Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1889, volume 6).djvu/215

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TWEED
TWIGGS

he went abroad again, and during 1883-5 he was a pupil at the Eeole Julien, Paris, under Gustave Rodolphe Clarence Boulanger and Jules Joseph Lefebvre. In 1886 he returned to the United States. He was elected a member of the Society of American artists in 1879, and at the society's exhibition in 1888 gained the Webb prize for his " Windmills," which now belongs to Smith college, Northampton, Mass. Other works by him are " Arque la Bataille," " Winter," " The Pond," and " On the Seine."


TWEED, William Marcy, politician, b. in New York city, 3 April, 1823; d. there, 12 April, 1878. He was the son of a chair-maker, and, after receiving a common-school education, learned the same trade himself. He assisted in organizing "Americus" fire-engine company No. 6, known commonly as " Big Six," and became its foreman ; and it was his popularity in this capacity that first made him a power in local politics. He was an alderman of New York in 1852-3, served in con- gress in 1853-5, was supervisor of the city and chairman of the board in 1856, school commissioner in 1856-'7, deputy street commissioner in 1861-'70, and state senator in 1867-'71. In 1870 he was ap- pointed commissioner of the department of public works in New York city, and while in this office he organized, with others, the. " ring " of which he was chief, he and his associates appropriating vast sums of public money. These corrupt practices were exposed, and on 28 Oct., 1871, Mr. Tweed was arrested on a civil suit that was brought by Charles O'Conor in behalf of the city. He furnished bail in $1,000,000, and in November of the same year he was elected to the state senate, but did not take his seat. On 16 Dec. he was arrested on a criminal charge of fraud, but was released on $5,000 bail. The first of the suits against him was tried, 30 Jan., 1873, the jury disagreeing ; but on 19 Nov. he was found guilty of fraud, and sentenced by Judge Noah Davis to twelve years' imprisoment on as many different counts (a year for each count) in the penitentiary on Blackwell's island, and to pay a fine of $12,550. In April, 1875, an action was instituted against him in behalf of the people of New York for the recovery of $6,000,000, and judg- ment was rendered for this amount with interest. On 15 June his further imprisonment was declared illegal by the court of appeals, on the assumption that the lower court had exceeded its powers in its cumulative sentence, and his discharge was ordered. He was then required to furnish bail in $3,000,000 pending the civil suits, and in default of this was confined in Ludlow street jail. He escaped on 4 Dec, 1875, succeeded in reaching Cuba, and thence went to Spain, where he was arrested by the Span- ish government, and, being delivered to officers of the United States, was brought back to New York and recommitted to Ludlow street jail, where he remained a prisoner till his death.


TWEEDALE, William, civil engineer, b. in Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland, 18 May, 1823. He came with his parents to New York in 1833, and was graduated at Rensselaer polytechnic institute in 1853. In 1855 he was a bridge engineer and con- tractor in Chicago, and in 1859, having obtained the contract for the construction of bridges and buildings on the Dubuque and Sioux City railway, he removed to the former place. At the opening of the civil war he raised a company for an engi- neer regiment, and was mustered in as captain. He was engaged in the engineering operations against New Madrid, which resulted in its capture, and cut a passage for a fleet of transports across the lower end of Island No. 8. This was used for the transportation of troops across the river from New Madrid to operate against Island No. 10, and re- sulted in the evacuation of the latter. He was in command of advanced parties of engineers with Gen. John Pope's division in the siege of Corinth, and in the pursuit that followed its evacuation under Gen. James B. McPherson. He was after- ward engaged in the reconstruction of railroads, dredging of rivers, and the removal of debris at various points on Mississippi river. He was pro- moted brevet-colonel of volunteers. 13 March, 1865, and was mustered out on 31 May the same year. He moved to Topeka, Kansas, in 1867, superin- tended the erection of the east wing of the state capitol in 1867-8, and the west wing in 1879-80, and was engineer of the bridge across the Kansas river at Topeka.


TW1BILL, George W., artist, b. in Lampeter, Lancaster co., Pa., about 1806 ; d. in New York, 15 Feb., 1836. He began to study with Henry In- man in 1828, was elected an associate of the Na- tional academy in 1832, and an academician the following year. The academy owns his portrait of John Trumbull, painted in 1835, and in the New York historical society hangs the portrait of Fitz- Greene Halleck, painted from the original by In- man, also in the possession of that association. Thomas S. Cummings wrote of him : " Of the young artists of the day there were none more promising than Twibill. His portraits in oil in small were of excellence seldom equalled."


TWICHELL, Ginery, member of congress, b. in Athol, Mass., 26 Aug., 1811 ; d. in Brookline, Mass., 23 July, 1883. He was educated at the public schools, engaged in the business of carrying the mails in 1830, and was the first to establish a daily line of coaches between Boston and Brat- tleboro, Vt. He afterward made important mail contracts with the U. S. government. In 1847 he became connected with the Boston and Worcester railway, of which he was chosen superintendent in 1848, and president in 1857. He afterward sat in congress for three consecutive sessions in 1867-'73, having been chosen as a Republican.


TWIGGS, David Emanuel, b. in Richmond county, Ga., in 1790 ; d. in Augusta, Ga., 15 Sept., 1862. ' His father, Gen. John Twiggs, raised a brigade at his own expense at the opening of the Revolu- tion. The son was appointed captain in the 8th infantrv, 12 March, 1*812, became major of the 28th in- fantry, 21 Sept., , and was disbanded, 15 June, 1815. He was reinstated on 2 December, , as captain in the 7th in- fantry, served throughout the

war with Great

Britain, and became major of the 1st infantry, 14 May, 1825, lieutenant-colonel of the 4th infantry, 15 July, 1831, and colonel, 2d dragoons, 8 June, 1836. He served in the Mexican war under Gen. Zachary Taylor at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, was promoted