Civil war
Texas faced similar challenges to the other seceding states as the nation headed towards civil war in 1861. Enlisting troops into the army, procuring weapons and supplies, and stabilizing the state's finances were Clark's main priorities, along with securing the frontier regions against opportunistic attacks by Native Americans, Mexico, or Union troops. Among his first actions was to order the surrender of all firearms and ammunition from private merchants to the state. Furthermore, all privately owned firearms were to be canvassed. Few weapons were ever turned in and most Texans did not comply for fear of future confiscation.
Concerned that Texas's position at the far western frontier of the Confederacy made it insecure and vulnerable, Governor Clark wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis in April demanding troops to secure the state, writing that “it is more than probable that an effort will soon be made by the submission party of this State, with General Houston at its head, to convert Texas into an independent republic.” However, manpower requests went both ways, as the Confederate war department also wrote to Clark demanding more Texas troops for the Confederate States Army.
The state militia system was reorganized under Clark's orders, with military training camps set up in different regions of the state. Facing a shortage of firearms, the soldiers were required to bring their own weapons. These militia troops were then enrolled in Confederate service after completing training.
As the prior governor's term he had been appointed to fill was expiring, Clark ran for reelection in the August 1861 election. In a narrow race, Francis Lubbock defeated Clark by 124 votes and Clark's term of office ended on November 7, 1861.
