John Todd (March 27, 1750 – August 19, 1782) was an American military officer and politician who fought during the Revolutionary War and became the first administrator of the

Illinois County Illinois County, Virginia, was a political and geographic region, part of the British Province of Quebec, claimed during the American Revolutionary War on July 4, 1778 by George Rogers Clark of the Virginia Militia, as a result of the Illinois C ...

of the U.S. state of Virginia before that state ceded the territory to the federal government.

Early life

Todd was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the son of David Todd and the brother of Robert and Levi Todd, the latter being grandfather of Mary Todd Lincoln. He was educated in Virginia at a school run by his uncle, the Rev. John Todd. After obtaining a license to practice law, Todd settled in Fincastle, Virginia.

Career

In 1774, Todd served in the

Battle of Point Pleasant The Battle of Point Pleasant, also known as the Battle of Kanawha, was the only major action of Dunmore's War. It was fought on October 10, 1774, between the Virginia militia and Shawnee and Mingo warriors. Along the Ohio River near modern-day P ...

, which was fought near present-day Point Pleasant, West Virginia and is celebrated in West Virginia as the first battle in the American Revolutionary War. He was then drawn west into the recently opened frontier of Kentucky where he purchased land near Lexington. Todd served in the Virginia legislature in 1776 and then participated in the expedition led by

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...

against Kaskaskia and Vincennes that captured the Illinois Country from the British in 1778. With Clark as commandant of the entire territory north and west of the Ohio river, Todd was appointed as County Lieutenant and Civil Commandant of "Illinois County", which had been organized by the Virginia legislature in 1778 with the government based in Kaskaskia. In 1780, Todd returned to

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, as a delegate from the

Kentucky County Kentucky County (then alternately spelled Kentucke County) was formed by the Commonwealth of Virginia from the western portion (beyond the Cumberland Mountains) of Fincastle County effective December 31, 1776. The name of the county was taken ...

to the Virginia Legislature, where he married Jane Hawkins. His wife settled on their property in Lexington, while he left to administer affairs in Illinois County. Because of his duties on the frontier, he was seldom home. In 1780, the Virginia Legislature divided the original Kentucky County into three counties: Lincoln, Jefferson, and Fayette. Colonel Todd was placed in charge of Fayette County militia with Daniel Boone as lieutenant colonel. In 1782, Todd was killed fighting in the Battle of Blue Licks in Robertson County, Kentucky, one of the last battles of the Revolutionary War.

Legacy

Todd County, Kentucky is named after him.

References

Sources

Family of Mary Todd Lincoln
see Generation Four.

Chapter III of ''Transition to American Rule'' by Prof. W. C. Walton *
Colonel John Todd's record Book of 1779
{{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, John 1750 births 1782 deaths United States military personnel killed in the American Revolutionary War Kentucky militiamen in the American Revolution Kentucky pioneers Members of the Virginia House of Delegates People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania People of Kentucky in the American Revolution 18th-century American politicians People in Dunmore's War