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First Lieutenant & Regimental Quartermaster · U.S. Army

John Wesley Clark

First Lieutenant & Regimental Quartermaster John Wesley Clark, Army, received the Medal of Honor for actions on July 28, 1863 near Warrenton, Virginia during the Civil War.

U.S. Civil War July 28, 1863

Serving as a soldier in the U.S. Army, First Lieutenant & Regimental Quartermaster John Wesley Clark received the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 28, 1863 near Warrenton, Virginia during the Civil War. At the time he was serving with 6th Vermont Infantry. Clark was 32 years old.

The medal was presented on August 17, 1891, 28 years after the action. He later rose to the rank of Captain.

Clark was born on October 25, 1830 in Montpelier, Washington County, Vermont. His Medal of Honor is credited to Vermont. Clark died on August 4, 1898 in Montpelier, Vermont, at the age of 67. He is buried at Green Mount Cemetery in Montpelier, Vermont.

Clark is one of 1,525 Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War and one of 47 credited to Vermont.

Official Medal of Honor citation

Defended the division train against a vastly superior force of the enemy, he was severely wounded, but remained in the saddle for 20 hours afterward, until he had brought his train through in safety.

Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.

Wounds and injuries

What the citation records about his wounds:

Defended the division train against a vastly superior force of the enemy, he was severely wounded, but remained in the saddle for 20 hours afterward, until he had brought his train through in safety.

Places

  • Born: Moretown — map
  • Died: Montpelier — map
  • Buried: Green Mount Cemetery — map

Veteran resources, cemeteries and meeting places in Vermont →

Timeline

  1. October 25, 1830
    Born in Montpelier, Washington County, Vermont
  2. July 28, 1863
    Act of valor — near Warrenton, Virginia
    Age 32. 6th Vermont Infantry
  3. August 17, 1891
    Medal of Honor presented
  4. August 4, 1898
    Died in Montpelier, Vermont
    Age 67.
  5. Resting place
    Green Mount Cemetery
    Montpelier, Vermont

Biography

John Wesley Clark (October 25, 1830 – August 4, 1898) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Clark received the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action near Warrenton in Virginia on 28 July 1863. He was honored with the award on 21 December 1892.

From the Wikipedia article “John W. Clark (Medal of Honor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the full article →

Same unit

WS William Joseph Sperry Major · Army Civil War · 1865

More Civil War recipients from Vermont

Frederick A. Lyon Corporal · Army Civil War · 1864 Lester Goodel Hack Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1865 William Young warren Ripley Lieutenant Colonel · Army Civil War · 1862 EH Edward A. Holton First Sergeant · Army Civil War · 1862 Charles Gilbert Gould Captain · Army Civil War · 1865 DW Daniel Davis Wheeler First Lieutenant · Army Civil War · 1863
Sources. Service and award details compiled from the recipient record of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Wikidata and Wikipedia. The narrative summary is generated from these records. Spotted an error? Send a correction.