Edward Clark (April 1, 1815May 4, 1880) was an American politician, slaveowner, and the eighth governor of Texas. When Governor Sam Houston refused to serve the Confederate States of America following the state's secession from the United States in February, 1861, he was removed from office and Clark replaced Houston as governor. Clark's term coincided with the outbreak of the American Civil War.
Early life
Edward Clark was born on April 1, 1815, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father was named Elijah Clark Jr. During the Mexican–American War he served on the staff of Major General J. Pinckney Henderson and fought in the Battle of Monterrey.
Concerned that Texas's position at the far western frontier of the Confederacy made it insecure and vulnerable, Governor Clark wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis in April demanding troops to secure the state, writing that “it is more than probable that an effort will soon be made by the submission party of this State, with General Houston at its head, to convert Texas into an independent republic.”