Rear Admiral Charles Edgar Clark (August 10, 1843 – October 1, 1922) was an officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

Summary

Born in

Bradford, Vermont Bradford is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,790 at the 2020 census. Bradford is located on the county's eastern border, bordering both the Connecticut River and New Hampshire, and is a commercial center fo ...

on August 10, 1843, Charles Edgar Clark attended Bradford Academy and then the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...

in 1860. He graduated the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...

in 1863 and served on the

screw sloop A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. They were popularized in the mid-19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine and the transition of fleets to this new technology. The sailing sloop The British sloop in the Age o ...

during the Civil War for the Battle of Mobile Bay. Clark was officially made a captain in 1896, most remarkably for his command of the battleship . After his impressive commandment of his ship at Cervera’s squadron, and was appointed Rear Admiral in 1902. Clark died of heart failure in Long Beach on October 1, 1922, at age 79.

Early life

Charles Edgar Clark was born in

on August 10, 1843, to James Dayton Clark and Mary Sexton Clark. His earlier education was largely composed of his attendance to Bradford Academy. From a young age, Clark was an avid reader and especially fond of military history. He was inspired by historical military figures such as Hannibal, Napoleon, Marlborough, and many more generals, and expressed interest in attending military school around age sixteen. His father (James Dayton Clark) was acquaintanced with the Honorable Justin S. Morrill, and wrote to him asking for an appointment for Charles to the Military Academy. While he was denied at West Point on account of there being no vacancies, Morrill offered Clark a spot at the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...

, which he accepted.

Time at the Naval Academy

Clark travelled to the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...

in Annapolis and arrived there on September 29, 1860. He first reported to the superintendent of the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...

, Captain George S. Blake, and began working on the ship ''Constitution'', or “Old Ironsides”, with C. R. P. Rodgers, Edward Simpson, Stephen B. Luce, and Lieutenants Flusser, John Taylor Wood, Hunter Davidson, and William H. Parker. Rumors of war influenced a rising unrest at the Academy, and students’ desire to leave school to be part of a fight was stronger than ever. Clark’s first practice cruise was during the summer of 1862. It took place in the under the supervision of Commander Edward Simpson. During this trip, their crew ventured up the Peninsula near the Fortress Monroe, and then to Yorktown, Long Island, and New Haven. His second practice cruise was a summer later, in 1863. The crew served under Commander Steven B. Luce on the corvette ''Macedonian''. This trip ventured across the North Atlantic to New England, Plymouth, and Spithead. It was there that Clark and the other students visited the Arsenal at Woolwich, where they saw weapons like triphammers. They spent time in France and New York, where they were towed into Long Island Sound by the steamer ''Freeborn'' shortly before she sank. Clark and the crew of the ''Macedonian'' rescued the other sailors and continued on their way.

Naval career

Clark graduated from the

Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...

in 1863. He commanded the Bermuda for the passage to the Philadelphia Navy yard, where he then reported to the

. He stayed on the ''Ossipee'' (which was under the command of John P. Gillis) for the

Battle of Mobile Bay The Battle of Mobile Bay of August 5, 1864, was a naval and land engagement of the American Civil War in which a Union fleet commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, assisted by a contingent of soldiers, attacked a smaller Confederate fle ...

and in the bombardment of Fort Morgan, which was all of his Civil War service. Clark was promoted to captain in 1896. In March 1898, he took command of the

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

at the

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. When war with

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

was deemed inevitable, he received orders to proceed to

Key West, Florida Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Islan ...

, with all haste. The ''Oregon'', her crew, and Clark sailed from San Francisco on March 19. After a most remarkable voyage of over 14,000 miles, around

Cape Horn Cape Horn (, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which is Águila Islet), Cape Horn marks the nor ...

, he joined the American fleet in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

n waters on May 26. The voyage of the ''Oregon'' was hailed a remarkable achievement in its day, and pointed to the need for the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

to reduce travel time between the east and west coasts of the United States. On May 27, his crew was increased by sixty sailors. With a squadron of other ships; ''Brooklyn'', ''Massachusetts'', ''Iowa'', ''Texas'', ''Marblehead'', and ''New Orleans'', they set up a blockade intended to last until July. On July 3, the USS ''Oregon'', captained by Clark, led the chase resulting in the destruction of

Cervera Cervera () is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Spain. The title Comte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Leonor ...

's squadron. For this high accomplishment, he was advanced in seniority, and was appointed Rear Admiral 16 June 1902. Clark retired from the Navy upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62 in 1905.

Later life

Admiral Clark was a Veteran Companion of the Vermont Commandery of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

. In 1898 he became a Veteran Companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the

Military Order of Foreign Wars The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States (MOFW) is one of the oldest veterans' and hereditary associations in the nation with a membership that includes officers and their hereditary descendants from all of the Armed Services. Memb ...

. In 1902 he joined the Vermont Society of the

Sons of the American Revolution The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), is a federally chartered patriotic organization. The National Society, a nonprofit corporation headquartered in Louisvi ...

and was assigned national membership number 15,452 and Vermont Society number 352. He died of heart failure at his home in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

on October 1, 1922. He is buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

along with Admirals Samuel Shelburne Robinson (1867–1952) and

Charles Frederick Hughes Charles Frederick Hughes (14 October 1866 – 28 May 1934) was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1927 to 1930. Early life Born in Bath, Maine, Hughes was appointed to the United States Naval Ac ...

(1866–1934).Burial Detail: Clark, Charles E (Site 2, Grave 892)
– ANC Explorer

Namesake

The destroyer was named for him. There is a statue of Admiral Clark in his hometown of

References

* * Fatherley, John A. ''In the Vortex Charles E. Clark USN'', West Springfield, MA, 2001

External links

Spanish American War Centennial Site: Captain Charles Edgar Clark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Charles Edgar 1843 births 1922 deaths United States Navy rear admirals United States Naval Academy alumni People of Vermont in the American Civil War American military personnel of the Spanish–American War People from Bradford, Vermont