Starting October 7, the San Jacinto Monument's Observation Floor will close for renovation, open on weekends, with discounted museum admission during this time.

Part of an old map of the San Jacinto area from the Texas Revolution

Veteran Bio

Texian Location:  Participant

The Kemp Sketch

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CLARK, WILLIAM -- Name not shown on the official San Jacinto army roll printed in 1836. In the Spanish certificate of character issued to Mr. Clark at Nacogdoches, October 30, 1835 by Radford Berry, Alcalde, it is stated that he was a widower and had been a resident of "this Department" since March, 1834. (Spanish Archives, General Land Office). In Headright Certificate No. 155 issued to him September 5, 1838 for one league and one labor of land by the Board of Land Commissioners for Shelby County it is stated that he came to Texas in 1834. In Shelby County January 26, 1838 he sold his rights to the certificate to D. A. Cunningham of San Augustine County. He could not write and made his mark to the deed of transfer (File 732, Bexar 1st Class, General Land Office).

Mr. Clark was a member of Captain Benjamin F. Bryant's Company at San Jacinto and on July 12, 1838 he was issued Donation Certificate No. 463 for 640 acres of land for having participated in the battle. The land was surveyed in Navarro County.

The men of Captain Bryant's Company enlisted only for a period of one month. Mr. Clark re-enlisted in the army July 8, and served until October 5, 1836. For this service he, on August 3, 1839 was issued Bounty Certificate No. 9246 for 320 acres of land. The compiler assumes that Mr. Clark was a member of Captain E. W. Collin's Company of Sabine Volunteers, altho his name is not listed on page 59 of the army rolls in the General Land Office in which the members are shown when the company was organized July 8, 1836.

Mr. Clark was living in Sabine County October 9, 1839 when he sold Bounty Certificate No. 9246 for $100.00 to Abraham Large. He could not write and made his mark to the deed of transfer.

Written by Louis W. Kemp, between 1930 and 1952. Please note that typographical and factual errors have not been corrected from the original sketches. The biographies have been scanned from the original typescripts, a process that sometimes allows for mistakes in the new text. Researchers should verify the accuracy of the texts' contents through other sources before quoting in publications. Additional information on the veteran may be available in the Herzstein Library.


Battle Statistics

  • Died in Battle: No
  • Rank: Private
  • Company: Capt. Benjamin F. Bryant

Personal Statistics

  • Came to Texas: 1834
  • Donation Certificate: 463
  • Wife: Elizabeth White
  • Children: William H. Clark