Clark was shot twice while in service. The first time he was shot in the right shoulder. The second time was on August 5th at the battle of Baton Rouge in the right thigh. The bullet passed through the thigh and fractured the bone

Because any sort of movement was painful, Clark requested to be left on the field to die until he surrendered the next day to Union surgeons who wanted to help.

The gun shot to his leg caused his right leg to become shorter than the left.

Due to the injury he walked with a limp and mostly on crutches until one year he slipped on ice and tore the adherent ligaments in his leg, improving his mobility. After this he only needed the assistance of a cane when he walked.

During his service as a circuit court judge, the pain in his leg was too intense to go to court, so he held court in his bedroom.