Father: Benjamin Clayton (1796-1864)
Mother: Locky Quarles (1795-1860)
- Educated in Murfreesboro, TN, under Joseph H. Eaton, D.D.
- Studied medicine under Dr. Watson and Dr. Wendel
1849 - M.D. degree, University of Pennsylvania, Medical Department, Philadelphia, PA (from: TN; preceptors: Dr. Dr. J. M. Watson & Dr. J. E. Wendel; thesis: "Pleurisy")
- Attended, University of Kentucky, but did not graduate from this institution
00/00/1849 - Married, Maria Louisa Helm (1828-1873), Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN
09/13/1850 - Practiced medicine, Rutherford Co., TN (lived with wife, Mariah L. - indexed in the 1850 U.S. Census as "Henry A. Clayton")
06/01/1852 - Founding member, Rutherford County Medical Society, Rutherford Co., TN
06/09/1860 - Practiced medicine, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN (lived with wife, M. L., and three children - indexed in the 1860 U.S. Census as H. H. Clayton)
11/04/860 - Mother, Locky, died
11/10/1861 - Enlisted as Capt., Co. D., 45th TN Infantry, Camp Trousdale, TN
12/09/1861 - In a letter to Gen. S. A. Johnson [sic - A. S. Johnston] written from CampTrousdale [TN], "Having received orders to hold ourselves in readiness to march & being in an unorganized condition without efficient arms & what we have not being valued, we would petition you to permit us to remain a few days longer in order to organize a Regiment. We have a fine prospect of forming a Regiment this week having several companies from the same county & some from adjoining counties. . They are very anxious to be together & we had intended to organize very soon. [signed] A. Mitchell, Capt.; E. F. Lyttle, Capt.; H. H. Clayton, Capt." [Note: A. Mitchell was probably Addison Mitchell who became a Colonel, 45th TN Infantry, and E. F. Lyttle was probably Ephraim F. Lyttle who also became a Colonel.]
04/00/1862 - Severely wounded at the Battle of Shiloh
04/30/1862 - Capt., Co. I, 45th TN Infantry
06/04/1862 - Capt., Co. I, 45th TN Infantry [Note: This is the last day that Dr. Clayton was paid as a Capt. at $130/mo. For the rest of his service, he was paid as a Surgeon at $162/mo.]
07/20/1862 - Surgeon, 45th TN Infantry, Vicksburg, MS
11/24/1862 - Passed Confederate Army Board of Medical Examination for the position of Surgeon
12/02/1862 - On his receipt for pay as a Surgeon for the period, June 4th, 1862 to October 4th, 1862, Dr. Clayton added the following note: "I have been recommended by Col. [Anderson] Searcy to the War department for the position. Was ordered on duty by Genl. [Braxton] Bragg and have a certificate of examination by the Medical Board and have been in discharge of the duties of he office for the time specified. H. H. Clayton, Surgeon, 45th Tenn Regt"
12/31/1862 - Surgeon, 45th TN Infantry
04/30/1863 - Surgeon, 45th TN Infantry, Fairfield, TN
05/30/1863 - Appointed Surgeon, Provisional Army of the Confederate States, to rank from 06/04/1862
08/06/1863 - Surgeon, Tyner's Station [TN]
08/30/1863 - Surgeon, 45th TN Infantry, Charleston, TN
09/03/1863 - Surgeon, 45th TN Infantry, Gen. J. C. Brown's Brigade, Gen. A. P. Stewart's Division, Gen. Buckner's Corps, Army of Tennessee commanded by Gen. J. C. Brown
10/30/1863 - Absent, sick, as Surgeon, 45th TN Infantry
11/15/1863 - "The following named Medical Officers are relieved from the assignment heretofore made & will report as follows. Surg H. H. Clayton, 45th Tenn to Surg S. H. Stout, Med. Dir. of Hospitals, Marietta, Ga" [S.O. 290 Army of TN Gen. B. Bragg]
11/16/1863 - "The following named Medical Officers are relieved from the assignment heretofore made and will report as follows. Surg H. H. Clayton, 45th Tenn Regt to Surgeon S. H. Stout, Med. Dir. of Hospitals, Marietta, Ga" [S.O. 298 Army of TN Gen. Bragg]
12/02/1863 - "Surgeon H. H. Clayton is hereby ordered to report to Surgeon S. Meredith, In Charge of hospitals at Madison, Ga, for duty. The Q. M. Department will furnish transportation. S H. Stout, Med Dir Hospitals"
12/04/1863 - In an order from the Office, Sr. Surgeon in Charge Hospitals, Madison, Ga, "Surgeon H. H. Clayton having reported under orders from the Med Director, is assigned to duty at Asylum Hospital, S. Meredith, Sr. Surgeon in chge"
01/01/1864 - Surgeon, Madison, GA
01/02/1864 - In a letter written from Madison, GA, to Dr. S. H. Stout, Medical Director of Hospitals, Army of Tennessee, "Sir, I have been assigned to duty in the Asylum Hospital temporarily as Dr. Meredith informs me. And has written to you to send him a Surgeon of Hospital experience to take charge of the Asylum Hospital. If it is not detrimental to the service, I would like to be placed permanently in charge of the Asylum Hospital. As to my attainments I would state that I am a graduate of the University of Penn; have been in active practice of Medicine fifteen years, in the field service for two years. For further information concerning m medical attainments and business qualifications I would refer you to Drs B. W. Avent, Jno. W. King & J. F. Grant. H. H. Clayton, Asylum, P.A.C.S."
01/30/1864 - Confirmed as Surgeon from TN by the Confederate States Senate
02/08/1864 - Signed a receipt in Madison, GA, for $30 reimbursement "For Hauling hirty (30) Wagon Loads Sawdust and Lumber for use of Stout Hospital at One Dollar per Load"
04/01/1864 - As Surgeon-in-charge, Asylum Hospital, Madison, GA, submitted a requisition to the Confederate Army Quartermasters Department for 2000 pounds of straw "to be used for filling Bed Sacks for Asylum Hospital"
04/00/1864 - Father, Benjamin, died
05/01/1864 - Surgeon, Madison, GA
07/24/1864 - Surgeon, Madison, GA
07/26/1864 - "The following named Medical Officers are hereby relieved from duty at Madison, Ga, and will report without delay to Surgeon J . P. Logan in charge of Hospitals at Augusta, Ga. for duty. Surgeon H. H. Clayton. By order of S. H. Stout, Medical Director Hospls"
08/01/1864 - In an order from the Office of the Senior Surgeon in charge, Augusta, GA., "Surg H. H. Clayton is assigned to duty at Augusta, Ga. in charge of Asylum Hospl. J P. Logan, Sr. Surgeon in chg"
08/01/1864 - Surgeon, Augusta, GA
09/30/1864 - Surgeon, Augusta, GA
10/30/1864 - Surgeon, Hospital, Camp Sumter, Andersonville, GA [Note; This was the hospital for the Andersonville military prison, Surgeon Isaiah Henry White in charge.]
00/00/1864 - As Surgeon, Sumter Hospital, Andersonville, GA, stated that there were 125 patients in the hospital
01/30/1865 - Senior Surgeon in charge, Camp Sumter, Andersonville, GA
02/28/1865 - Senior Surgeon in charge, Camp Sumter, Andersonville, GA
03/25/1865 - Surgeon, Confederate States Military Prison Hospital, Andersonville, GA
08/29/1865 - Dr. G. G. Roy, a former Confederate Surgeon, testified for the prosecution in the trial of Henry Wirz, former commandant of Andersonville Prison. He stated, "Dr. H. H. Clayton succeeded Dr. [Richard Randolph] Stevenson; . . . . after Dr. Clayton took charge the supply of medicine was fully adequate; attribute that very much to the fact that he made requisitions for the full capacity of the hospital . . . those [prisoners] who were there were able to get as much medicine as they needed" [Source: Wirz, Henry
(1868) Trial of Henry Wirz: Letter from the Secretary of War Ad Interim. Executive Documents printed by order of The House of Representatives during the Second Session of the Fortieth Congress 1867-'68. p. 83
1869 - Practiced medicine with Dr. James Brickell Murfree, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN
08/02/1870 - Practiced medicine, 2nd Ward, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN (lived with wife, Mariah, and 5 children - indexed in the 1870 U.S. Census as H. H. Clayton)
08/20/1870 - "Miss Jennie Clayton, daughter of Dr. H. H. Clayton, received a fall at the Skating Rink, which broke her arm" [from: The Murfreesboro News, in the Nashville Union and American, August 27, 1870, p.3, c.2.]
09/28/1870 - At the Murfreesboro Fair, Murfreesboro, TN, in the category of Blooded Stallions, "Best suckling, premium, to Dr. H. H. Clayton" [The Nashville Union and American, September 28, 1870, p.1, c. 2]
1871 - Member, Tennessee State Medical Society
00/00/1873 - Wife, Mariah, died in Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN (buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN)
1874 - Practiced medicine, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN
06/24/1874 - Married, Mrs. Harriet Amelia Holt Keeble (1835-1913) [Note: Mrs. Keeble was the widow of Col. Richard H. Keeble, CSA, who died in battle in Virginia in 1864. A daughter from this union was Richie Keeble Mason (1864-1899).]
1875 Contributor to "The Cholera Epidemic of 1873 in the United States" which is a report requested by the U. S. House of Representatives
1875 - Charter member, Lodge No. 161, K of H, Murfreesboro, TN
1877 - Mayor, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN
1877 - Health Officer, Murfreesboro Board of Health, Murfreesboro, TN
1879 - Medical practice partnership with Dr. James Brickell Murfree ended
1879 - Member, American Public Health Association
06/23/1880 - Practiced medicine, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN (lived with his wife, H. A., two daughters, and two sons - indexed in the 1880 U.S. Census as H. H. Clayton)
1886 - Practiced medicine, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN
- President, Medical Association of Tennessee
- Well known for breeding American quarter horses
- Member, A.O.U. W.
- Mason
- Member, Methodist Episcopal Church South
08/11/1888 - Died in his home, Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN (buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN)
07/02/1913 - Widow, Harriet, died in Murfreesboro, Rutherford Co., TN (buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN)

Judy Gray and Ronald A. Lee provided significant input to this biography.

Note: For further information on Dr. Clayton's Confederate service in Madison, GA, see:
Harris, Bonnie P. (2014) The Confederate Hospitals of Madison Georgia (their records & histories 1861-1865), published by Bonnie P. Harris, Buckhead, GA.

This biographical sketch is from:
Hambrecht, F.T. & Koste, J.L., Biographical
register of physicians who served the
Confederacy in a medical capacity.
11/17/2018. Updated 12/12/2018.
Unpublished database.

Children: Rev. John Benjamin, Jane Matilda, Mary Louisa, Henry Helm, and William Locke Clayton.