Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 26.djvu/107

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

// 'real of the (\ N. ('!>! in t from Richmond. 97

MR. CLARK MADE TREASURER.

The treasury train caught up with the party of which Mr. Clark \\.i-, a member at Washington, Ga., and the President appointed Hon. Mr. Reagan, the Postmaster-General, Acting Secretary of the Treasury, and Mr. Clark Acting Treasurer

An interesting account of the winding-up of the Treasury Depart- ment is published in Southern Historical Society Papers (vol. ix, p. 542, et seq, by Ex-Acting Treasurer C. S. A. , and Confidential Clerk Executive Office, C. S. A.)

Mr. Clark's record as a Confederate is unique in some particulars. As he was on duty watching papers of the Confederate Government until December, 1865, he never gave his parole.

His commission as Acting Treasurer of the Confederacy bore the last official signature of the President of the Confederate States. The commission is now on deposit at the Confederate Museum here. All the gold and silver bonds and contents of the Treasury were turned over to the Acting Treasurer, without bond being required of him. President Davis honored Mr. Clark with two personal visits to his home at Clarksville, and on one occasion declared his high ad- miration for him, saying that Mr. Clark was the last man on duty and was faithful to the end.

MR. CLARK A RICHMOND BOY.

Micajah H. Clark was a Richmond boy and was born here, as his mother was before him, who was nee Miss Caroline Virginia Harris.

His father was Dr. Micajah Clark, a distinguished physician of his generation, born in Albemarle county, the son of William Clark, who saw service in the Revolution. William Clark was the son of Micajah Clark, the son of Captain Christopher Clark, who patented many thousand acres of Crown lands, and located some of the tracts in what is now Albemarle county, near Charlottesville, in 1702-' 4, and \\ as said to have been the pioneer settler of that county. This is one of the historical Clark families of Virginia, which furnished many leg- islators, generals and governors of States.

Micajah H. Clark was a " Hill-cat " (as the uptown boys of the city were then known), and his first taste of war was in the battles betw*en the ' ' Hill-cats ' ' and the ' ' Butcher-cats ' ' and ' ' Basin-cats ' ' a distinctive Richmond war waged with varying fortunes for more