David E. Twiggs

David E. Twiggs
Brigadier General David E. Twiggs
Nickname	"Bengal Tiger"
Born	1790
Died	July 15, 1862(1862-07-15) (aged 71/72)
Place of birth	Richmond County, Georgia
Place of death	Augusta, Georgia
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Regular Army Confederate States Army
Years of service	1812–1861 (USA) 1861 (CSA)
Rank	Brevet Major General, USA File:CSAGeneral.png Major General, CSA
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War Battle of Palo Alto Battle of Resaca de la Palma Battle of Monterrey Siege of Veracruz Battle of Cerro Gordo Battle of Contreras Battle of Churubusco Battle of Chapultepec
Relations	John Twiggs Myers (grandson)

David Emanuel Twiggs (1790 – July 15, 1862) was a United States soldier during the War of 1812 and Mexican-American War and a general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was the oldest Confederate general in the Civil War.

Biography

Twiggs was born on the "Good Hope" estate in Richmond County, Georgia, son of John Twiggs,for whom Twiggs County, Georgia was named and a general in the Georgia militia during the American Revolution, and a nephew of David Emanuel, Governor of Georgia and the first Jewish Governor in the US, making him ethnically Jewish. Twiggs volunteered for service as a captain in the War of 1812 and subsequently served in the Seminole Wars and the Black Hawk War. He became Colonel of the 2nd U.S. Dragoons in 1836. During the Mexican-American War, he led a brigade in the Army of Occupation at the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1846 and commanded a division at the Battle of Monterrey. He joined Winfield Scott's expedition, commanding its 2nd Division of Regulars and led the division in all the battles from Veracruz through Mexico City. He was wounded during the assault on Chapultepec. After the fall of Mexico City, he was appointed military governor of Veracruz. Brigadier General Twiggs was awarded a ceremonial sword by the Congress on March 2, 1847. (The sword was taken when New Orleans was captured in 1862 and returned to the Twiggs family in 1889.)

After the Mexican-American War, Twiggs was appointed brevet major general and commanded the Department of Texas. He was in this command when the Civil War broke out. Twiggs's command included about 20% of the U.S. Army guarding the border of the U.S. and Mexico. As the states began to secede, Twiggs met with a trio of Confederate commissioners, including Philip N. Luckett and Samuel A. Maverick, and surrendered his entire command, which included the Federal Arsenal at the Alamo, and all other federal installations, property, and soldiers in Texas, to the Confederacy. He insisted that all Federals retain personal arms and sidearms, and all artillery as well as flags and standards. Twiggs subsequently was dismissed from the U.S. Army for “treachery to the flag of his country,” and accepted a commission as a major general from the Confederate States. He was appointed to command the Confederate Department of Louisiana, but because of his age (he was past his 70th birthday) and in poor health wasn't able to pursue an active command. He was replaced by Maj. Gen. Mansfield Lovell in the command of New Orleans. and retired on October 11, 1861. He died of pneumonia in Augusta, Georgia, and is buried at "Good Hope".

See also

• List of American Civil War Generals (Confederate)

References

• Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• "New York Times, March 4, 1861'
• Winters, John D., The Civil War in Louisiana, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, ISBN 0-8071-0834-0

External links

• "David E. Twiggs". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9094. Retrieved 2008-02-13. 
• Reenactment of Twiggs's Surrender in San Antonio
• David Emanuel Twiggs in A Continent Divided: The U.S.-Mexico War, Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, the University of Texas at Arlington