John Blair Smith Todd

John Blair Smith Todd

John Blair Smith Todd (born April 4, 1814 in Lexington , Kentucky , † January 5, 1872 in Yankton County , Dakota Territory ) was an American politician . Between 1861 and 1863 and from 1864 to 1865 he represented the Dakota Territory as a delegate in the US House of Representatives .

Early years and advancement

In 1827, John Todd moved to Illinois with his parents . There he attended private schools. He then graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point until 1837 . He then made a career in the US Army until 1856 . He took part in the Second Seminole War between 1837 and 1840 and from 1845 in the Mexican-American War . In the 1850s he was also involved in some Indian wars. On September 16, 1856 he resigned from the military and began to trade with the Indians. To do this, he settled in Fort Randall . During this time he also studied law. After his admission to the bar, he started in Yanktonto work in this profession in what is now South Dakota .

Political career

After the outbreak of the Civil War , John Todd was appointed Brigadier General of a Volunteer Unit on September 19, 1861 . But he only stayed in the Union Army until July 17, 1862. In the meantime he had started a political career as a member of the Democratic Party . After the establishment of the Dakota Territory, he was elected as its first delegate to the US House of Representatives. He exercised this mandate in addition to his duties as Brigadier General from December 9, 1861. His term in Congress ran until March 3, 1863. In the congressional elections in 1862, John Todd lost to William Jayne , who then succeeded him on March 4, 1863 in Washington . Todd successfully sued the election results and was given back his seat in the House of Representatives on June 17, 1864. This enabled him to end the legislative period as a delegate until March 3, 1865. However, he was defeated in the elections of 1864 against Walter A. Burleigh of the Republican Party . So he left the Congress in March 1865.

Another résumé

Upon returning from Washington, John Todd worked as both a trade and a lawyer in Yankton. From 1866 to 1867 he was also a member and president of the territorial House of Representatives, in which he was not re-elected. Todd, who was a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln , wife of President Abraham Lincoln , died on January 5, 1872. South Dakota and Minnesota have counties named after him.

Web links

• John Blair Smith Todd in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• John Blair Smith Todd in the database of Find a Grave (English)