Mary Todd Lincoln's Uncle, David Todd-- Part 2: Missouri and a Whig

In 1819, President James Monroe appointed him territorial circuit judge of northern Missouri.    When Boone County, Missouri, separated from Howard County, Todd was one of the citizens who purchased land on which Columbia was laid out in 1818-1819.

When Missouri became a state in 1821, Governor Alexander McNair appointed Todd  state circuit judge, a position he held until 1837.

In the summer of 1840, Mary Todd traveled to Columbia, Missouri, and visited with her uncle, David Todd.  While there, she became good friends with the judge's daughter, Ann.  This was also the year in which Mary became engaged to Abraham Lincoln.

He was an ardent Whig, serving as a delegate to the Whig National Convention that selected William Henry Harrison, Todd's commanding officer during the War of 1812,  for president in 1840.

In 1850, he was practicing law in Boone County and owned real estate valued at $3,500.

--Brock-Perry

St. Charles & War of 1812-- Part 2: Benjamin Howard

William Becknell was appointed ensign by order of General Benjamin Howard.  James Callaway at the same time was appointed captain of the company of U.S. Mounted Rangers.

In 1810, Benjamin Howard had been appointed governor of the Louisiana Territory by President Madison.  That territory was later renamed the Missouri Territory.  In 1812, he resigned his position to become a brigadier general and assumed command of American troops west of the Mississippi River, including the U.S. Mounted Rangers.

Becknell and his company then spent the majority of the next two years in service northwest of St. Charles, Mo. in an area between the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers.

In the mid-summer of 1814, the company was at Cap au Gris, where the Cuivre River flows into the Mississippi near present-day Troy.

--Brock-Perry

Benjamin Howard (Missouri)-- Part 3: Where Is He Buried?

Unfortunately, while returning from the attack on Peoria, Howard fell ill and died in St. Louis, Missouri territory on September 18, 1814.  He was originally buried at an unknown site, but likely somewhere in downtown St. Louis.

Later, he was moved to the Old Grove Church graveyard, north of downtown sometime between 1817 and 1844.

Then, he was allegedly reinterred at Bellefontaine Cemetery sometime after 1851, but that cemetery has no record of it.

Find-a-Grave lists him as being buried at Bellefontaine Cemetery.

--Brock-Perry

Benjamin Howard (Missouri)-- Part 2: Attack on Peoria

The Louisiana Territory for which Benjamin Howard was governor was renamed the Missouri Territory in June 1812.

He resigned his post as governor in the War of 1812 and became a brigadier general in the 8th Military Department.  He and Nathan Boone (Daniel Boone's youngest son) attacked Sac and Fox villages in Illinois and established Fort Clark by Peoria.

--Brock-Perry

Benjamin Howard (Missouri)-- Part 1

 From Wikipedia.

Benjamin Howard moved along the Mississippi River with Col. Benjamin Stephenson in an attempt to clear the Indians out.

1760-September 18, 1814

Congressman from Kentucky, first governor of Missouri Territory, brigadier general War of 1812.

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, then part of Virginia and graduated 1797 from College of William and Mary.  Served in the 10th and 11th Congresses from Kentucky.  On April 17, 1810, was appointed by President James Madison to be governor of Louisiana Territory (the part of the Louisiana Purchase north of the present day state of Louisiana.

--Brock-Perry

Benjamin Stephenson of Illinois-- Part 9: More Indian Problems

But in 1813, problems with the Indians resurfaced in the Illinois Territory as there were scattered attacks in Illinois as well as in the Missouri Territory.

By August 1813, General Benjamin Howard of Missouri had gathered both Illinois and Missouri Rangers and militia.  The Illinois militia was commanded by Benjamin Stephenson.  Howard's army of 1,400 marched north along the Mississippi River.

Howard's men were on the west side of the river while Stephenson was on the east.

--Brock-Perry

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200 Years Ago: British Recapture Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Territory

JULY 18TH, 1814:

British and First Nation allies capture Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin territory.

Prairie du Chien was a small fur trading post at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers and was occupied by French-Canadians and managed by British merchants.

On June 2, 1814, the governor of Missouri Territory, William Clark, afraid that the British would use the post to launch an expedition down the Mississippi River, seized control of the post without incident and built Fort Shelby.

Under prominent fur trader William McKay, a force of about 120 voyageurs, Michigan Fencibles, and officers of the British Indian department and over 500 fighters from nations including the Ho-chunk (Winnebago), Menominee and Arishnabe (Ojibwe) set out to retake it.

With little ammunition and only 60 regulars to defend the post, the Americans surrendered after a short siege and returned home on parole.

--Brock-Perry