Charles Stewart Todd

Charles Stewart Todd was born on January 22, 1791, near Danville, Kentucky. He was the son of Thomas Todd, who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and his first wife, Elizabeth Harris. Todd resided in Kentucky throughout his childhood and adult life.

He briefly attended Transylvania University before transferring to the College of William and Mary, from which he graduated in 1809. Following his graduation, Todd studied law under his father in Washington, D.C., and subsequently attended Litchfield Law School. After being admitted to the bar in 1811, he commenced a legal practice in Lexington, Kentucky.

During the War of 1812, Todd volunteered for military service. He served as a subaltern and judge-advocate for General James Winchester’s division. In 1813, he was promoted to the rank of captain of infantry and served as an aide to General William Henry Harrison during the Battle of the Thames. In 1815, he was appointed Inspector-General of the Michigan Territory under General Duncan McArthur, who commissioned him as a colonel.

Following his military service, Todd returned to Kentucky to establish a legal practice in Frankfort, the state capital. On June 18, 1816, he married Letitia Shelby, the youngest daughter of Governor Isaac Shelby. The couple had twelve children.

In 1816, Todd served as a state representative for Kentucky and was subsequently appointed Secretary of State of Kentucky. Between 1820 and 1824, he was appointed as a Confidential Agent to Gran Colombia. President James Monroe offered Todd a position as secretary of the American delegation to Colombia in 1823, but he declined and returned to Kentucky to focus on farming and writing.

Todd’s diplomatic career resumed when he was appointed as the United States Minister to Russia, a position he held from 1841 to 1846 under President John Tyler. After completing his diplomatic service, he retired in 1846 and devoted his time to raising livestock and writing. Although he declined a nomination for Governor of Kentucky, he remained involved in political activities, including supporting Zachary Taylor’s presidential campaign in 1848. Todd also expressed interest in writing and the development of Texas and its railroad system.

He served as an editor for the Louisville Industrial and Commercial Gazette and the Cincinnati Republican newspapers. Todd remained engaged in public discussions and issues during his later years.

Charles Stewart Todd died on May 17, 1871, from pneumonia in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the home of his son-in-law, Judge Posey. He was buried in Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery in Owensboro, Kentucky.