HON. DAVID TOD.
BIOGRAPHY AND PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS.
BY GEORGE B. WRIGHT.
"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime;
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time."
"Footprints, that perhaps another
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother
Seeing, shall take heart again."
- Longfellow.
PART I.
BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID TOD.
David Tod, second of the Civil War
Governors of Ohio,
was born at Youngstown, Trumbull (now
Mahoning) County,
Ohio, on the 22nd of February, A. D.
1805.
His father, the Honorable George Tod,
settled in Ohio in
1800, having left his native state,
Connecticut, with many others
of the early pioneers who settled the
Western Reserve. Ohio
was then a territory, and the same year
of his advent George
Tod was called on by Governor St. Clair
to act as Secretary
in 1802. The same year, when Ohio was admitted into the
Union as a state, Mr. Tod was elected as
one of the Justices
of the Supreme Court, and held that
office seven years in suc-
cession.
He was after that re-elected to the same
position, but on
the breaking out of the war of 1812 with
Great Britain he re-
signed his seat on the bench and
tendered his services to the
Government, and was commissioned Major,
and afterwards pro-
moted to the Colonelcy of the Twelfth
Regiment.
During this struggle he won laurels for
his coolness, cour-
age and heroism, especially at Sackett's
Harbor and Fort Meigs.
At the close of the war he resigned his
commission and re-
turned to Trumbull County. Soon after
this he was elected
(107)
108
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Judge of the Court of Common Pleas,
having for his district
the whole northern part of the state.
He was a very generous, liberal-minded
man, and in the
old pioneer times when small salaries
were paid to all officials,
with a large family to maintain, he did
not accumulate any
surplus, but fell behind and was
compelled to mortgage his Brier
Hill farm. But he left to his children a
"good name, which is
better than riches."
His wife, Sallie Isaac, the mother of
David Tod, was a
very beautiful woman, a most excellent
wife and mother, wor-
shipped by her children and beloved by
every one who knew
her. She was the sister of Mrs.
Ingersoll, the wife of Governor
Ingersoll, of Connecticut. To his
mother, as well as his father,
David Tod owed a large share of his
native talent and good-
ness.
Judge Tod remained on the Common Pleas
bench for four-
teen years, retiring in 1829 at the age
of fifty-five. For the
remainder of his life he pursued his
profession of law, attended
to the management of his Brier Hill
farm, near Youngstown,
and cared for his family. He died in
1841 at the age of sixty-
seven, esteemed and revered by every
one.
David Tod, reared as a farmer boy at the
old Brier Hill
farm, and being among the youngest of
his father's children,
had, with his father's limited means at
that early period in Ohio,
none of the educational advantages or
opportunities enjoyed by
the youth of the present day. His only
early education was
obtained at the day schools, which were
held for only a short
portion of the year. He received his
further education at the
old Burton Academy in Geauga County,
Ohio. He paid for
his school expenses after he became of
age. He had great
native talent, and most excellent
judgment of men and things
material, and his active life and
experience afforded him the
greater part of his education, and he
might fairly be said to
have been self-educated. Although a
self-made man, he was
well fitted to fill any place or
position to which he might be
called.
He studied law in the office of Colonel
Powell Stone, at
Warren, Ohio, and was admitted to the
bar in 1827, at the age
Hon. David Tod. 109
of twenty-two. He was then in debt for
his tuition, and other
expenses about one thousand dollars. He
commenced practice
with the Hon. Mathew Burchard. The bar
of Trumbull County
was attended in those days by such able
and distinguished prac-
titioners as the Hons. Elisha
Whittlesey, Ebon Martin, Joshua
R. Giddings, Rufus T. Spaulding, Calvin
Pease, Powell Stone,
Mathew Burchard, John Crowell, Andrew
Loomis, Thomas D.
Webb, and later Benjamin F. Mills,
Reuben Hitchcock and
others. It was regarded as one of the
ablest and most dis-
tinguished bars in Ohio.
David Tod soon became eminent as a jury
lawyer, and
was very popular, being regarded as one
of the strongest in the
profession. He had a deep-toned, musical
voice. He was mag-
nanimous and genial, of commanding
appearance, great socia-
bility, and was always listened to with
delight, and was the life
and charm of society.
His practice soon became large and
extended, and enabled
him not only to pay off the debts he had
incurred, but also to
repurchase the old Brier Hill farm,
which had been mortgaged
and sold. This he cherished as his
sacred home until the day
of his death, and he kept it as a home
for his father and mother
while they lived, replacing the old log
cabin thereon with a
good, commodious frame house.
On June 4, 1832, at the age of
twenty-seven, he married
Maria Smith, daughter of Justice Smith,
of Warren, Ohio, one
of the early settlers there, who built
the first grist and saw
mill in that section of the state. There
was then no grist mill
within sixty miles of Warren.
From this marriage seven children were
born, four boys
and three girls - Charlotte, John, Henry, George, William,
Grace and Sallie. The oldest daughter,
Charlotte, married Gen-
eral August V. Kautz, of the regular
army in 1866. She died
in 1868 and her husband, the General,
fifteen or eighteen years
later.
John Tod, the oldest son, died suddenly
at Columbus, Ohio,
on the 4th of December, 1896, while
attending a meeting of
the State House Commission, of which he
was a member. David
Tod's widow and five children are still
living, residing at
110
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Youngstown, Ohio. The old Brier Hill
farm and homestead
still remains, kept and cared for as in
the life of its owner.
In the days of Andrew Jackson, David Tod
became his
ardent admirer, and supported him for
the Presidency, and
attached himself to the Democratic
party, although his father
was a devoted Whig.
He continued with the Democratic party
until its rupture
at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1860,
at the Democratic Na-
tional Convention, where he figured as
First Vice-President,
and subsequently as President at the
meeting of the delegates
at Baltimore, Maryland. These two
conventions, no doubt,
had a strong influence in enlisting him
in the cause of the
Union.
He was appointed postmaster at Warren,
Ohio, under Jack-
son's or Van Buren's administration, and
continued in that posi-
tion until 1838, when he was elected, in
the strong Whig County
of Trumbull, over his opponent, Hon.
John Crowell, as Sena-
tor to the Ohio Legislature, where he
served two years with
marked ability.
He continued to practice law until about
1844, when he
moved to his Brier Hill farm, the old
home, to which he was
so much attached. He then started the
project of developing
the coal in that section, and after long
and persistent effort in-
troducing it into Cleveland, and other
lake markets by way of
the Ohio and Pennsylvania Canal. He was
one of the prin-
cipal agents in carrying forward the
scheme of constructing the
Canal. He was a director of the company
for a long time, and
one of the pioneers in coal shipments
from the Brier Hill and
Girard Mines. In this way he laid the
foundation for his fu-
ture success in amassing wealth, and
gave the impetus to the
great development of the coal and iron
trade, and other busi-
ness of the Mahoning Valley. He was also
one of the chief
and efficient actors and managers in
promoting the construc-
tion of the Cleveland and Mahoning
Valley Railroad, of which
company Jacob Perkins was the first
President, and David Tod
one of the Directors, and after the
decease of Mr. Perkins he
was made the President, and so continued
until his death.
Hon. David Tod. 111
These enterprises brought Mr. Tod in
close touch with the
laboring classes, and he became their
friend and helper, many
of whom, through his aid and
encouragement, became pros-
perous, and acquired remunerative
positions, and thus many
homes were made comfortable and happy.
The railroad from
Cleveland to Youngstown was opened in
1856, and Mr. Tod,
not many years afterwards, when the road
passed into the con-
trol of the Atlantic & Great Western
Railway Company, had
the satisfaction of seeing the company
relieved of a large and
embarrassing load of floating debt,
which imperiled his entire
fortune. This was accomplished by his
personal efforts and wise
management, and the value of the stock
of the company was
brought up from thirty per cent. below,
to above par. The in-
habitants of the Mahoning Valley owe to
David Tod, more than
to any other man, the great wealth of
that prosperous mining
and iron manufacturing region.
To his talents, geniality and goodness
of heart may be at-
tributed his popularity as a speaker,
and they will account for his
nomination by the Democratic party for
Governor in 1844, and
in the then strong Whig state he was
defeated by his opponent,
Mordecai Bartley, by only about twelve
hundred votes.
In the winter or early spring of 1847,
Mr. Tod was ap-
pointed by President Polk, Minister to
Brazil to succeed Henry
A. Wise, of Virginia, who was recalled
at the request of Brazil
in consequence of his arbitrary course
which threatened to in-
volve our country in war with that
empire. With the feeling
existing in that government, the
difficulty created by Wise,
and the total lack of experience on the
part of Mr. Tod in the
matter of diplomacy and court etiquette,
made it a very deli-
cate and trying position. Nevertheless,
he accepted the appoint-
ment and embarked for Rio in June, 1847,
with his wife and
some of his younger children, and
remained there about four
and a half years, returning home in
December, 1851.
His native talent and large endowment of
common sense,
with his experience and knowledge of
men, enabled him to
fulfill his mission to the satisfaction
of our government and the
delight of his friends at home. He succeeded
while there, not
only in healing all troubles and
difficulties, but in concluding
112 Ohio
Arch. and His. Society Publications.
a negotiation by which he obtained about
$300,000 from that
government on claims which had been, for
more than thirty
years, the subject of international
dispute. He was largely
instrumental in inducing the government
to break up the in-
famous slave trade. He placed the
government of Brazil on
a solid and firm footing of friendship
with the United States. He
so far secured the good will and esteem
of the Emperor of Brazil
as to receive letters addressed to this
government of the highest
commendation.
He often lent his kind aid and purse to
our countrymen
and sailors residing in Rio, or passing
through, and on his
leaving they presented him with a
valuable silver memorial of
their great esteem and friendship.
His relations, whether with that empire
or with the rep-
resentatives of other governments there,
as well as his efforts in
behalf of his countrymen, were an entire
success. And it may
safely be said that no representative
from this government to a
foreign court ever surpassed Mr. Tod in
diplomatic influence,
tact and favor.
On his return home his friends and
neighbors, without
distinction of party, gave him a most
cordial ovation, and a
greeting and welcome of which any one
might be proud. Not
the least gratifying was the heartfelt
manner in which all his
employees met and welcomed him in a
body. Having been
attached so long to the fortunes of the
Democratic party; be-
ing the idol of his Democratic friends
in his section of the
state; having received positions of
honor and trust at their
hands, and reluctant to change to any
new organization, or
position, politically, he adhered to
that old party until 1860 in
spite of all the assaults upon it, and
upon its pro-slavery wing
at the South, made by the growing
Republican party.
He was a delegate to the Charleston
convention in 1860;
was the First Vice-President while Caleb
Cushing was Pres-
sident. He was strongly in favor of the
nomination of Stephen
A. Douglas, and against yielding to the
pro-slavery demands
of the South, and bid defiance to their
threat of seceding from
the Union if their demands were not
complied with; and when
they adjourned to Baltimore and the
southern delegation left
Hon. David Tod. 113
114 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
triotism and energy, proved to be the
right man in the right
place. He performed an enormous amount
of labor, and gave
most efficient aid to the country in his
very responsible position.
The care of the soldiers, the sick,
wounded and afflicted,
their wives, dependents and friends,
have all good cause to re-
member Governor Tod. His excellent
knowledge and judg-
ment of men and great care in the
appointment of officers, gave
excellent commanders to the troops of
Ohio, with very few ex-
ceptions, and he made as few mistakes in
this respect as was pos-
sible in the great multiplicity of
appointments and promotions
to be made.
He made comparatively few requests of
Secretary of War
Stanton, or President Lincoln, and those
he did make were
maturely considered, and were always
found important, and
therefore promptly granted.
On his retirement from the Executive
Office, the Legis-
lature of Ohio, then in session, passed
and published in the vol-
ume of Ohio Laws for that year, the
following most beautiful
and appropriate joint resolution and
vote of thanks:
WHEREAS, The executive term of Governor Tod has been a period
of unexampled trial to the state and
nation, involving the existence of
the government, and demanding devoted
loyalty and extraordinary ex-
ecutive ability; and
WHEREAS, In our opinion these demands
have been met by him in
a manner eliciting the approbation of
all loyal men,
Therefore, the general assembly of the State of Ohio, in the name
and behalf of the people of Ohio, feel
constrained to award to Governor
David Tod, upon his retirement from
office, this public testimony of our
approbation and esteem.
Resolved, That the thanks of the general assembly of the state of
Ohio are hereby tendered to him for the
able, self-sacrificing and de-
voted manner in which he has discharged
all the duties of chief magistrate
of the state; for his devotion in
ministering to the sick and wounded
soldiers; for his kindness, courtesy and
assistance to the friends and
families of the soldiers in their
anxious inquiries for those exposed in
camp, upon the battle-fields and in
hospitals; for his pecuniary sacri-
fices for the soldiers' encouragement
and comfort; for his patriotic ad-
dresses made to the regiments, from time
to time, when going into ser-
vice; for his well-arranged system of
half-fare tickets, by which the
relatives of the soldiers were enabled
to visit the hospitals and battle-
Hon. David Tod. 115
fields to convey relief, or bring to
their last resting place amid the homes
of the loyal north, the remains of those
who have given their lives for
their country's protection; for the
enduring memorials to the dead of
the rank and file in the cemeteries of
Spring Grove and Gettysburg;
for the preservation of peace and order
of the state; for the speedy sup-
pression of disloyalty and resistance to
laws; for untiring industry in
the business of the state; for
deep-toned loyalty; for the full and faithful
discharge of the trust which two years
ago was entrusted to him by a
loyal people; for all this he takes with
him into his retirement our
thanks, our approval, and our desire for
his future welfare and happi-
ness. And when the terrible drama of
this infamous rebellion shall
have closed, his official discharge of
duty will remain a proud monument
to his memory, and a rich legacy to his
children."
JAMES R. HUBBELL,
Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
CHARLES ANDERSON,
President of the Senate.
Governor Tod, much worn with the great
labor he had
performed, gladly sought the Brier Hill
farm to devote some
care to his personal affairs needing his
attention.
During his relations with President
Lincoln, although some-
what prejudiced at first, he became his
warm friend and ad-
mirer. He heartily accepted the
proclamation to abolish slavery
as an appropriate means of crushing the
rebellion.
On the retirement of Salmon P. Chase,
Secretary of the
Treasury, President Lincoln, wholly
without solicitation of Gov-
ernor Tod or any intimation of it
beforehand, tendered him by
telegraph that Cabinet position. But
being much worn and
exhausted in his very arduous labor as
Executive of Ohio, need-
ing rest at his age, and desirous of
looking to his private af-
fairs, he promptly declined with
suitable thanks the honorable
position so generously tendered him.
Governor Tod thenceforward devoted his
time, care and
attention to his interesting family of
wife and seven children;
to the coal and iron works, and the
Cleveland and Mahon-
ing Valley Railroad, of which company he
remained President
until his decease, on November 13, 1868,
at the age of sixty-
three years, eight months and
twenty-three days. In Novem-
ber, 1868, he was elected by the
Republicans one of the pres-
idential electors at large. At the meeting of the Electoral Col-
116 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
lege held at Columbus on December 1st,
1868, seventeen days
after his death, the following gentlemen
were appointed to re-
port resolutions expressive of the sense
of the College in re-
gard to his death: Stanley Matthews, E.
F. Schneider and F.
Kinsman. The Committee reported the following resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, David Tod, formerly governor of
Ohio, who departed this
life on the 13th of November, 1868, had
been chosen a member of the
Electoral College for the state, at
large; and
WHEREAS, It is peculiarly
appropriate that we give expression to our
feelings in regard to his decease, be it
therefore
Resolved, That we deeply deplore the loss that the State and
Nation
have sustained in the death of this
distinguished citizen; that his public
career and services, especially his
patriotic course at the outbreak of the
rebellion, and his distinguished and
invaluable labor as Executive of
Ohio during one of the most critical
periods of the war, have earned for
him the lasting gratitude of the people,
and made his name precious to
every lover of his country.
Resolved, That while we cherish with pride the public reputation
of
the deceased, we remember also his
exalted character and sterling worth
as a man; his noble and generous
qualities as a friend; his genial man-
ners, which adorned alike the Executive
Chamber and the social circle
and which combined to win for him the
universal respect and affection
with which his memory will always be
associated.
Resolved, That Hon. Samuel Galloway, one of the members of this
body, be requested to deliver this
evening before the College and the
public, an eulogy upon the life and
character of the deceased.
Resolved, That the following named gentlemen be requested to of-
ficiate at the meeting for that purpose:
As President, Governor R. B.
Hayes; as Vice-Presidents, Hon. James L.
Bates and General George B.
Wright; as Chaplain, Rev. A. G. Byers;
as Secretaries. Morton E.
Brazee and W. R. Thrall.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions and a copy of the pro-
ceedings of the meeting, this evening,
be furnished to the family of the
deceased.
The meeting in the evening was largely
attended, Mr. Gal-
loway delivering a most eloquent eulogy
on the life and char-
acter of Mr. Tod; a most truthful and
fitting tribute, full of
evidence of Mr. Galloway's intimate
acquaintance and sincere
regard for his friend and neighbor. The
eulogy was delivered
at the request of the Electors, who
ordered it printed in pamph-
Hon. David Tod. 117
let form, and thousands of copies of the
proceedings and eulogy
were distributed through the state and
country.
Such was the respect for him and feeling
entertained to-
ward him, that his funeral was attended
by a number esti-
mated at twenty thousand people.
The people of the Mahoning Valley of all
classes have long
mourned his loss as their great friend,
adviser and benefactor.
PART II.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF DAVID TOD.
My first acquaintance with David Tod was
a few days after
his election as Governor of Ohio, in
1861. I was then Quar-
termaster General of Ohio, in the midst
of active duties equip-
ping and sending to the field volunteers
for the Federal Army
who were being called by the President
to suppress the rebel-
lion. He came into the office with
Governor Dennison, who
introduced him to me as his successor. I
was struck with his
handsome, smooth-shaven face, and
genial, cordial manner. He
was about five feet, ten inches in
height, stoutly built, and
weighed about one hundred and ninety
pounds; a fine shaped
head, with a prominent forehead; bright,
dark-brown eyes, with
dark hair slightly tinged with gray.
I was not only favorably impressed with
his appearance and
genial manner, but surprised at his
request that I become a
member of his staff and continue in my
present position. I had
known of him as a prominent Democratic
politician, while I
had always been a Whig and a Republican,
and presumed, of
course, that he would select his staff
from his own party friends.
I had known of Mr. Tod's election to the
Legislature as
State Senator from Trumbull county in
1839. I was familiar
with his campaign for governor in 1844
on the Democratic
ticket, and had taken part against him,
and in favor of his
Whig opponent, Mordecai Bartley. That
was a very vigorous
campaign on both sides in which great
processions with flags
and emblems, song singing, and displays
of all kinds were in
vogue. The custom of song singing in
political campaigns had
118 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
been introduced four years before when
General Harrison and
Martin Van Buren were opposing
candidates for the presidency
in 1840. John Greiner, of Columbus, was
the Whig poet, and
composed many songs satirizing the
candidates from the Pres-
ident to the candidate for the humblest
position. One verse of
a popular Whig song of 1840 will be
remembered by those now
living who were voters at that time:
"Oh what has caused this great commotion
Motion, motion - our country through?
It is the ball a-rolling on
For Tippecanoe and Tyler, too,
For Tippecanoe and Tyler, too,
And with them we'll beat little Van,
Van, Van is a used up man
And with them we'll beat little
Van."
The songs of 1844 were more prolific,
and those of John
Greiner were very popular. The following
will serve as ex-
amples:
"At Lindenwold the fox was holed,
And the coons all laughed
When they heard it told
Ha, ha, ha what a nominee
Is James K. Polk of Tennessee."
These are the first of a number of
verses of the popular
songs.
"Soon after the great nomination
Was held at Columbus so odd,
There was quite a jollification
At the residence of Governor Tod."
"His mother, good, pious old lady,
Her spectacles threw on the sod;
Good gracious! Who would have thought,
Davy
Would ever be Governor Tod?"
Mr. Tod was a hard money man, and in one
of his stump
speeches said he would "prefer pot
metal money to shin-plas-
ters." This saying gave him the name
of "Pot Metal Tod." I
remember in one of the processions of
that year, a large wagon,
drawn by eight horses, was laden with a
cupola in full blast
Hon. David Tod. 119
molding "Tod Dollars," which
were about two and one-half
inches in diameter and half an inch
thick; on one side were
the words "Tod Dollar." They
were thrown into the street as
fast as molded, and quickly gathered up
by the crowd. I saw
one of these dollars in Mr. Tod's office
at Brier Hill as late as
1866, where it was used as a paper
weight. Notwithstanding
the state was largely Whig at that time,
Mr. Tod was beaten
by his Whig opponent, Mordecai Bartley,
by less than twelve
hundred votes.
As minister to Brazil from 1847 to 1851,
he won great credit
as a diplomat. His energy and success in
developing the coal
and other interests in the Mahoning
Valley; his career as First
Vice-President at the Democratic
National Convention at
Charleston, South Carolina, and
subsequently at Baltimore in
1860, are all referred to in the
preceding biography and need
not be repeated here.
It was at this interesting and
prosperous period that the
civil war broke out and fired the hearts
of every lover of the
Union at the North. William Dennison was
then Governor of
the State, and with patriotic zeal was
doing all in his power
under the greatest difficulties, to
organize and place the State
on a war footing to aid the Federal
government in sustaining
the Union. As the time drew near for the
nomination of a
Republican candidate for Governor in
1861, while many friends
of Governor Dennison desired and
advocated his re-nomina-
tion, many eyes were turned with
interest toward David Tod
- a lifelong Democrat, but now
recognized as a staunch Union
man - as a suitable candidate for
nomination. His previous
record as a business man and high
character for integrity and
honor made him a popular candidate, and
in October, 1861,
he was elected as the Republican
candidate by over eighty-five
thousand majority. He had already shown
his zeal in the cause
of the Union by telegraphing the
President, when the first call
for volunteers was made, advising the
call of three hundred
thousand instead of seventy-five
thousand. He had raised and
equipped, at his own expense, the first
company of volunteers
in Youngstown, and subscribed one
thousand dollars to the
120
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
war fund of his own township. He thus
entered upon his ad-
ministration as Governor in January,
1862, with a mind and
heart well fitted for the work.
In his inaugural address before the
Senate and House of
Representatives on the 13th of January,
1862, he said, among
other things: "On the great and
absorbing question of the day
-
the war for the maintenance of our National existence -
I am indebted to the friends of the
Union for their generous
selection, from the well-known fact that
I was willing to sur-
render everything but honor to quell
the unholy rebellion. The
more I reflect upon this important
matter the more thoroughly
am I convinced that the future welfare
of ourselves, our chil-
dren and our children's children depends
upon preserving at
all hazards the integrity of our National Union."
It was during the civil war that I
learned to know and es-
teem Mr. Tod. For two years we were
neighbors and were in
daily association, going to and from our
homes to the State
House.
We visited Washington and the hospitals at Cincin-
nati and Camp Dennison together, and
when in the city, we
visited Camp Chase nearly every week.
Regiments were being
organized there and thousands of Rebel
prisoners were held.
From the first call for volunteers to
the end of his term he was
ready with his counsel and purse in
every way to aid the Ad-
ministration in maintaining the
Government.
He was the intimate friend, co-worker
and adviser of Pres-
ident Lincoln and Secretary of War
Stanton, and in daily com-
munication with them. Mr. Lincoln once
said of him, "Gover-
nor Tod has aided me more and troubled
me less than any
other Governor." This was doubtless
for the reason that the
Governor never asked for anything that
was not, in his judg-
ment, necessary and of vital importance
to the welfare of the
Ohio troops. By order of the Governor, I
went to Wash-
ington and spent a week with Secretary
Stanton, asking for im-
proved arms, equipments and other
supplies for the Ohio sol-
diers. Mr. Stanton said to me, "If
you will be patient with us,
the Ohio soldiers shall have the best
arms and equipments the
Government can procure." Such was
the feeling of the Pres-
Hon. David Tod. 121
122
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
cases to be just, even to those whom he
knew were opposed
to the administration, but he never
hesitated in carrying out
the orders of the War Department, even
if it involved the ar-
rest of persons accused of treason.
He never faltered in his support of Mr.
Lincoln, and when
it was known that the proclamation of
freedom to the slaves
would be issued as a war measure, while
many good men doubted
its policy and not a few pronounced it unconstitutional
and
tyrannical, Governor Tod never for a
moment wavered, but
both publicly and privately endorsed and
approved it. When
Vallandigham was tried and convicted of
treason by a court-
martial, he advised the President to
send him into the rebel
territory instead of executing the
sentence against him. In
the darkest periods of the war, when the
Federal armies were
meeting with defeat, he often said to
me, "We must stand by
Mr. Lincoln; he knows better than any of
us what is best, and
this accursed rebellion must and will be
put down." "Then it
was that Governor Tod began to ascend
from the eminence of
party leader to the mountain height of
loftiest patriotism." He
exhibited, in a marked degree, the
attributes of firmness, tem-
pered with justice, benevolence and
kindness to the unfortun-
ate; sagacity and tact combined with
unflinching integrity, and
with all, a remarkable endowment of
common sense were marked
features of this character. To these
must be added his social
qualities and his ready wit and humor.
He was sometimes
grave and thoughtful, but never morose
or out of temper. He
endeared himself to all with whom he
came in contact, and to
the sorrowful and afflicted he always
had a kind and cheerful
word.
His short, but earnest speeches to the
regiments and com-
panies about to leave for the battle
fields were full of patriotic
sympathy and good advice. He called them
his brothers and
boys, and cautioned them to be careful
of their health, to be
temperate and always obedient to orders
of their officers; to
have coolness, patience and courage
under all trying circum-
stances; to save their money and send it
to their friends at
home; that they were bound on a glorious
mission, the pro-
tection and preservation of the best
government in the world,
Hon. David Tod. 123
and the prayers and best wishes of all
loyal people would go
with them; that upon their good service
might depend the
future of our glorious Union. He assured
them that every
act of courage and bravery would be
known at home and re-
warded by a generous government. These
addresses were re-
ceived with enthusiastic cheers and
responses of: "We will,
we will."
He visited Camp Chase prisoners often
and satisfied him-
self that they were well fed and cared
for. To the sick pris-
oners he was especially kind, allowing
them to see their friends.
Mrs. Thurman, wife of Senator Thurman, a
southern lady
by birth and of a most benevolent and
kind disposition, was
allowed to visit and minister to sick
prisoners at her pleasure.
An order that the prisoners should
deposit all their money in
my hands, to be drawn out in small sums,
subject to his ap-
proval, was strongly objected to at
first, but finally became
popular with the prisoners themselves,
as every dollar was sac-
redly kept and any balance remaining at
the time of their dis-
charge or exchange was paid over to
them.
During his term, many of the best young
men of the
South were taken prisoners and sent to
Camp Chase prison;
some of these young men were sons or
neighbors of his po-
litical friends whom he had known before
the war. To these
and all other prisoners he was kind and
courteous, granting
them every privilege consistent with
orders and regulations of
the War Department.
One of the features of Governor Tod's
administration was
his noble and generous charity. To every
object for the pro-
motion of Union sentiment, for the aid
of societies caring for
sick and wounded soldiers, for the
promotion of enlistments
in the army, and in every other
charitable movement, he was
a conspicuous and liberal giver. The day
he had been Gov-
ernor six months he contributed his
entire salary as Gover-
nor, up to that date, to the bounty fund
for raising volun-
teers to fill up the depleted regiments
in the field. He never
allowed a mother, wife or sister of a
sick or wounded soldier
on their way to visit the loved one in
camp, or hospital, to
124 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
leave his office empty handed, or
without a kind and cheering
word. He would send an order to me for a
ticket of transpor-
tation to the place of destination and
return, and would then see
to it that they had sufficient to meet
their expenses, supplying
what was necessary from his own purse.
I was in his office one day when a
Methodist minister
called who had been made Chaplain to one
of the Ohio Reg-
iments. The Governor greeted him cordially.
It appeared that
the Chaplain had officiated at the
funeral of the Governor's
mother, to whose memory he was devotedly
attached. He told
the Chaplain "his mother was an
angel in Heaven and her
spirit was constantly watching over him,
and that when he left
this world he was certain of being with
her again." After a
short interview with the Chaplain he
turned to his secretary,
Judge Hoffman, and told him to fill up a
check for one hun-
dred dollars, which he handed to the
Chaplain as a slight me-
morial to his mother.
He and his family entertained royally at
their home in Co-
lumbus, living at the time on Town
street in the house now
owned and occupied by Mr. D. S. Gray.
The Governor was
a delightful and welcome guest at all
social gatherings. He
was quick and responsive in conversation
and attracted every
one to him. I spent a delightful
afternoon with him on New
Year's Day of 1863, calling on friends
and neighbors, for it
was then the custom to make New Year's
calls.
As an instance of his quick and ready
wit, I recall a din-
ner party given by Mr. and Mrs. William
Deshler in honor of
Salmon P. Chase, then Secretary of the
Treasury of the United
States, who was making a short visit to
Columbus. Among the
twenty or thirty guests present was the
Rev. Granville Moody,
the "fighting parson," as he
was called. He was Colonel of
the Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, and at that time
was in command at Camp Chase. As the
guests were assem-
bled around the table, the Rector of the
church, where the
family attended, was about to invoke a
blessing, when Colonel
Moody, without invitation, arose and
commenced praying for
the host, hostees, and family, for the
honored guests, for the
President of the United States and
members of his Cabinet,
Hon. David Tod. 125
for the Judges of the United States
Supreme Court, for the
Generals of the Union Army, for the
Governor of the State,
and so on, until the soup was getting
cold and the guests im-
patient, when he finally pronounced
"Amen." Immediately the
Governor at the other end of the table
called out, "Why
Colonel, you forgot the 74th
Regiment." This convulsed those
present with laughter, embarrassment was
removed, all were
in good humor, and the dinner proved a
great success.
The following anecdote is told of Mr.
Lincoln and Gov-
ernor Tod:
One evening while visiting the White
House Mr. Lin-
coln said, "Look here, Tod, how is
it that you spell your name
with only one d. I married a
Todd, but she spelled her name
with two d's. All of her
relations do the same. You are the
first Tod I ever knew who spelled his
name with so few let-
ters." Mr. Tod, smiling, replied,
"Mr. President, God spells
His name with only one d, and what
is good enough for God,
is good enough for me." President
Lincoln used to repeat this
story to some of his intimate friends
with great hilarity.
I called on Mr. Lincoln with Governor
Tod in the fall of
1863. We found Mr. Lincoln and Secretary
of State Seward
alone together. After our reception and
a short interview on
general matters, Governor Tod asked the
following question:
"Mr. President, how many candidates
are there in your cabi-
net for President?" There had been
much discussion among
Republicans as to the propriety of
renominating Mr. Lincoln
for a second term. It was known that Mr.
Chase and his
friends were actively engaged in
promoting his nomination over
Mr. Lincoln. The friends of Mr. Seward
were also hoping that
he might be nominated in case of a
contest. In reply to Gov-
ernor Tod's question the President said:
"Governor, your ques-
tion reminds me of an experience I once
had when practicing
law in Illinois. One day a rather seedy
looking man called
at my office with a bundle under his
arm, and requested to
see me privately. I took him into my
back room, when he
told me he had invented a new augur to
turn with a crank
instead of the old-fashioned way, and if
I approved of it he
desired me to procure a patent for him.
He unfolded his bun-
126
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
ble and exhibited his model. I procured
a plank and told him
to bore a hole in it. He set the augur
and began to turn the
crank. But we discovered that he had set
the screw the wrong
way, and instead of boring itself in, it
bored itself out." It
proved a very apt illustration in the
following almost unani-
mous nomination and election of Mr.
Lincoln. After this Mr.
Seward and Governor Tod each told an
anecdote, and the in-
terview ended.
In visiting the Capitol the next day,
while in the hall of
the Senate Chamber, I asked the Governor
if he was not go-
ing to enter the Senate. He replied,
"No, not until the people
of Ohio send me there." He then had
an idea, I think, that
he might be elected to the Senate after
the close of his term
as Governor.
While on this visit to Washington an
evening reception
was given to the President and his
Cabinet, and a few dis-
tinguished guests. In the course of the
evening the President
was talking to a circle of friends
around him, among whom was
his Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Wells.
The President re-
marked that he had made a very
interesting visit to the hos-
pital that day. That he found one poor
fellow approaching
near his end, and he asked him if he
could do anything for
him. The soldier replied, "Mr.
President, if you could only
send for my grandmother, I think I could
die happy after see-
ing her. She raised me, and I am very
fond of her." I asked
him where she lived, and he said in
Iowa. I told him it would
be impossible to get his grandmother
there. "Oh, well," he
said, "Mr. Lincoln, if you could
send Secretary Wells to see
me it would be a great comfort. He looks
exactly like my
grandmother."
Governor Tod and I were at Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania,
together on the 10th of November, 1863,
at the dedication of
the National Cemetery, and sat near Mr.
Lincoln when he de-
livered that memorable address of less
than two hundred and
fifty words, and occupied less than ten
minutes, while the ad-
dress of Mr. Everett, the orator of the
day, was nearly an hour
in delivery. Whenever reference is made
to that memorable
occasion, we recall his words: "We
are met on a great battle-
Hon. David Tod. 127
field of the war. We have come to
dedicate a portion of that
field as a final resting place for those
who gave their lives that
this Nation might live. * * * But in a
larger sense we
cannot dedicate, we cannot commemorate,
we cannot hallow
this ground. * * * It is rather for us
to be dedicated to
the great task remaining before us, that
from these honored
dead we take increased dovtion to that
cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion;
that we here highly re-
solve that these dead shall not have
died in vain; that this Nation
under God shall have a new birth of
freedom, and that gov-
ernment of the people, by the people and
for the people shall
not perish from the earth."
Mr. Lincoln congratulated Mr. Everett on
his able ora-
tion. In reply Mr. Everett said,
"Mr. President, your short
address will be remembered and quoted
when I am gone and
my oration long forgotten."
The years of 1862 and '63 were probably
the most anxious
period of the war to the loyal people of
the North. Our Union
army had met with severe repulse at
Arkansas Post and at
Stone River. A large element of the
population of the State
was hostile to the policy of the
administration, and did not
hesitate to criticise and find fault. It
was reported that let-
ters were written to soldiers in the
field advising them to de-
sert and come home and they would be
protected from ar-
rest. A powerful, secret, disloyal
organization existed in this
and other states, whose object was to
cripple the administra-
tion and put a stop to the war. Demands
were made upon
Mr. Lincoln to withdraw the army from
the field and treat
for peace. The Democratic party in its
National Convention
solemnly pronounced the war a failure.
Clement L. Vallan-
digham had returned to the state and was
the favorite of his
party for Governor; he was stumping the
state and his meet-
ings were largely attended, much enthusiasm
being manifested.
Great fear was felt by many that the
next state election might
result unfavorably to the Union cause.
It was not until the
surrender of Vicksburg on the 4th
of July, and the terrible
battle of Gettysburg was fought,
followed by the battles of Look-
out Mountain, Mission Ridge and
Chattanooga, that the tide be-
128
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
gan to turn in favor of the Union cause
and patriotic Union
men began to take heart. These victories
inspired the hopes
of many, but it did not lessen the zeal
and bitterness of the
opponents of the Government.
Some of the men not friendly to Governor
Tod began to
discuss the question of his
re-nomination for Governor, as had
been done in the case of his
predecessor, Governor Dennison.
Governor Tod had, of course, made some
enemies, but a large
majority of the Union men in Ohio, and
of the Ohio soldiers
in the field, were believed to be
friendly to him and desired his
re-nomination. A few disappointed
place-seekers opposed this
and began to cast about for a man to
succeed him. John Brough
had been a popular and successful
Democratic candidate for Au-
ditor of State in 1839. One member of
the Legislature from
Washington county, together with a
gentleman of this city, who
was a politician and had favored the
nomination and election
of Mr. Tod and labored in the campaign,
had become offended
at the Government failing to appoint a
friend of his to some
position. These two gentlemen conceived
the idea of writing
to Mr. Brough, then General Manager of
the Bellefontaine
Railway, with headquarters at
Indianapolis, but having a resi-
dence in Cleveland. They accordingly
united in a letter to Mr.
Brough, asking if he would allow his
name to be used as a
nominee for Governor on the Republican
ticket. Mr. Brough
replied, modestly, that Tod was a good
Governor, but that in
such times as these, every man should be
willing to accept any
call to duty for his country, etc.
This was sufficient encouragement and
these gentlemen
went to Cincinnati, enlisted William
Henry Smith, then Man-
ager of the Cincinnati Gazette, in
favor of Brough's nomina-
tion, and from that time became the
manager of the Brough cam-
paign. A meeting was arranged for Mr.
Brough at Marietta;
it was largely attended and Mr. Brough
made a long and pa-
triotic speech in favor of the Union
cause, giving the key-note
for the next Republican campaign. This
speech was published
in the Commercial Gazette and
other papers, and liberally dis-
tributed. Through Mr. Smith's influence
the whole Republi-
can press of the southern part of the
state joined in the sup-
Hon. David Tod. 129
130 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
was nominated by acclamation. Brough
died on August 28th,
1865, and Lieutenant-Governor Charles
Anderson filled the of-
fice until January, 1866, when General
Cox was inaugurated.
After the election and Mr. Brough's
inauguration, Gov-
ernor Tod retired to his Brier Hill
home, where he was happy
and contented, looking after his large
and prosperous business.
I saw him frequently after his executive
term closed, and once
enjoyed a delightful visit with him and
his family at Brier Hill.
He always bore the same cheerful,
buoyant spirit, and gloried
in the preservation of the Union, to
which he was so devoted,
notwithstanding the enormous sacrifices
involved.
On Mr. Chase's resignation of the office
of Secretary of
the Treasury, Mr. Lincoln telegraphed to
Mr. Tod tendering
him the place, which he immediately
declined, fearing his health
would not enable him to assume the
important duties. He had
more than once been threatened with the
malady that finally
ended his life.
After the defeat of Mr. Tod for
re-nomination for Gover-
nor in 1863, and the election of John
Brough, the many friends
of Mr. Tod, anxious to show their
appreciation of his ser-
vices as Governor, advocated his
election as United States Sen-
ator at the end of Mr. Chase's term, who
had resigned in 1861
to become Secretary of the Treasury, and
John Sherman had
been elected to fill the vacancy. I
know, personally, that Mr.
Tod desired to be a Senator, but he
would make no active can-
vass for the position. He said every
office he had ever held
came to him unsolicited, and any other
must come in the same
way. Besides, the many friends of John
Sherman felt that he
would be entitled to re-election after
serving out the unexpired
term of Mr. Chase. Mr. Sherman's
following was large in the
state, and the Republicans of the
Legislature were nearly unani-
mous for him; he was elected Senator and
Mr. Tod's name
was not presented. Soon after his defeat
for renomination as
Governor, his friends spoke of him as a
worthy candidate for
delegate at large for the Electoral
College of Ohio, and in Feb-
ruary, 1864, I wrote to Mr. Tod
informing him of this. On
February 24, 1864, he replied as
follows:
Hon. David Tod. 131
BRIER HILL, OHIO, February 24, 1864.
GENERAL GEO. B. WRIGHT,
Columbus, Ohio.
MY DEAR GENERAL: - Your favor of the
18th is at hand. I am proud
to know that I have the confidence of so
many good men as you name.
It will be inconvenient for me to attend
the Convention. Indeed, I would
feel awkward in personally soliciting
the position I desire. If the dele-
gates in attendance do not think it for
the interest of the cause we have
at heart to place my name upon the ticket,
I do not desire to have it
placed there, and in writing you on the
subject, I only desired to have
it known that I would feel honored by
the position.
Very truly yours,
DAVID TOD.
This letter is characteristic of him; he
was not an office
seeker, but was always ready to respond
to the call of duty to
his country, of which he was an ardent
lover. At the follow-
ing election in November he was elected
a presidential elector
at large. But his death occurring on the 13th of November,
1868, he was not privileged to cast his
vote for General Grant,
as he would have done had his life been
spared. The action of
the Electoral College on the death of
Governor Tod is given
in the foregoing biography.
I attended Mr. Tod's funeral at Brier
Hill, which was the
largest assembly of the kind, except
that of President Lincoln,
that I have ever witnessed. The number
present was estimated
to be over twenty thousand. Governor
Hayes, who was present,
made some appropriate remarks as to the
life and character of
the deceased.
HON. DAVID TOD.
BIOGRAPHY AND PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS.
BY GEORGE B. WRIGHT.
"Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime;
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time."
"Footprints, that perhaps another
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother
Seeing, shall take heart again."
- Longfellow.
PART I.
BIOGRAPHY OF DAVID TOD.
David Tod, second of the Civil War
Governors of Ohio,
was born at Youngstown, Trumbull (now
Mahoning) County,
Ohio, on the 22nd of February, A. D.
1805.
His father, the Honorable George Tod,
settled in Ohio in
1800, having left his native state,
Connecticut, with many others
of the early pioneers who settled the
Western Reserve. Ohio
was then a territory, and the same year
of his advent George
Tod was called on by Governor St. Clair
to act as Secretary
in 1802. The same year, when Ohio was admitted into the
Union as a state, Mr. Tod was elected as
one of the Justices
of the Supreme Court, and held that
office seven years in suc-
cession.
He was after that re-elected to the same
position, but on
the breaking out of the war of 1812 with
Great Britain he re-
signed his seat on the bench and
tendered his services to the
Government, and was commissioned Major,
and afterwards pro-
moted to the Colonelcy of the Twelfth
Regiment.
During this struggle he won laurels for
his coolness, cour-
age and heroism, especially at Sackett's
Harbor and Fort Meigs.
At the close of the war he resigned his
commission and re-
turned to Trumbull County. Soon after
this he was elected
(107)