famous Elijah Clarke. John Clarke became a soldier in the Revolutionary
War when a mere boy. He had followed his father to camp, and remained
with him. He took part in many skirmishes; but at the battle of Kettle
Creek, in Wilkes County, he distinguished himself by his coolness and
courage. He fought through the war. He was made a lieutenant at sixteen
years of age, and when the war ended he was a major. After the war he
was made a brigadier, and then a major general of the militia. After
aiding to run the British out of the State, and subduing the Tories,
General Clarke turned his attention to the Indians. At the battle
of Jacks Creek, in Walton County, in 1787, he greatly distinguished
himself, having charge of one of the wings of the Georgia forces.

It was natural that a man raised in camp, and brought up in the midst of
the rough and tough elements that are collected together there, should
possess qualities not calculated to fit him for the polite transactions
that take place in drawing rooms and parlors. General Clarke's
self-reliance was extreme. Having commanded men from the time he was
sixteen, it was natural that his temper and his manners should be
offensive, to some extent, to those who were not thoughtful enough to
make due allowance for these things. It thus happened that when peace
came, John Clarke's methods and practices made him many bitter enemies.
On the other hand, the sterling qualities of his character made him many
strong friends.

Coming out of the war with neither trade nor profession, and with only
the rudiments of an education, John Clarke was compelled to turn his
attention to politics. With him politics was simply a modified form of
war. He had never given any quarter to the Tories, and he gave small
quarter to his political enemies. But he was as faithful to his friends
in politics as he had been to the cause of American liberty. He was
uncompromising, whether dealing with friends or enemies, and his temper
was such that he regarded his opponents as his personal enemies. Of
his political career, mention will be made in another place. It is
sufficient to say that a quarrel he had with a judge divided the people
of the State into two parties, and the contest between them was carried
on for several years. The prejudices that sprang up in that contest
lasted for more than a generation, and strong traces of them are to be
found in estimates of General Clarke's character written long after he