From History of Grant County, Wisconsin, 1881, p. 887.

COL. JOHN G. CLARK, attorney at law, of the firm of Bushnell, Clark & Watkins, was born in Morgan Co., Ill., July 31, 1825; he came to Wisconsin first in 1837; subsequently resided in Missouri several years. In 1847, he graduated from Illinois College, and returned to Wisconsin and engaged in mining; from 1849 to 1853 inclusive, he was employed in surveying Government lands in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, and became familiar with all the hardships and exposures of such a life, surveying during that time perhaps as much land as any man in the State. In the fall of 1853, he was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court of Grant County; in 1854, he was elected Clerk of that Court, and was re-elected in 1856, and again in 1858, to the same office, and in 1860, was elected to the Legislature. On the breaking-out of the rebellion, he went into camp with Co. C, 2d W. V. I., intending to go into the field with that regiment, but was prevented by a call of an extra session of the Legislature; on its adjournment, he entered the military service as Lieutenant and Quartermaster of the 5th W. V. I., and was with that regiment in all its campaigns until May, 1863, when he was commissioned Captain and Provost Marshal of the Third District of Wisconsin; in February , 1865, he was commissioned Colonel of the 50th W. V. I., and was sent to Missouri and placed in command of the First Subdistrict, composed of some half dozen counties, with headquarters at Jefferson City, till in July, when he was sent to Kansas, and for the first time was in command of his whole regiment; subsequently, he and his command were sent to the Upper Missouri among the Indians, where they remained till June, 1866; his regiment scouted over Missouri among the bushwhackers, and at Fort Leavenworth at the time of the mutiny, demonstrated that it was among the most reliable in the service; he keenly felt that the 50th was abused, and that insubordination was rewarded when mutinous regiments were mustered out before their term of service had expired, and it was sent out on the plains, where it could not by any possibility be discharged till long after. He was admitted to the bar in 1861, but did not commence practice till 1867. He has held many minor offices, such as Chairman of the Town Board, County Board, and Mayor of the city; was Chairman when the railroad was built, and was prominent in devising the ways and means, and in assuming the responsibilities that insured its construction; he has been active in advancing the interests of his locality in educational matters, and was instrumental in securing the erection of perhaps the best schoolhouse in the State for the money expended in its construction. In 1874, he was a prominent candidate for Congress from this District, and again in 1880, but had his name withdrawn. He is connected with the Masonic order, and has served his lodge ten years as Master; he is also identified with the Odd Fellows; in 1878, he was Grand Master of that order in this State, and is now Grand Representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge, re-elected in June, 1881. He was united in marriage, Feb. 19, 1852, to Miss Minerva A. Pepper, a native of Mineral Point, daughter of Harvey Pepper; they have one daughter - Alice, now Mrs. E. R. Tiel, of California - and one son - William Harvey Clark, now in Lancaster.

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