Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1906-05-24
Candidate for Department Com.
m0nhar

AT the next Department Encampment
the name of Comrade- Colonel Charles a.
Clark, of Cedar Rapids, will be presented
Colonel Clark is brilliant and able law.
yer and is endeared to the old soldiers for
his services in fighting through the courts
an action testing the validity and consti-
tuti!onality of the act Of the legislature.
giving precedence. to old soldier for APP
pointments to civil offices.
The comrades will be proud to know
that Col. Clark was fighting soldier and
has proud military record.
FROM comrade who served with him,
we are able to learn about his services
and a. the following information may be re-
Lied on as correct: He enlisted in the
9Th Maine Infantry, and after serving
through the Peninsular Campaign in
He served under that lion-like officer-Col.
Hiram Burnham, man of great courage
ana sound judgment, who had been rear
ed in the back woods of Maine, but was
not an educated man. This lack was
made up for by his intelligent and active
adlutant, and Col. Burnham trusted him
!u!ly II is not too much to say that Adj
!utant Clark. then not twenty years old,
became the Executive officer of the regi-
n ne and gained the confidence of the
following incident of his bravery and
skill saved the capture of his regiment at
the second battle of Fredericksburg: The
the rWs tbe to tall back fe
and the rebels followed closely; the 9Th
Malne was left in a piece of woods on the
dsrs 6a bad b the right With
IN command of the brigade, was on the
left of the corps. The regiment became
surrounded by. the enemy, who could be
heard advancing through the woods but
the point OF their assault could not be
determined in the darkness. In this stu
alton, Adjutant Clark went to the front,
leaving word not to fire on him on his re-
turn, and reconnoitered the ground in
front: He soon returned and reported
that the ravine in front was full of rebel
soldiers advancing on their flank. Find
ing that the major in command of the
regiment was not present, he reported to
the ranking captain under whose COM
Just in time to meet a volley out of the
darkness, The enemy was repulsed and
the regiment retired safely:
On November 18th, 1863, at Rappahannock
station his horse was shot under him
while leading a desperate charge, in
which he was severely wounded. captur-
1870 prisoners.
In the. winter of 1864, Gen. Burnham
was ,sis assigned to the 18th Corps and took
At Cold Harbor where thousands of men
fell in few. minutes, the Union troops
were ordered to renew the assault. Com
way to the front, recoanoitered the enc
my's. position and discovered that it was
hopeless to carry it by assault. On re-
and told him what he had seen. The gen.
eral insisted that he should go with him
Clark explained the DANGER and that it
was greater for two than for one; but the
general insisted that he must see the
enemy's position himself, and both made
their way back to the point reached by
Comrade Clark and returned safely. Gen.
(Baldy) Smith after what he had seen,
took the responsibility to refuse to obey
the order to charge: and his action was
sustained by Gen. Grant.
Gen. Burnhan was killed in charge
before Richmond in the fall of 1854 Com
rade Clark being at his side when he fell.
AT the close of the war, Comrade Clark
received from President Lincoln a COM
mission as Lieutenant Colonel and Adju-
tant General.
Such gallant soldier is a proper candi.
date for Department Commander.
H. F. ANDREWS.