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Submitted: 9/13/08 • Approved: 6/20/12 • Last Updated: 8/5/12 • R56672-G56670-S3
SECOND LIEUTENANT US Army
124th Pennsylvania Infantry
Civil War Union
October 13, 1840 - December 14, 1920
Section 7 Site 3511
Federal Attorney and Jurist
William H H Clayton was born on the farm of his father, Richard, near Delaware Bay, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and is a descendant of William Clayton, who came to this country with the Penn colonists in 1664. In 1862 he raised Company H in Delaware County, Pennsylvania which was assigned to the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, under Colonel Hawley. With his company, as second lieutenant, young Clayton marched to the scene of action and fought for the Union cause, in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. In 1864 he returned to Pennsylvania and taught military tactics at the Village Green Seminary where he received his early education. In 1867 he began reading law and joined Judge Stevenson's class at Huntsville, Pennsylvania the next year. After serving as prosecuting attorney from March 23, 1871 until April 23, 1873 he was appointed by Arkansas Governor Elisha Baxter to the position of judge of the First Judicial Circuit, which he filled until July, 1874. In August 1874, President Grant appointed him United States district attorney, for the western district of Arkansas, comprising one-third of the state and all of Indian Territory which at that time included all of the territory comprising what now is Oklahoma. His appointment was renewed by President Hayes in 1879, President Arthur in 1883, and by President Harrison in 1889. During Cleveland's two terms he practiced law at Ft Smith. President McKinley appointed him as judge of the Federal Court for the Central District of the Indian Territory; in December, 1901, he was reappointed by President Roosevelt, and in 1905, again appointed to succeed himself. During the period of his judgeship he was a member of the United States Court of Appeals of the Indian Territory, and was, for a time, Chief Justice. He married Florence A. Barnes on October 15, 1869, in Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co., Arkansas, and they had seven children. He prosecuted over 10,000 case in Judge Isaac C Parker's court and convicted 80 men of murder. He was a staunch Republican and active member of the Masonic Order. Judge Clayton had a twin brother, John Clayton who served in both houses of the Arkansas State Legislature, and three terms as sheriff of Jefferson County before being assassinated in Plummerville, Arkansas. Another brother, Union General Powell Clayton, served as Arkansas governor and as a United States Senator from Arkansas. He died in McAllister, Oklahoma in 1920.
Reference: http://www.okgenweb.org/books/thoburn/bios3/clayton_william.txt
http://www.claytonhousefortsmith.com/about.htm
Contributed on 9/13/08 by tomtodd
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Record #: 56672