George W Todd
Before the war
He was 36 years old when he enlisted (9, 15 [22 in 1846], 16).
He served in the Mexican War (15, 17, 18, 23). On 4 December 1846, he enlisted at Ebensburg in company D of the 2nd Regiment (15). He was enlisted by Captain Murray (15). He was mustered in on 5 January 1847, at Pittsburgh, by Lieutenant Fields (15). He was appointed First Sergeant on 26 January 1847 (15). He was appointed Second Lieutenant 10 June 1848 (effective 12 February 1848), replacing Charles McDermit (15, 24 [3rd lt]). He was discharged on 14 July 1848 (15).
In 1850, he was living in a hotel in Ebensburg Borough, Cambria County, Pennsylvania (10). He was 26 years old, and had been born in Pennsylvania (10). He was a merchant (10).
He moved to Philadelphia when he was an adult, and "engaged in mercantile pursuits" (24).
He was a salesman when he enlisted in the 20th Pennsylvania (16).
During the war
He also served in company I of the 20th Pennsylvania Infantry (16, 17, 18, 23). He enlisted at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (16). He was mustered in on 30 April 1861, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as captain (16). The company was mustered out on 6 August 1861 (16).
He was enrolled on 20 August 1861, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (9) He was originally to be the Lieutenant-Colonel of Edward Wallace's regiment (14, 23).
By 19 October 1861, Wallace's regiment had merged with Gregory's, and Todd was the Major of the combined regiment (18).
In November 1861, a newspaper article described him as an efficient officer (22).
He was mustered into service at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as major on 4 December 1861 (1, 8, 9).
He and Lieutenant Colonel Wallace did most of the instruction while the regiment was at Alexandria Virginia, because Colonel Gregory was Provost Marshall (1 [p.186], 6).
On 29 June 1862, he, along with the other commissioned officers in the regiment (except Colonel Gregory), signed a statement denying accusations that they were on the verge of open mutiny, that the regiment had been reduced to 400 men, and that Colonel Gregory was too lenient to Confederates and too harsh to men in the regiment (12).
He took a petition to Abraham Lincoln to have two imprisoned soldiers released, which was successful (6).
On 8 August 1862, he ordered the Adjutant, Benjamin Tayman, to detail someone to relieve E Carroll Brewster as Officer of the Guard at slave pen, Alexandria, Virginia, because Brewster was drunk (11). He later testified that he saw Brewster in his quarters, and that Brewster was "stupefied", either from drugs or from alcohol (11).
He was wounded on 13 December 1862 at the Battle of Fredericksburg; his right leg was shattered by a shell, just before the charge, while the 91st was in line on Fredericksburg Road (1, 4, 5, 24). His right leg had to be amputated (24). He died on 19 December 1862 of those wounds (1, 2, 8, 9; see also 3, 4, 7, 21).
On Tuesday 23 December 1862, he was buried in the Old Welsh Cemetery, Ebensburg, Cambria Township, Cambria County Pennsylvania (13, 24). The Alleghanian describes him as "a person of rare sweetness of manners and disposition", and claimed that he was well known throughout the county (24).
Tyler describes him as 'a brave and valuable officer' (5). Perhaps because of that, he was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel, effective 13 December 1862 (1, 9).
Researcher
Joann Lipps is researching Cambria County local history, including George Todd. Contact her at yogi@erols.com.
Sources
1 Bates, Samuel Penniman. History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5. Harrisburg: B. Singerly, state printer, 1869-71. 5 volumes. 'Ninety-first regiment', volume 3, pages 186-233. (In the roster, and on pages 186 and 187.)
3 Joseph Welch. 'Dedication of monument: 91st regiment infantry'. In Pennsylvania at Gettysburg: Ceremonies at the dedication of the monuments erected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to Major-General George G. Meade, Major-General Winfield S. Hancock, Major-General John F. Reynolds, and to mark the positions of the Pennsylvania commands engaged in the battle. Volume 1: 1914, pp.500-507. At pages 500, and 501.
4 report by General Andrew A. Humphreys (division commander), 16 December 1862 Official Records series 1, volume 21, pages 430-434, at page 432.
5 report by General Erastus B. Tyler (brigade commander), 16 December 1862, Official records series 1 volume 21 pages 436-438, at page 438.
6 Thomas F Walter, 'Personal recollections and experiences of an obscure soldier', Grand Army Scout and Soldiers' Mail volume 3 number 35 page 2.
7 Thomas F Walter, 'Personal recollections and experiences of an obscure soldier', Grand Army Scout and Soldiers' Mail volume 3 number 38 page 2.
9 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 5 May 2004 (George W Todd)
10 1850 US census, Pennsylvania, Cambria County, Ebensburg Borough, page 164, line 28 (George W Todd)
11 court-martial record, E Carroll Brewster (Major Todd)
12 'Ninety-first Pennsylvania Regiment'. Philadelphia Inquirer, 11 July 1862, page 2 (George W Todd)
13 'Old Welsh Cemetery' (viewed 7 November 2006) (G W Todd)
14 'Captains and others commanding companies' Philadelphia Inquirer, 31 August 1861, page 5, also 2 September page 5 (George W Todd)
15 Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth series, volume X, edited by Thomas Lynch Montgomery. (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Company, State Printer, 1907.) Transcribed at http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/1pa/military/mexican/mexican-5.txt (in PA UsGenWeb Archives, viewed 11 November 2006) (George W Todd)
16 Civil War Veterans' Card File, available at the Pennsylvania State Archives, searched 11 November 2006 (George W Todd)
17 'Col. Wallace's Regiment' Philadelphia Inquirer 4 October 1861 page 8 (Geo W Todd)
18 'Camp Chase at Gray's Ferry' Philadelphia Inquirer 19 October 1861 page 8 (G W Todd)
19 'Camp Chase', Philadelphia Inquirer 30 November 1861 (George W Todd)
20 'Departure of Col. Gregory's regiment', Philadelphia Inquirer 22 January 1862 page 2 (George W Todd)
21 'Promotion in the Ninety-first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers', 'Promotion in the Ninety-first regiment ...', Philadelphia Inquirer 15 May 1863 page 8 (Major Todd)
22 'Ninety-first regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers' Philadelphia Press Wednesday 27 November 1861, page 2 (Major Todd)
23 'Colonel Wallace's regiment'. Philadelphia Press Thursday 19 September 1861, p.2 (George W Todd)
24 'The Battle of Fredericksburg'. The Alleghanian (Ebensburg PA), volume 4, number 13 (25 December 1862). Transcription available on USGenWeb Archives (viewed May 2009) (George W Todd)
[There is no George Todd in Cambria County in 1860. The closest in age I found was a 38-year-old George Todd in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.]
[I did not find him in the index to pension index cards on <www.ancestry.com> (searched June 2005)]
[I did not find an entry for him in the <www.ancestry.com> index to the 1890 veterans' census (searched October 2005)]
Pennsylvania Archives
[source: Pennsylvania Archives, Sixth series, volume X, edited by Thomas Lynch Montgomery. Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Company, State Printer, 1907. Transcribed at http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/1pa/military/mexican/mexican-5.txt (in PA UsGenWeb Archives, viewed 11 November 2006)]TODD, GEORGE W., 22, Private, Co. D, 2nd. Reg.; enrolled Dec. 4, 1846 at Ebensburg by Capt. Murray; mustered in Jan. 5, 1847 at Pittsburg by Lt. Fields; appointed 1st. Sergt. Jan. 26, 1847; appointed from 2nd. Lt. June 10, 1848 vice Chas. McDermit; promoted to take effect from Feb. 12, 1848; discharged July 14, 1848.
top of document | home
revised 22 Jan 09
contact Harry Ide at hide1@unl.edu with comments or questions