I think I found Edwin Conway Clark in the 1860 census in Lexington Township (not the town of Lexington) of north-central Lafayette County. The head of household is 41-year-old, Virginia-born, farmer John W. Clark and the household also contains 35-year-old, Virginia-born, Edwin C. Clark as well as 22-year-old Elizabeth and 23-year-old Missa, both also born in Virginia. Is this the correct Edwin Conway Clark?

I checked the online files of the Missouri State Archives and failed to find a military service record for Edwin. John, I will have to disagree about the E. C. Clark record you found being this man of Lafayette County since the area for the southern 3rd Division of the Missouri State Guard in 1861 was at least two counties east of Lafayette County. Also, your E. C. Clark was from Centralia in north Boone County, and enlisted in the Confederate 5th Missouri Infantry in Sturgeon, also in northern Boone County. I thought I found a Union military service record for Clark in an Edwin Clark who was in several related units of the Cass County area, but this guy was Edwin L. or S. Clark and Cass County was also just a little too far away for a man living just outside Lexington, Lafayette County. Besides that, the Edwin Clark of Cass County served throughout the entire war from 1861 through 1865, which does not fit the profile of service that Teresa identified.

I should point out that the Missouri State Archives military service records are not as complete as we would like, especially regarding southern service. That being said, Teresa, I simply couldn't find such a record.

Obituaries were commonly published by the year 1885 (this was not the practice until after the Civil War, at least in Missouri), and in those years the newspapers just about always included military service in the obit. You may wish to look in the microfilm records of the "Kansas City Star" or the Carroll County newspaper where you say he married in 1880 for the two or three weeks around the date of Edwin's death and you may find an obit, but it's at least worth a try. You could look in the Carrollton newspaper for a wedding notice, too.

Bruce Nichols