Born in Richmond County, Georgia, he was the oldest officer of the Federal Army to take up arms for the Confederacy. His father was General John Twiggs, a distinguished Revolutionary War officer referred to as the "Savior of Georgia". Commissioned a Captain, 8th Infantry, on March 12, 1812, Twiggs fought valiantly in the War of 1812. He was promoted to Major, 28th Infantry, in 1814. Twiggs served with Generals Andrew Jackson and Edmund Gaines against the Indians in Florida. He distinguished himself in the Black Hawk War and in the controversy between the United States and South Carolina in 1832.

President Jackson, with whom he was a favorite, ordered him to command the U. S. Arsenal at Augusta, GA. He was commissioned Colonel, 2nd Dragoons, June 8, 1836, which, under his training, became the best cavalry regiment in the Army.

Twiggs, as Colonel, 2nd Dragoons, joined General Zachary Taylor's army at the outbreak of the Mexican War. In the movement upon the Rio Grande, Col. Twiggs led the advance and captured Point Isabel. His gallantry at the Battle of Palo Alto and Resaca-de-la-Palma resulted in a brevet to Brigadier-General. At the Battle of Monterey he was in command of a division and given chief command of that place until ordered to join General Winfield Scott at Vera Cruz. At the Battle of Cerro Gordo he led the main attack, and served conspicuously at the Battles of Contreras and Churubusco. He led an assault at the Belen Gate and participated in the Assault and Capture of the City of Mexico.

He was breveted to Major-General for gallant and meritorious conduct at the Battle of Monterey and presented a sword and resolution by Congress. Following the War Twiggs was given command of the Department of the West, with headquarters at St. Louis, MO, until 1857 when he took charge of the Department of Texas, headquartered at San Antonio.

In late 1860 Twiggs was one of four general officers of the line on the Army roster, the others being Winfield Scott, John E. Wool and William S. Harney. He was second in seniority to Scott and would have been in line to assume duties as General-in-Chief had Scott retired. Yet, Twiggs' Southern sympathies caused him to surrender the military forces and stores under his command in Texas to Colonel Ben McCulloch, representing the State of Texas, an act for which Twiggs was dismissed from the Army on March 1, 1861.

On May 22, 1861 Twiggs was appointed a Major-General in the Confederate Provisional Army, the senior officer of that grade, and assigned to command the District of Louisiana. At an advanced age and in ill health, he soon was for all intents and purposes retired and he died near Augusta, Georgia on July 15, 1862.

David Emanuel Twiggs

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