The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-08-08
MRS. LINCOLN'S BROTHER.
The Gallant Young Sam Todd, who
was Killed at the Battle of
Shiloh, the 7th Of April,
1852, on the Con-
federate Side.
BY A. p. b.

The recent death Of that sad lady,
Mrs. Lincoln, has filled the papers
with "reminiscences from all quarters,
of her family. her girlhood. Ter court
ship, her marriage, her brilliant career
in the white House" and her melan-
chOly story since that eventfui Good
Friday night of 1865. The writer has
also a brief remembrance to recall,
which NAV as we'll be placed on
record. When the war broke out
Mrs. Lincoln had two brothers. DR..
Todd and Sam Todd, residing in New
Orleans, and in business tuere. DIR.
Todd was early appointed surgeon
i'm the confederate army, and, we be-
lieve, came to Virginia. Young Sam
Todd was gay and happy youth. no,
over thirty, of good social standing
and pleasing address, handsome in per
son, very popular, and in every respect
a manly fellow. He was, of course,
known as the brother-in-law of the
president, or "Old Abe" as he was
generally called ; but being an ardent
Southerner, that did not affect his re
lations with his friends. In March,
1862, when Beauregard was appointed
to the west and sent out to stay the
progress of the federal army under
Grant and Sherman through Kentucky
and Tennessee, he made a call upon
Louisiana, his native state, to come to
his aid. This was promptly responded
to by several thousand young men of
New Orleans, of all grades of society,
who eagerly volunteered, and among
the number was young Sam Todd.
He enrolled himself in the Crescent
Regiment. A month after volunteer
ing the great battle of Shiloh was
fought On the day before that bat
tie the writer and others gave "a din
ner" to some half dozen of their per-
sonal friends of the Crescent regiment,
Washington artillery, Seventh Texas,
&C., and Sam Todd was one of the
favori,e guests. Jovial Sam Todd
Who that knew him can ever forget
him! All soul, all fun-and all fire,
too! They separated for the march,
and the next day were all in the midst
of battle by sunrise. The first day
went merry enough for our side. 1t was
a delightful game of base ball, and
though the battle was fierce, desperate
and holly contested, when night came
We had scored a great victory.
That night was fearful one, and
We slept ON the field in the most
drenchIng rain-storm that was ever ex-
perienced, accompanied by some of
the very loudest thunder, which could
only be distinguished from the roar of
the columbiads fired at intervals on
the gunboats by the fact that the first
was harmless, but the latter being
loaded, their shrieking shell and roll
ing shot caused our fellows often to
change the logs selected for their pill
lows.
Betimes on the morning of the 9TH
We were all up and in line, but rested
for while to cook breakfast before
advancing. While engaged over a
pot of boiling potatoes, as somebody
else was preparing coffee. surrounded
by many of the staff and the cores
pondents of Beauregara's army pro-
per, the Louisiana and Texas men, a
young fellow in the uniform OF the
Crescents came up and expressed a
wish for zone of them Murphys when
they were done" Turning and re.
cognizing our friend Todd, We grasped
his hand and congratulated him upon
his good fortune in the fight; for al
though the Crescent" were in re-
serve they had yet participated large
ly in the battle, and it was the lead
ing regiment in the capture of Prem
tiss and his men. its colonel, Marshall
j. Smith, of Norfolk, receiving his
sword; but the next moment num-
Der of round shot came plunging over
the field in which We were assembled,
one of which overturned our potato
pot, and the order was to fall in at
once as the enemy was advancing in
force. 1t was the new troops OF Buell.
and Nelson and we were at once holly
engaged. Sam Todds regiment was
thrown to the front promptly, soon
followed BY ours, when almost the
first object that met us as We passed
over the field was the lifeless body of
poor Sam, Mrs. Lincoln's brother,
with a bullet hole in his forehead.
Driven back, and still back, our dead
were all left on the disastrous field
for Grant to bury; and among those
shared these grim and hasty funeral
rites there was no better man or more
devoted soldier of the confederacy
than this gallant young brother of the
"Lady of the White House"
In speaking of this event, Delta, q