He was a merchant in Bath, Maine, under the firm of "Magoun & Clapp." He was largely engaged in the shipping business, which he closed up during the Civil War.
He had large demands upon the Alabama Claims Commission, which were allowed.
Alabama Claims. The Alabama Claims were a series of demands for damages sought by the government of the United States from the United Kingdom in 1869. The reperations demanded were for attacks upon Union merchant ships by Confederate Navy using ships built in British ship yards. Many of ship sunk were sunk by the CSS Alabama thus the name Alabama claims. The British settled paying 15.5 million dollers.
This political cartoon from "Punch--or the London Charivari", January 22, 1872 shows "John Bull" (Great Britain) dwarfed by a gigantic inflated American "Alabama Claim".
Charles Clapp The Clapp Memorial. Record of the Clapp Family in America, Containing Sketches of the Original Six Emigrants, and a Genealogy of Their Descendants Bearing the Name. With a Supplement. By Ebenezer Clapp. Published in Boston by David Clapp & Son Publishing 1876. Page (facing) 144.
1807 - 
