William Clark was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1753. He relocated to Randolph County, North Carolina, and served as a captain in the Randolph County Regiment of the North Carolina Militia from 1779 to 1781. He also served as a captain in the North Carolina Light Dragoons in 1781. After the war, Clark became a Quaker and reportedly expressed regret for his previous involvement in the military, never collecting his bounty lands or a veteran's pension. He died in Randolph on July 21, 1836.