Marcellus Jerome Clarke

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Marcellus Jerome Clarke
1844–15 March 1865
Marcellus Jerome Clarke as a Confederate soldier
Nickname	"Sue Mundy/Sue Munday"
Place of birth	Franklin, Kentucky
Place of death	Louisville, Kentucky
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Private
Unit	Company B, 4th Kentucky Infantry, 1st Kentucky "Orphan" Brigade

Marcellus Jerome Clarke (1844–15 March 1865) was a Confederate soldier. In 1864, he became one of Kentucky's most notorious Confederate guerrillas.

Contents 1 Confederate soldier 2 Confederate guerrilla 3 Capture and hanging 4 References 5 See also

[edit] Confederate soldier

He was born in Franklin, Kentucky in 1844 and enlisted in the 4th Kentucky Infantry, 1st Kentucky "Orphan" Brigade, CSA in 1861 at the age of 17. While with the 4th Kentucky, Clarke was captured at Fort Donelson and later escaped from Camp Morgan. He saw action with the 4th Kentucky at the Battle of Chickamauga, and he then was reassigned to Morgan's Men.^[1] While with Morgan's Men, he took part in Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan famous Morgan's Raid storming into Union territory.

[edit] Confederate guerrilla

Following Morgan's death on 4 September 1864, Clarke formed his own guerrilla band, and raided throughout Kentucky.^[2]His raids seemed to inspire the Louisville Journal's stories of the infamous Sue Mundy, and caused Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Burbridge a substantial amount of embarrassment. Combined with the fact that Clarke's gang (referred to by the Journal as "Mundy's Gang") had joined up with William Quantrill's Raiders, Clarke was seen as a dangerous enemy of the Union's law and order. This joint force of Quantrill and Clarke rode into Lair Station, Kentucky on the night of 2 February 1865, burning the railroad depot and freight cars as they rode through. A week later on 8 February 1865, the guerrillas killed three soldiers, took four more prisoners, and destroyed the remnants of the wagon train they set upon.^[3]

[edit] Capture and hanging

On March 12, 1865, fifty Union soldiers, from the 30th Wisconsin Infantry, under the command of Major Cyrus Wilson surrounded a tobacco barn ten miles south of Brandenburg near Breckinridge County.^[4] At daybreak, the Union soldier fired into the barn. Gunfire erupted from the barn and four Union soldiers fell wounded. Inside the barn contained Clarke, Henry Medkiff, and Henry Magruder. Major Wilson earlier injured Magruder at Howard's Mill. Major Wilson told Clarke that his men would be treated as prisoners of war if he surrendered. Clarke agreed and Major Wilson escorted all three men to Brandenburg, where they boarded a steamer for Louisville. Military authorities kept Clarke's trial a secret and the verdict had already been decided the day before the trial. On March 14, military authorities planned Sue Mundy's execution, even though the trial had not even started. Of the brief hearing, Sue Mundy "stood firm and spoke with perfect composure." He stated that he was a regular Confederate soldier and that the crimes he was being charged with he had not committed or had been committed by Quantrill. During the three hour trial, Mundy was not allowed to counsel or witnesses for his defense. Three days after his capture, Union authorities scheduled Clarke for public hanging just west of the corner of 18th and Broadway in Louisville.^[5] On March 15, Rev. J. J. Talbott visited Clarke in prison and notified him that his "life's journey was nearing its end." The minister informed Clarke that he would be hanged that afternoon. Clarke knelt and prayed. He asked Talbott to baptize him in the cell. With Clarke dictating, the minister wrote four letters; one to Clarke's aunt, one to his cousin, and one to a young lady named Lashbrook. To his fiancé, he wrote: "I have to inform you of the sad fate which awaits your true friend. I am to suffer death this afternoon at 4 o'clock. I send you from my chains a message of true love, and as I stand on the brink of the grave I tell you I do truly, fondly love you. I am ever truly yours." Clarke made his last requests stating he wanted his body to be sent to his aunt and stepmother in Franklin next to his parents and that he buried in his Confederate uniform. At 3:25 p.m., four hand picked companies of Union soldiers, dressed for parade, formed in front of the make shift prison. Clarke, joined by Talbott and a guard, exited the prison and took their seats in a carriage for the ride to the gallows. Clarke wore a dark blue jacket with a row of Kentucky buttons, dark cashmere pants and boots.^[6]

When the carriage arrived at the gallows, Clarke and Talbott exited and stopped at the foot of the gallows to pray. Clarke gave one last statement to the crowd. He said: "I am a regular Confederate soldier-not a guerilla. . . . I have served in the Army for nearly four years. . . . I fought under General Buckner at Fort Donelson and I belonged to General Morgan's command when I entered Kentucky." In response to the charge that he as Sue Mundy killed helpless prisoners, he stated: "I have assisted in the capture of many prisoners and have always treated them kindly. . . . I hope in and die for the Confederate cause." After the noose was placed on Clarke's neck and the lever pulled, his neck did not break from the three foot fall and he slowly strangled to death. According to witnesses, he struggled and convulsed so violently, Union authorities feared he would break the rope. Over fifteen thousand people attended Sue Mundy's execution. After authorities cut Mundy's body down from the scaffold, witnesses cut off his buttons as keepsakes. Police arrested three men for fighting over Mundy's hat. On October 29, 1865, Union authorities hung Henry Magruder behind the walls of the Louisville Military Prison, thus ending the careers of two famous Kentucky guerillas.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Louisville in the American Civil War