Private WILLIAM LEE CLARK, Co. I, 86th Illinois

William Lee Clark was born on either December 6, 1837 or on November 18, 1838 in Woodland Township, Fulton Co., Illinois. His tombstone gives his age at death as 67 years, 6 months and 6 days, which would place his date of birth as December 6, 1837, however, his biography, which was printed in The Biographical and Genealogical Records of Southeastern Nebraska in 1904, while he was still living, gives his birthdate as November 18, 1838. The 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 census records give his age as 11, 21, 31 and 41 which would jive with the 1838 year of birth and his age at enlistment was recorded as 23, which would also jive with the 1838 year of birth. Only the 1900 census, appears to jive with the 1837 year of birth.
William Lee Clark was the son of Michael Clark, who was born, probably in the United States, of Irish parents, who were from Dublin, Ireland, and Rachel (Smith) Clark, who was born in Virginia. Michael Clark and Rachael Smith were married on August 23, 1832 in Peoria County, Illinois. Four children were born to them, including;
1. Mattie Clark, born ____________ __, 183__. A Mattie E. Clark was married to John I. Bitler on December 20, 1866 in Peoria County, Illinois. Could this be her?

2. Alanson Clark, born November 5, 1833 in At the time of the 1860 census, John Clark, his wife, Eliza, and his brother, Alanson, are all found in Hollis Township, Peoria County, Illinois, where they are farming;
John Clark M 22 Ill
Eliza Clark F 20 Ill
Alanson Clark M 25 Ill

Alanson would go on to serve in the Thirty-second Illinois Infantry during the Civil War and would died on November 16, 1902 in Fulton county, Illinois. His mortal remains were laid in the Summum Sixteen Cemetery in Summum, Fulton County, Illinois. See his Find A Grave Memorial for more information about him and his family.

3. John Clark, born , in the Eighty-sixth Illinois for three years, now lives in Sterling, Nebraska.
John Clark was married to Eliza Shores on October 23, 1859 in Fulton County, Illinois. Eliza Shores was born c. 1839/40 in Illinois. Eliza is believed to have been the daughter of James Shores, who was born in Maryland c. 1792/93.

4. William Lee Clark, born November 18, 1838 in Woodland Township, Fulton County, Illinois. See his biography below.

One history relates, "His parents died when he was 3 years old and for 10 years he was shifted around from stranger to stranger. His life consisted of just existing. Then William was taken in by the Jones family in Peoria County, Illinois. They were kind to him and provided a good home for him, where life really began." However, the biography seen below states that, "WiIliam L. Clark lost his mother when he was three years old, and was reared by a Mrs. Jones. He spent his youth on a farm and was educated in the public schools, and for some time before the war lived in Peoria county, Illinois."
His mother's death, would have left Michael Clark, if he was still living, a widower with four children under the age of 9. So whether both parents were dead by 1841 or whether Michael decided to send the children to other families who could take care of the children is not known. Whatever the case, the children were farmed out to other families and raised in those families.
At the time of the 1850 census, William Clark is almost certainly the William Clark we find living with the Henry M. Jons/Jones family in Knox county, Illinois. This would fit what we know about William's early life;
Henry M Jons M 31 Kentucky
Jane Jons F 27 Indiana
Franklin Jons M 6 Illinois
Henry M Jons M 5 Illinois
Mary J Jons F 3 Illinois
Thomas Jons M 0 Illinois
William Clark M 11 Illinois

William Clark was married to Sarah Fuller on November 3, 1859 in Peoria County, Illinois. Sarah Fuller was born c. June 5, 1840 in what was to become Hollis Township, Peoria County, Illinois, the daughter of Joseph Fuller and Alice (Cowgill) Fuller. At the time of the 1860 census, William and Sarah (Fuller) Clark are found residing in Hollis Township, Peoria County, Illinois, next to Abram Maple and near George and Ann Fuller;
Wm Clark M 21 Ill
Sarah Clark F 20 Ill

William and Sarah were to become the parents of six children, including;
1. Daniel Clark, born _____________ __,1860 in Illinois. Daniel in 1904 was living five miles south of Tecumseh, Nebraska were he was engaged in the blacksmith, well and pump business, in company with his brother Allen, of Vesta. Daniel was married to Louisa Noyes, and they have had six children;
A. Charles B.
B. Enda
C. Bernice
D. Verna
E. Ella
F. Daniel Clark Jr. born and died before 1904.

2. John V. Clark, born c. 1862/63 in Illinois. In 1904,John was living in Vesta, Nebraska.

3. Judson Clark, born c. 1864/65 in Illinois. Judson married and had thee children, before his wife died. The children include;
A. Cleo
B. Fay
C. Veda

Judson in 1904 was residing at Berlin, Nebraska.

4. Mary Clark, born c. 1867 in Illinois. Mary was married to ____________ Ross. The were residents of Perry, Oklahoma in 1904.

5. Joseph Allen Clark, born 18 May 1868 in Pawnee County, Nebraska. From this child descends the line to the member of Laura Belle Stoddard Tent 22, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865. Joseph was married c.1891 to Jessie ___________. Their children include;
A. Bessie Clark, born c. 1892 in Nebraska
B. Alton Clark, born c. 1894/95 in Nebraska
C. Ruthe Clark, born c. 1897/98 in Nebraska

At the time of the 1900 census, Joseph and his family are found in Vesta Precinct, Johnson County, Nebraska;
Allen Clark Head M 32 Nebraska
Jessie Clark Wife F 26 Iowa
Bessie Clark Daughter F 8 Nebraska
Alton Clark Daughter F 5 Nebraska
Ruthe Clark Daughter F 2 Nebraska

Now to continue with the biography of William Lee Clark and his family;
On August 9, 1862, John Clark and William Lee Clark, both went into the village of Lancaster, Illinois, where they volunteered to serve in a company which was being raised in the Lancaster, Illinois/Timber-Hollis Township area of Peoria County by a well known business man and Lancaster area merchant, Allen L. Fahnestock. John and William both gave their place of residence as Hollis Township of Peoria County.

Name CLARK, WILLIAM L Rank PVT
Company I Unit 86 IL US INF

Personal Characteristics
Residence HOLLIS, PEORIA CO, IL
Age 23 Height 5' 9 Hair DARK Eyes HAZEL
Complexion DARK Marital Status MARRIED
Occupation FARMER Nativity FULTON CO, IL

Service Record
Joined When AUG 9, 1862 Joined Where LANCASTER, IL
Joined By Whom A L FAHNESTOCK Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____ Muster Out _____
Muster Out Where _____ Muster Out By Whom _____
Remarks DISCHARGED DEC 28, 1862 AT GALLATIN TENN FOR WOUND PVTD AT PERRYVILLE KY

When Fahnestock had about 100 volunteers he led his company into Peoria, where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. Fahnestock was elected Captain of the men of the Timber Township company and on August 27, 1862, Fahnestock, and 96 of the other Timber Township volunteers, including now Private John Clark and Private William L. Clark, were mustered in as Company I of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
The men of the 86th Illinois marched out of the gates of Camp Lyon on September 7, 1862, with much fanfare, through the streets of Peoria down to the railroad depot. There they were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. Together, at the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th Illinois boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt in Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. Three weeks later the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Colonel Daniel McCook's Brigade chasing Confederate troops. On October 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those Confederate troops during the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, suffering their first casualties.
Of the Battle of Perryville, Kinnear, in his history of the 86th, states the following. "Finding that the enemy were not going to attack him, Gen. Buell issued orders for the advance of his whole command on the 1st day of October. Accordingly, the line of march was taken up at the time specified in the order, the 36th brigade being among the troops that went. As Buell's army advanced, the enemy retreated, taking with him large supplies from the country. Our forces followed rapidly for seven days, when Gen. McCook's command overtook a portion of Bragg's army at Chaplin Hills or Perryville. Here, on the next day, the 8th of October, was fought the desperate battle of Perryville. The 36th brigade was on the left of the division and had moved forward early in the morning, accompanied by Barnett's 2nd Illinois battery, and occupied its position. The 85th Illinois, Colonel Moore, was deployed upon the right, and the 52nd Ohio on the left. The 125th Illinois, Colonel Harmon, was held as a reserve, and the 86th Illinois was on the picket line. At an early hour the rebel skirmishers opened a sharp fire on the 86th, and although this was the first fight in which it was ever engaged, it advanced steadily upon them and drove them back in confusion with severe loss. Irritated at the loss of their position, the rebels massed upon the right and left and commenced a furious fire from their batteries upon the brigade. The firing continued for an hour, but the brigade resolutely held its ground. About this time Barnett's battery took position and silenced their guns. In the meantime, the 125th Illinois came to the support of the battery, and did its work splendidly, and the rebels retired, leaving the brigade in possession of the ground it had won."
Kinnear continued, "A cavalry force now advanced in the direction the rebels were retreating, and were soon furiously attacked. The situation became critical. The cavalry was hard pressed, but with the assistance of the 2nd Missouri regiment, together with the 2nd Michigan and 15th Missouri, the enemy was completely routed at this point, making no other effort until 3 o'clock P. M., when General Bragg, in person, led his host against this position. After the most desperate fighting this last effort proved abortive. From the commencement of this battle it grew fiercer and fiercer as the day advanced, and the sun of that day went down in blood. This was the first contest in which the 36th brigade was called upon to take a part, and thought it was not as active as many others, it did promptly all that was required. Colonel McCook paid it high compliment for the soldierly manner in which it did its duty. The loss of the Eighty-sixth in this engagement was one killed and thirteen wounded. The battle of Perryville was evenly contested by the opposing forces, neither side having gained material advantage, though if there was a balance due either party, it was in favor of the Federals."
Among the wounded were two members of Co. I, Private William Gibson and Private William Lee Clark, who was wounded in his right side. A biography of William Lee Clark was published in "A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska, Vol 1; 1904, The Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago-New York; Pages 495-497." This biography states, "Mr. Clark was wounded in the right arm and in the right side, and soon after, while his regiment was scaling a stone wall, was struck in the head. He was senseless for a time, but was later removed to the field hospital, and after a partial recovery rejoined his regiment at Nashville. But he was incapable for active duty, and was discharged, as it was thought he could not live. He returned home and regained his strength under careful nursing at home."
Private William Lee Clark would have been sent initially to a field hospital. In William's case it is believed he remained in this field hospital for some time. After the Battle of Perryville, the Confederate forces withdrew from Kentucky, while the men of McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee, where they would go into winter camp. They arrived in Nashville in early November of 1862. On their way to Nashville, the men of McCook's Brigade passed through Bowling Green, Kentucky and then Gallatin, Tennessee. Many sick men were left behind in makeshift hospitals in both Bowling Green and in Gallatin. It is now believed that Private William Lee Clark was among the sick and wounded left behind in Gallatin, Tennessee, where the doctors hoped he would recover from his wounds. Whether he actually was sent to Nashville, Tennessee to rejoin his unit or whether the doctors in Gallatin decided that Private William Lee Clark was never going to recover from his wounds at the front is not known. What is known is that the army doctors decided that the best thing they could do for Private William Lee Clark was to discharge him and send him home with the hope that with the help of family and some home cooking, he could survive his wounds. So on December 28, 1862, Private William Lee Clark was discharged from the service from the hospital at Gallatin, Tennessee and he was sent home. William some how made it home to his wife, who was living on a farm, probably located in Hollis Township in Peoria County, near Lancaster, Illinois. With good care and rest, he regained fairly good health.
For Private John Clark, however, the war would go on. See John Clark's Find A Grave Memorial for more information about his service.

In 1867, after the Civil War had come to a close and he had regained his health, William Lee Clark and his wife, Sarah, "joined an emigrant wagon train of relatives and friends and moved to Nebraska, locating in Pawnee County not far from the village of Lewiston. The journey took over a month to complete. They brought with them livestock and farm machinery. They homesteaded on land that was open prairie with few trees and no buildings. They later (in the 1870's) sold the farm and bought another one with better buildings on it about 1 mile west of Vesta, Nebraska in Johnson County. There they remained for the remainder of his life."
The Biographical and Genealogical Records of Southeastern Nebraska, published in 1904 contains the following biography;
"WILLIAM L. CLARK.
William L. Clark is one of the oldest settlers of this part of Nebraska, having lived in Pawnee and Johnson counties since 1867, which was the year of the admission of the territory to the Union. The surrounding country was then almost entirely uncultivated, the landscape presented only a view of prairie grass, timbered only along the streams, and some of the old denizens of the country in the shape of Indians and wild animals were still to be found. Railroads had not yet penetrated the territory, and Mr. Clark had to face truly pioneer conditions for the first few years. His energy and perseverance, however, prevailed over the inertia of the past, and since the date of his coming he has been steadily advancing on the up-grade of prosperity. He is honored for what he has accomplished in a material way, and also for the worthy part he has played as a citizen, especially when he offered his services to the Union cause and followed the flag until the wounds of the conflict disabled him for active duty and compelled him to return to the peaceful farm and fireside.
Mr. Clark was born in Fulton county, Illinois, November 18, 1838, of a family of early settlers in that state. His father, Michael Clark, was born of Irish parents from Dublin, and was married after coming to Fulton county, Illinois, to Rachel Smith, who was born in Virginia of an old family of that commonwealth. They had four children, a daughter, Mattie Jones, and the three sons were soldiers in the Civil war, Alanson, of the Thirty-second Illinois Infantry for four years, and he died in Fulton county; John, in the Eighty-sixth Illinois for three years, now lives in Sterling, Nebraska, and William L. Clark.
WiIliam L. Clark lost his mother when he was three years old, and was reared by a Mrs. Jones. He spent his youth on a farm and was educated in the public schools, and for some time before the war lived in Peoria county, Illinois. In August. 1862, he enlisted in Company I, Eighty-sixth Illinois Infantry, under Captain Fahnestock and Colonel Irons. The regiment rendezvoused at Peoria, Illinois, was then ordered to Louisville, in time to take part in the battle at Perryville. Here Mr. Clark was wounded in the right arm and in the right side, and soon after, while his regiment was scaling a stone wall, was struck in the head. He was senseless for a' time, but was later removed to the field hospital, and after a partial recovery rejoined his regiment at Nashville. But he was incapable for active duty, and was discharged, as it was thought he could not live. He returned home and regained his strength under careful nursing at home. In 1867 he moved out to Nebraska and lived in Pawnee county until 1875, in which year he located in Johnson county, and has been a resident here for over a quarter of a century. He owns a nice farm of sixty-five acres just one mile from Vesta, and on it has a good home, all necessary improvements and some timber land, and has met with well deserved prosperity.
On November 3, 1859, Mr. Clark was married in Peoria, Illinois, to Miss Sarah Fuller, who has been a devoted wife and mother for over forty years. She was born and reared in Illinois, and was a daughter of Joseph and Elsie (Cowgill) Fuller, who both died in Illinois. Two of Mrs. Clark's brothers, Amos and John, were soldiers in the Civil war, members, respectively, of the Forty-seventh and Thirty-second Illinois regiments. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Clark : Daniel, born in Illinois, lives five miles south of Tecumseh, and is engaged in the blacksmith, well and pump business, in company with his brother Allen, of Vesta; he married Louisa Noyes, and they have had six children, Charles B., Enda, Bernice, Verna, and Ella and Daniel, deceased. John V., the second child of the family, lives near Vesta. Mrs. Mary Ross resides in Perry, Oklahoma. . Judson, a widower, lives in Berlin, Nebraska, his three children, Cleo, Fay and Veda, live with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clark, by whom they are loved as their own children. Mr. Clark is a Republican in politics, and is a popular member of the Grand Army Post at Tecumseh. He is a Woodman of the World, and he and his wife are members of the Baptist church."

At the time of the 1870 census, William and his family are found in Township 3, Pawnee County, Nebraska;
William Clark M 31 Illinois
Sarah Clark F 30 Illinois
Daniel W Clark M 10 Illinois
John Clark M 7 Illinois
Judson Clark M 5 Illinois
Mary Clark F 3 Illinois
Allen Clark M 2 Nebraska

At the time of the 1880 census, William and his family are found in Vesta, Johnson County, Nebraska;
Wm Clark Self M 41 Illinois, United States
Sarah Clark Wife F 39 Illinois, United States
Judson Clark Son M 15 Illinois, United States
Mary Clark Daughter F 13 Illinois, United States
Joseph Clark Son M 12 Nebraska, United States

In 1887,some of the surviving members of the 86th Illinois organized a reunion, which was held in Peoria, Illinois on August 27, 1887, the 25th anniversary of the mustering in or the old 86th back in 1862. This reunion was attended by more than 130 veterans of the 86th and their families and was such a success that they decided to continue to hold these reunions every year in Peoria and that August 27th anniversary. They continued to be held every year through the year 1923, when it was tearfully decided that they were too old and too few to continue them any longer. Neither, William Lee Clark nor his brother, John Clark, were ever able to attend any of these reunions, the great distance to be traveled and the difficulty in making such a trip in the late 1800's and early 1900's undoubtedly playing a part. Both William and John stayed in contact with their pards back in Central Illinois, though.

At the time of the 1900 census, William and Sarah are found in Vesta Precinct, Johnson County, Nebraska;
William Clark Head M 62 Illinois
Sarah Clark Wife F 60 Illinois
Henry Pease Boarder M 14 New York

William Lee Clark died at his home in Vesta, Nebraska on 12 Jun 1905, his wounds from the Civil War still giving him trouble. Sarah (Fuller) Clark was to died on 12 October 1906 in Vesta, Johnson County, Nebraska. The mortal remains of both William and Sarah were laid in the Vesta Cemetery, Johnson County, Nebraska.

by Baxter B. Fite III

(Baxter would enjoy hearing from anyone, especially descendants of the Clark family, who can add to the biographical material that we have on William Lee Clark and his family. Baxter would also like to see copies of ANY photographs of William Lee Clark or of his brother, John Clark, especially any showing them in uniform from their days in the 86th, added to their Find A Grave Memorials for all to see and enjoy. Baxter can be contacted at [email protected])