Lemuel Todd (July 29, 1817 – May 12, 1891) was an American politician who served as an Oppositionist member of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district is located in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It contains all of Erie County, Crawford County, Mercer County, and Lawrence County, as well as part of Butler County. The district is represented by Republic ...

from 1855 to 1857 and as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's at-large congressional district from 1873 to 1875. He was an officer in the

Pennsylvania Reserves The Pennsylvania Reserves were an infantry division in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Noted for its famous commanders and high casualties, it served in the Eastern Theater, and fought in many important battles, including Antietam ...

infantry division of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

in the

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states t ...

and served in multiple battles.

Early life and education

Lemuel Todd was born in

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census, ...

and graduated from

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

in Carlisle in 1839. After graduation, he studied law in the offices of General Samuel Alexander. Todd was admitted to the

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom *Cumberland, historic county *Cumberlan ...

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

in 1841 and began his law practice in Carlisle.

Military service

At the outbreak of the civil war, Todd raised a company of volunteers from Cumberland County. The unit, known as the Carlise Guards, was accepted into service of the Union Army as Company I of the 1st Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment. Todd served as Captain of Company I and was promoted to Major and third in command of the regiment. He fought with the 1st Pennsylvania reserves at the

Battle of Gaines's Mill A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, the

Battle of Second Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...

and the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for posses ...

. He briefly assumed command of the regiment when Colonel Richard Biddle Roberts was assigned to brigade command at the Battle of Gaines's Mill. In 1862, severe illness forced Todd to resign from the regiment. He continued to support the Union Army by organizing the influx of drafted men in the eastern half of Pennsylvania at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin appointed him Inspector General of state troops on the governor's staff. He had responsibility for militia and State Guard units especially during the

confederate army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

invasion of Pennsylvania led by General Robert E. Lee in 1863. After the war, Todd returned to law practice in Carlisle.

Political career

In 1854, Todd was elected as an Oppositionist member of the

34th United States Congress The 34th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1855, ...

representing the

. He served on the Committee on Indian Affairs and the Committee for Public Buildings and Grounds. He was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for reelection in 1856. In 1872, Todd was elected as a

member to the

43rd United States Congress The 43rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1873, ...

representing Pennsylvania's at-large congressional district. He served on the Committees on Elections and Expenditures in the Post Office Department. He was not a candidate for renomination in

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndas ...

. He resumed the practice of law, and died in Carlisle in 1891.

Personal life

In 1849, Todd married Sarah Anna Watson of Adams County and together they had several children. Todd is interred at Ashland Cemetery in Carlise, Pennsylvania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Todd, Lemuel 1817 births 1891 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians Burials in Pennsylvania Dickinson College alumni Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania People from Carlisle, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania Reserves Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Union Army officers

Early life and education

Military service

Political career

Personal life

See also

References