Greensborough Patriot

Aug. 28, 1862

CAPT. TODD KILLED

            Capt. Todd, Lincoln’s brother-in-law, but a gallant officer in the Confederate army, was killed in the battle at Baton Rouge.

            The above is going the rounds of the papers.  Capt. Todd seems to be of the genus felis, reminding us very much of the cat.  Superstitious folks contend that the cat has “nine lives,” or that this species of the feline quadrupled requires to be killed nine times before fairly giving up the ghost.  If the gallant Todd has not yet been favored with nine lives and if he hasn’t proved himself to be a martyr to the cause of the South fully as much as Stephen of old to the cause which he espoused, it has not been for the want of being killed.  The Captain was killed in the battle of Manassas, last year, and in the battle of Corinth; only last spring an Illinois ripsnorter ran his bayonet through him killing him outright; and now, for a third time, has this “Lincoln brother-in-law, but gallant officer,” yielded up his life in the battle at Baton Rouge.  Only a short while after the gallant Todd was killed the first time, he passed through this State, and if all accounts are correct, he proved himself on every occasion to be a coarse, vulgar man.  What effect his second death had upon him, we never have been able to learn, nor can we well conjecture what effect his third visit to the spirit-land will have upon his deportment.  We hope, however, that each trip improves him, and that we may never again hear of his death.  He has done enough.  When he returns to this mundane sphere, we think he should be placed on the retired list and be allowed to subsist on half pay until the icy finger is lain upon him the ninth time, when we think he will certainly gin in.