Battle of Darbytown Road, sketched by William Waud, October 7, 1864. Library of Congress
The Fredericksburg Artillery, a Union artillery shell had struck the muzzle of the battery's No. 4 gun, killing Todd, and severely wounding four other members of the gun crew. It is uncertain if Charles actually shares this grave with his younger brother Richard. His remains may in fact lie near the field of battle. There are many documented cases where circumstances prevented the recovery of a loved one’s body, but many times they are memorialized in family plots, and Charles Todd may be one such case. Richard, and another brother, Oscar, both served in the 9th Virginia Cavalry, but survived the war. Due to contradictory ages recorded in the only two census records where Charles is enumerated by name, it is uncertain of his age when killed. Based on the age given in the 1850 census, we can speculate he was born in 1832, given the entered age of 18. Ten years later, in the 1860 census, his age is given as 23, a five year variance during a ten year span. Other sources indicate he was born on August 9, 1833. This would make him 31 at the time of his death. The Todd's are known most famously
in Spotsylvania for their tavern, located at the Brock Road and Catharpin Road intersection. According to historian Noel Harrison's research, the Todd family had sold the property around 1845 to Flavius Josephus Ballard who then re-sold the property in 1869. The intersection where the tavern stood still maintains the name "Todd's Tavern". John Cummings is a visual historian and the author of two books on the Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania region. He provides battlefield guide services and research assistance to visitors. He has also written for several national and local magazines and newspapers, and provided historical research and commentary for four documentary films. He served on the former Spotsylvania Courthouse Tourism and Special Events Commission, and is the chairperson for the Friends of the Fredericksburg Area Battlefields, (FoFAB). In February 2011, he became the co-founder of the reactivated 23rd Regiment, United States Colored Troops. Contact information is available on his blog at: http://spotsylvaniacw.blogspot.com/ 35