Joseph Clark was born into slavery around 1826 in Albemarle County, Virginia. His enslaver, Jeremiah Roberts, owned 2 slaves in 1830, and sometime in the next decade, he moved his family and slaves to Peno, Pike County, Missouri. Roberts owned 7 slaves by 1840, and after his death in the 1850s, Roberts's son John inherited his land and slaves. John Roberts worked as a merchant, and by 1860, he had amassed $1200 in real estate and $5000 in personal property. 

Joseph Clark married Harriet Anne Hough Clark on January 28, 1852, in Pike County. Because they were slaves, however, their marriage was not legally recognized until April 23, 1865, while Clark was stationed at Benton Barracks in St. Louis. Clark and his wife had one child before the war: John Hatcher Clark, who was born on October 25, 1852.

Clark enlisted in the 65th USCT Infantry Regiment on December 29, 1863, at the age of 37 in Louisiana, Missouri. At the time of his enlistment, he stood 6 feet tall, with a mulatto complexion, hazel eyes, and black hair. Before his enlistment, Clark was an engineer in a flour mill, working for his owner. He mustered in as a private in Company G of the 65th USCT on January 9, 1864, at Benton Barracks in St. Louis for a period of 3 years.

The regiment was organized on March 11 and attached to the Department of Missouri until June of 1864. Following this period in Missouri, Clark and the rest of the regiment were transferred to the District of Morganza in the Department of the Gulf for service in Louisiana. While in Morganza, the 65th USCT performed garrison duty until May of 1865. Clark was promoted to sergeant on February 25, 1864, effective January 9, 1864, and served on daily duty as a police sergeant in the district. He received $7 per month as a sergeant and was mainly detached from the regiment while performing his duty as a police sergeant. Clark received a 30-day furlough on April 13, 1865, to visit his family, and during this time, he formalized his marriage to Harriet at Benton Barracks. He rejoined the regiment on May 13. The army ordered the regiment to Port Hudson, Louisiana, in late May 1865 to perform garrison duty there and at Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the Northern District of Louisiana. Clark remained there until he mustered out as a sergeant with the rest of the regiment on January 8, 1867, in Baton Rouge.

Following Clark’s service in the army, he took up farming and had another child with his wife: James Edward Clark, who was born on New Year’s Day, 1873. While it is uncertain that Clark lived in the same place after the war, he resided in Brookville, Kansas, for a period of his life, until he passed away on July 15, 1903, due to a stroke. At the time of his death, he was nearly 77 years old.