American soldier, born in Richmond County, GA, in 1790.—His father, General John Twiggs, commanded, through the Revolutionary War, a brigade that he had raised at his own expense. The son entered the volunteer army as captain (1812); was promoted to be major (1814); finally entered the regular army as a captain (1815); major (1825); lieutenant-colonel (1831); colonel Second Dragoons (1836); served in the Mexican War, under General Zachary Taylor; promoted to be a brigadier-general (1846), and presented by Congress with a sword of honor for bravery at Monterey. In the operations against the City of Mexico he led the Second Regiment of regulars, and later was made military governor of Vera Cruz. He was in command of the Department of Texas when the Civil War broke out and immediately surrendered his stores and ammunitions to the Confederates, joining their ranks as major-general. He died in Augusta, GA, on the 15th of September 1862.—His brother, Levi (1793–1847), died bravely at Chapultepec, fighting in the ranks of the American army as a volunteer.
