Overview
David Tod (1805–1868) was an influential lawyer, politician, and diplomat born in Youngstown, Ohio. He started his legal career in 1827 and later served in various political roles, including Ohio Senator, Minister to Brazil under President James K. Polk, and Governor of Ohio during the Civil War. Known as “The Soldier’s Friend,” Tod supported the Union Cause, organizing volunteers like the “Squirrel Hunters” to defend Cincinnati. He was notable for his leadership during crises such as Morgan’s Raid and draft protests. Although he declined President Abraham Lincoln’s offer to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Tod remained active in politics until his death in 1868.
Personal Facts
- Full Name: David Tod
- Born: February 21, 1805, Youngstown, Ohio
- Parents: George and Sarah (Isaacs) Tod
- Education: Burton Academy
- Occupation: Lawyer, Politician
- Political Offices: Minister to Brazil, Ohio Governor, Ohio Supreme Court Justice
- Political Party: Democrat Party, Union Party
- Spouse: Maria Smith (1832)
- Nickname: The Soldier’s Friend
- Died: November 13, 1868, Youngstown, Ohio
- Buried: Oak Hill Cemetery in Youngstown
Biography
Birth and Education
David Tod was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on February 21, 1805. He was the son of George and Sarah (Isaacs) Tod. Tod’s father was a successful lawyer and a member of the Ohio Supreme Court. Tod was raised on the family estate, Brier Hill, and attended local schools before enrolling at Burton Academy in Geauga County. As a young man, Tod studied law in Warren, Ohio, and joined the Ohio Bar in 1827.
Early Business Career
After being admitted to the bar, Tod established a successful law practice. He was also an active leader in the Mahoning Valley coal and iron industries. During his business career, he helped form and manage the Cleveland and Mahoning Railroad, and he established the Brier Hill Iron and Coal Company.
Marriage to Maria Smith
In 1832, Tod received an appointment as postmaster of Warren, Ohio. The same year, he married Maria Smith of Warren. The couple had three daughters and four sons during their marriage.
Early Political Career
While living in Warren, Tod became active in politics as a member of the Democratic Party. In 1838, he successfully ran for a seat in the Ohio Senate. As a member of the legislature, Tod figured prominently in the enactment of a bill to facilitate the return of fugitive slaves to their masters in Kentucky.
After one term in the Senate, Tod chose not to stand for reelection. Instead, he returned to his law practice and business pursuits in Warren. Nonetheless, he remained active in Ohio’s Democratic Party.
In 1844 and 1846, Democrats selected Tod as their candidate in Ohio’s gubernatorial elections. He lost the first election to Whig candidate Mordecai Bartley by 1,271 votes — less than one-half of one percent of the votes cast. In 1846, he lost to Whig candidate William Bebb by 2,385 votes – less than one percent of the total votes cast.
In 1847, President James K. Polk appointed Tod as Minister to Brazil. Tod served in that post until 1851, when he returned to Ohio to concentrate on his business interests.
Tod resumed his political pursuits in 1858 when he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican John Hutchins defeated Tod.
1860 Presidential Election
In May 1860, Tod served as an Ohio delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina. When the party split over slavery, southern delegates walked out of the convention. Despite several attempts, the remaining delegates could not agree on a candidate for president.
In June, Tod again represented Ohio Democrats at the party’s second convention in Baltimore. Once again, the two factions disagreed, and the Southern delegates walked out. The convention’s chairman, Caleb Cushing, joined them.
Tod replaced Cushing as chairman of the convention and helped to secure the Democratic presidential nomination for Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas.
Governor of Ohio
After the onset of the Civil War, patriotic convictions prompted many Ohio Democrats to set aside traditional political allegiances to support President Abraham Lincoln‘s administration. Because of this, the Ohio Democratic Party split into two factions:
- War Democrats, who supported the war.
- Peace Democrats, also known as “Copperheads,” who opposed the war.
Tod sided with the War Democrats.
On September 5, 1861, War Democrats met with Republicans in Columbus, Ohio, and formed a coalition known as the National Union Party.
In a move designed to strengthen solidarity, Republican members of the new party agreed to jettison incumbent Republican Governor William Dennison and nominate Tod as the Union Party candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election.
On November 5, 1861, Tod defeated Peace Democrat Hugh J. Jewett by over 50,000 votes to become Ohio’s 25th Governor.
Clash with Peace Democrats
Throughout his tenure, opposition from Peace Democrats, also known as Copperheads, plagued Governor Tod. As the war dragged on and casualty totals mounted, the Peace Democrats became more outspoken in their criticism of the war. President Lincoln and Governor Tod responded by trying to silence their opponents.
Arrest and Imprisonment of Edson Olds
On August 12, 1862, Tod urged federal officials to arrest former Ohio Congressman and Peace Democrat Edson Olds at his home in Lancaster, Ohio, for treasonable acts, including discouraging enlistments in the volunteer army.
Authorities imprisoned Olds at Fort Lafayette, in New York, until December 12, 1862. During his imprisonment, voters elected Olds to the Ohio House of Representatives, illustrating the mounting political strength of Copperheads in southern Ohio.
After his release from prison, Olds swore out a warrant for Tod’s arrest and sued him for kidnapping in June 1863. Olds dropped the charges several months later, but that did not end Tod’s wrangling with Copperheads.
Arrest and Imprisonment of Clement Vallandigham
The same month that Olds started legal proceedings against Tod, federal soldiers arrested Copperhead leader Clement Vallandigham in Mount Vernon for making an anti-war speech in violation of Major General Ambrose Burnside‘s controversial General Orders No. 38.
Governor Tod was suspicious as Burnside denied his political rival access to Ohio’s civilian courts. Instead, a military tribunal quickly tried and convicted Vallandigham, sentencing him to two years confinement in a military prison. Vallandigham’s arrest and conviction ignited protests and riots in other parts of Ohio, most notably in Vallandigham’s hometown of Dayton.
Battle of Fort Fizzle
Adding to his trouble with Copperheads, Tod faced the challenge of meeting the Lincoln administration’s escalating recruitment demands throughout his tenure as governor. Unable to fill growing quotas, Tod and federal officials resorted to the unpopular practice of conscription. Peace Democrats assailed the decision as an assault on personal freedoms.
In June 1863, resistance to the draft in Holmes County became so combative that Tod deployed over 400 federal soldiers to quell an uprising of northeast Ohio residents. This incident became popularly known as the “Battle of Fort Fizzle.”
Resistance to Segregation
Despite his difficulty filling quotas from the war department, Tod resisted recruiting black soldiers. When black abolitionist leader John Mercer Langston urged the governor to enlist African Americans, Tod responded, “Do you not know, Mr. Langston, that this is a white man’s government; that white men are able to defend and protect it?”
Bragg’s Invasion of Kentucky
In September 1862, Confederate forces, led by General Braxton Bragg, launched an offensive into Kentucky. Confederate forces captured Lexington, Kentucky, and threatened Cincinnati, Ohio. Federal officials dispatched Union General Lewis (Lew) Wallace to Cincinnati to prepare the city’s defenses.
Upon arriving in the Queen City, Wallace declared martial law and enlisted civilians to dig trenches and erect other defenses. Governor Tod traveled to Cincinnati and ordered state officials to send any available militiamen and munitions to the city.
The Squirrel Hunters
Without Wallace’s approval, Tod also enlisted the aid of 15,766 volunteers from sixty-five counties to help protect Cincinnati. Popularly known as the “Squirrel Hunters,” most of the volunteers had no military training and carried antiquated weapons. Still, their presence in the Queen City helped to convince Confederate leaders to cancel the invasion.
Morgan’s Raid
Southern Ohio did not escape so easily the next year. On July 13, 1863, roughly 2,000 Confederate cavalrymen commanded by General John Hunt Morgan invaded Ohio from Indiana near the Hamilton-Butler County line. For the next two nights, Confederate forces conducted raids on the outskirts of Cincinnati.
On July 15, Morgan divided his men, sending one detachment through Warren, Clinton, Fayette, Ross, and Jackson Counties. His main force traveled through Clermont, Brown, Highland, and Pike Counties. The two units reunited at Jackson, Ohio, and journeyed east toward Meigs County, planning to cross the Ohio River into West Virginia.
Governor Tod responded quickly to the invasion. On July 12, he issued a proclamation mustering the Ohio militia. By July 18, the militiamen confronted Morgan’s Raiders in Meigs County. Although Morgan forced the outnumbered militia to retreat, the encounter bought enough time for Union army forces to block the Confederate escape route.
Battle of Buffington Island
A full-fledged battle erupted the next day as Morgan’s men attempted to cross the Ohio River near Buffington Island. Union soldiers captured most of Morgan’s Raiders during the Battle of Buffington Island.
Morgan and about 700 Confederates broke through the Union lines and fled north along the river, seeking a place to cross. They found an unprotected ford (river crossing) about 20 miles north of Buffington Island, where several hundred more Raiders crossed the river before Union gunboats interceded.
Morgan then led the rest of his men through several eastern Ohio counties before surrendering to federal forces at Salineville, in Columbiana County, on July 26, 1863.
One-term Governor
During his term, Tod antagonized Republicans by appointing Democrats to several key state offices, refusing to embrace President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and resisting efforts to enlist black soldiers. Because of these things, the coalition that supported Tod in 1861 was less enthusiastic in 1863 and looked to remove him from office.
By 1863, Radical Republicans were not willing to support Tod’s re-nomination. Instead, the Unionists turned to another Democrat, John Brough (pronounced Bruff), who was more in tune with the war’s new anti-slavery direction. Like his predecessor, William Dennison, Tod accepted the circumstances and gracefully stepped aside.
The Soldier’s Friend
Despite being cast aside by the Unionists, Tod was a competent administrator during his one term in office. His efforts to provide for the needs of Ohio soldiers, including equipment, rations, transportation, pay, and health care, earned him the nickname “the soldier’s friend.” Tod’s loyalty to Lincoln’s wartime policies also earned him the gratitude of the president.
Tod Declines Lincoln’s Offer
When Salmon P. Chase resigned his cabinet position as secretary of the treasury, Lincoln nominated Tod for the post in 1864. As in Ohio, however, Radical Republicans in Congress were not enthusiastic about supporting a Democrat who did not support emancipation. To avoid embarrassment for Lincoln and himself, Tod declined the nomination, citing poor health.
Post-War Life
Tod spent the rest of his life attending to his private business ventures and staying out of the public spotlight. Over the next few years, he suffered from several small strokes.
Death
In 1868, Tod briefly returned to public life, serving as a Republican presidential elector for Ulysses S. Grant. However, he passed away before the Electoral College met. Tod died of a stroke on November 13, 1868, at his home in Youngstown. He was 63 years old. Tod left behind a widow and seven children. Tod’s family buried him in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Youngstown.
Accomplishments and Milestones
- 1805, February 21 — David Tod was born in Youngstown, Ohio.
- 1827 — Tod was admitted to the Ohio Bar.
- 1832 — He was appointed as postmaster of Warren, Ohio.
- 1832 — Tod married Maria Smith of Warren. The couple had three daughters and four sons during their marriage.
- 1838 — He successfully ran for a seat in the Ohio Senate.
- 1844 — Tod was selected as the Democrat Party’s candidate for Governor of Ohio. He lost the election to the Whig candidate, Mordecai Bartley.
- 1846 — He was selected for a second time as the Democrat Party’s candidate for Governor of Ohio. He lost the election to Whig candidate William Bebb.
- 1847 — President James K. Polk appointed Tod as Minister to Brazil.
- 1858 — Tod ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives but lost to Republican John Hutchins.
- 1860 — Tod served as an Ohio delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina.
- 1860 — He served as chairman of the second Democratic National Convention in Baltimore.
- 1861, November 5 — Tod defeated Peace Democrat Hugh J. Jewett to become Ohio’s 25th Governor.
- 1862, August 12 — Tod recommended that federal officials arrest Edson Olds.
- 1862, September — Governor David Tod enlisted the aid of 15,766 volunteers, known as the “Squirrel Hunters,” to help protect Cincinnati from a Confederate invasion.
- 1863, June — Olds swore out a warrant to arrest Tod and filed a lawsuit against him for kidnapping.
- 1863, June — The Battle of Fort Fizzle. Governor Tod deployed over 400 federal soldiers to Holmes County to quell a protest against the draft.
- 1863, July 12 — Governor Tod mustered the Ohio militia into action against Morgan’s Raiders.
- 1863 — The Union Party did not re-nominate Governor Tod for the Ohio gubernatorial election.
- 1864 — Tod turned down President Abraham Lincoln’s nomination to serve as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
- 1868 — He was selected as a Republican presidential elector for Ulysses S. Grant.
- 1868, November 13 — Tod died of a stroke at his home in Youngstown. He was 63.
