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WELL KNOWN OLDDAD CLARKE DIED TODAY WAFTER LINGERING ILLNESS. vmm mmKNOWN BC EVERYONE AWas an Irish Peddler Before War and HWas Pressed into Server by Confederates—Twelve Companions ShotFrom Tbnradaj'a Unity.James Clarke, better known as1 ^‘ Dad Clarke, died at the home 01his daughter, Mrs. George Mabry,this morning at 4:3b o'clock,tlInafter a lingering illness. There perhaps was no I jet lei* known man in Go-gsnscorl than h» . ..ed Gi*- la t ;s a lnlive Gu t there was no one who had amore interesting history, old “Dad,tor a number of tears, was fireman atthe Reporter pudding, and was knownby every school boy and girl who passed I nialong Broadway. They all knew him letas *T)ad.‘ and as they passed alongeveryone had a cheery: “Hello, Dad.Just now* old he was, “Dad neverreally knew. But it is estimated thathe was somewhere between eighty andeighty-five years, in his younger dayshe Iw'onged to what was known as the“Irish Peddlers*** a gang of men whotraveled through the south and peddled |stmerchandise of all kinds. At the outbreak of the Civil war. Clarke andtwelve other members of the gangwere in Jackson, Miss. All were non item men and they immediately madearrangements to leave for Indiana,but befofe they could do so they werecustodyand pressed into sendee. Dadserved nearly four years in the eon-1 a:federate army, hut it was against hiswifi.secondhis Yankee companions planned to eschosearmy* were in sight of each other, andthe battle was waging fiercely. At agiven signal they broke and ran forthe union lines, but the confederatesalert for such a move, fired upon them.HisAwsdMiground, and Clarke, to escape the rainof lead, also fell, a burly southernersergeant ran up, and with bayonetnraised, was about to run him throughwhen a colonel, who saw a pairscapulars protruding rrom the fallenman’s shirt front, stayed' his arm. I pClarke was ordered back into line andlater was sent to Amiersonville prisonas a guard. There he served for sixmonths under the infamous CaptainWtrtz. Ihid” had orders to shoot anyYankee wtto stepped over the “deadlin**,‘ but he says that he fired manyslwvts that were aimed so they wentwide of their mark. He thoroughlyhated Captain Wfrtz, and one daywas m ar the “dead line,”and a Yankee stepped over. Clarkeaimed full at Wirt*, intending to killhim. But instead ne killed a mule.which uad unfortunately stepped intoline of fir** ami saved WtrU’ life at thesacrifice or his ow n.After leaving Audcramville prison,Clarke was captured with other eonlederatv.s. by the Yankees, and he wassent to the federal prison near DetroitHe tried to convince the unioniststhat he was a northern man, and uadbeen presesd into service, but nonewould oelieve his story. But on thethird day of his imprisonment he wasme? by hts brother, who was doingguard duly. The brother had heardof the fate of “Dad” and the otherIrish Peddlers, and when he explained“Dad” was released and sent back toIndiana.lt;♦ *Dad* is survived by two daughtersMrs. George Mabry of Fifth street, anuanother who resides in Chicago. Thefuneral services will le held Saturdayjmorning from St. \ mcent de Paul*church, at i:J0 o'clock.
Newspaper Details
Logansport Semi Weekly Reporter
Logansport, Indiana, US
Fri, Apr 15, 1910
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
OH, USA 31 Jan 2022
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