Charles Stewart Todd (1791-1871) - Find a Grave Memorial

US Diplomat. The son in law of Kentucky Governor Isaac Shelby, he graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1809, and studied law before accepting a commission in the Army, where he attained the rank of Captain. He served during the War of 1812 and fought with William Henry Harrison in Harrison's victory over the forces of Native American leader Tecumseh. Todd was later appointed a Colonel in the Kentucky Militia, and served as Kentucky's Secretary of State from 1816 to 1818. In 1818 he was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives, where he served until 1820. That year he was appointed US Confidential Agent to Colombia and Venezuela, where he served until 1823, and played an important role in establishing formal diplomatic relations with both countries. After returning to the United States he was a farmer, lawyer and newspaper editor. During Harrison's 1840 campaign for President, Todd was one of the authors of the book "A Sketch of the Life and Public Services of William Henry Harrison". He was named US Ambassador to Russia in 1841, and served until 1846. He later served as US Internal Revenue Assessor in Owensboro. A relative of Abraham Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln, at the start of the Civil War he made news when at age 71 he wrote to representatives of the Lincoln administration, offering to serve in the Union Army.

Bio by: Bill McKern