the Civil War began, Clarke was promoted to major in August 1861. In September 1861 he was commissioned colonel, US Volunteers, and assigned as an Aide-de-Camp to Major General George B. McClellan. He would eventually rise to the position of Chief Commissary of Subsistence for the Army of the Potomac. On March 13, 1865 he was brevetted brigadier general, US Regular Army for "gallant and meritorious services at the Battle of Gettysburg", and major general, US Regular Army for "faithful and meritorious services in the Subsistence Department during the war".

Clarke was mustered out of the Volunteers on May 31, 1866, having been promoted to lieutenant colonel, US Regular Army in May 1864, and he reverted back to that rank. He remained in the Army until he retired on November 9, 1884 as a colonel.

He died on May 10, 1887 in Washington, D.C. and is buried there in Oak Hill Cemetery.  [AD] [ph:L]

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