The person in the center of this image below is Frederick Edward “Fred” Clark (1884 – 1972). In the image Fred looks to be in his late teens, 18 might be a reasonable guess, so the image is from about 1902. Fred lived is entire life in the Rush KY area, both in Boyd and Carter Counties.
Click on this image for an even larger view.
Fred’s many friends and family in the area might enjoy this image of Fred with his turned hat brim and carefree look, and so young. Fred was a steadfast and longtime member of the Pilgrim Holiness Church of Rush. He is cited on a deed in about 1945 for a Greasy Row coal mining company house that was being privately sold. The house was to be used as a parsonage for the Pilgrim Holiness Church and Fred was a “trustee”.
Fred and his wife Letitia McBrayer Clark (1885 -1961) had four children including longtime and well-known Rush grocery story merchant, Luther Clark (1906 – 1979).
The person on image left is Fred’s Father, Stephen Large Clark (1842 – 1922), and the person on image right is Mason Clark.
Stephen Large Clark served in the Civil War, first enlisting in Union Company C of the 20th Kentucky Infantry in 1861, so very early in the war. He was the company fiddler. He was quickly captured but also quickly released on what was called an “amnesty agreement”. This “amnesty agreement” called for death if the person signing rejoined Union forces and was again captured. Understanding the gravity of this “amnesty agreement”, Stephen rejoined the Union forces but used the alias Henry Thompson. Stephen lost his leg just below the knee at The Battle of Shiloh (southwestern Tennessee) on 6 April 1862, still pretty early in the war. Shiloh was the bloodiest battle up to that point in the war.
Stephen had a bit of difficulty procuring a commensurate Civil War pension due to his second enlistment under an assumed name. Members of his unit testified on his behalf because they recognized his fiddle playing style.
In the 1910 US Census Stephen Large Clark is living with his family, including son Fred, in Carter County on “Williams Creek Road”. From recognizing other names near the Clark Family in this Census they would seem to be living reasonably close to Norton Branch on what is currently called KY SR 1654.
The info on Stephen Large Clark’s civil war record is courtesy of Marquita Bazany, a descendant of Stephen Large Clark living in Michigan. Marquita’s Brother, Ferrel Cordle, restored the nice image.
Here is Stephen Large Clark’s headstone at the Clark-Banfield Cemetery at Geigerville in Rush KY. Don’t let the “Tenn” fool you, this is a Union regiment. Eastern Tennessee was a Union stronghold in the Civil War. Andrew Johnson was from Eastern Tennessee.
Another Stephen Large Clark descendant indicates that Stephen Large fought at Shiloh but lost his leg at Chattanooga TN. I will sort this out and update this article.
Enjoy! Lon
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My great grandfather and great uncles! Mom always said grandad Clark lost his leg at Shiloh. She also said grandad’s pention check came in the name of Henry Thompson. His wife was Mary Ann (Evans) Clark. Mom and her younger brothers lived with them after their parents died until she married my dad.
This is my grandmother’s father stephen clark and her brothers. My grandmother is Hattie Belle Clark Martin. Thank you for posting this. And yes stephen large clark check came in the name of Henry Thompson. I have the records of it that came from the national archives.
Hi Ruth,
Can you confirm the person on image right is Mason Clark. And, if this Mason Clark is Fred Clark’s older Brother. Do you also have a birth and death year for Mason Clark.
Thanks.
Enjoy! Lon
This is my grandmother’s father stephen clark and her brothers. My grandmother is Hattie Belle Clark Martin. Thank you for posting this.
Ruth Martin Jackson, my mother’s (Mabel Doras Moore Collins) mother was Hattie’ sister, (Carrie Alma Clark Moore). She and her husband died when my mother and her brothers were young children and they lived with the grandparents till she married my dad at age 18 and they finished up raising them. Mom was born in 1910 and died in 2004 at not quite 94 years of age.
Thank you for sharing this! Stephen is my 2x great grandfather. I can’t believe he enlisted twice, knowing the consequences. What a brave and patriotic man! Fred looks like a bit of a jokester in this pic, and he has a kind smile.
I’m thinking the other man may not be Mason Branham Clark, Fred’s brother? I say this because Mason is Fred’s younger brother, and the other man looks much older than Fred. The other man also has a grey beard. Just wondering!