The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-04-18
PA, THURSDAY, APRIL l8, 1861.
CovyarGly Brutality oGa TraiGor

The Green Bay Free Press gives the
following notice to the infamous traitor,
the late Gen. David 3. Twiggs
TO many of our older citizens Gen.
Twiggs is well known. Thirty odd years
be was stationed here, in command Of fort
Howard. Invested with supreme trust
IN this then new country, with little or no
Government other than martial law, ex-
amples Of his yindictive and bar5arous
conduct live in the memory of some of
the old residents with bitter distinctness.
There are no brilliant deeds of heroisn
IN his history, as in most American Off
GERS Of his age, to dazzle or avert the
eyes bent upon his early infamy and wan
ton barbarism. 4 long life of service IN
the army, mostly in frontier stations, has
afforded means of qualification to his
tyrant nature but in his profession his
cowardice shielded him from danger more
successfully than his vanity stimulated
him to his distinction IN his intercourse
with civilians, he was superciiious and
oyerverbearing. In his conduct to his
soldiers, he was the merciless tyrant and
taskmaster. He Was constantly ombroiled
III feuds without cause Of complaint his
command WAS never without its victims OF
his cruelty and oppression.
In 1928, soldier named Prestige,
slnarting under the iniiiction of punish
ment more severe than usual, determined
to take his life. Making his preparations
with extraordinary care, Prestige watched
his opportunity when Twiggs was asleep
in his quarters one afternoon, and stealth
ily creeping to his bedside, placed the
muzzle of q heavily loaded musket TO his
ear, and commended his soul to the keep
ing of the internal regions BY some
strange accident the musket missed fire !;
but the swapping Of the gun awoke the
sleeper, and siezing the musket by the
muzzle he Drained the soldier at blow,
leaving him for dead. So far it was all
right doubtless the outraged but treach-
erous soldier deserved to suffer DEATH
His skull was smashed in by the gunlock /;
but he liyed-lived to suffer complication
OF horrors sickening to think Of The
skull of the wounded man was trepanncd
| by DR.. Foot--an excellent surgeon and
man and while the patient was under his
immediate care hiscondition was comfort
| able. But scarcely had he commenced to
convalescence, when Twiggs began Sc
ries-a system-of cruelties and cnormi-
! ties unparalleled In the annals OF vindictive
persecution. Before his reason was en-
tirely regulated, the suffering soldier was
severely cowhided once every day either
| by the hand of the tyrant himself. or by
his orders and in his presence. He was
confined in the dungeon, fed like beast
upon uncooked food. denied aDy comfort
or convenience suitable to man, and wor-
Fied and exasperated with taunts and
curses, as a sauce to his coarser punish
ment. Ia the Fall or Autumn of the
year the troops at Fort Howard were or
dcred to the Portage to establish Fort
| Winnebago. Prestige, feeble with famine
and brutal chastisement, crippled with
chains and laden with burden, was forced
to march under guard through l50 miles
OF wilderness. Once when pitying fell
low-solder relieved his fainting victim o.
part of his burden for while, he was
kicked and cursed for a scoundret for his
| impertinent humanity. Arrived at the
Portage, he was not permitted the coarse
comforts of his fellows, but chained TO a
tree like beast. In this condition he
was kept through severe Winter, with
out shelter or protection other than one
blanket and a shed Of slabs which some
other soldiers were suffered to build around
him. It is said that the william Twiggs
never passed the lair without bestowing
upon his suffering victim, nauseous with
filth and alive with vermin, blow or a
kick and curse. In the Spring of 1929
when the soldiers enlistment expired,
and the tyrant could 10 longer retaiD him
for his private persecution and revenge,
his head was shaved and he was drummed
out OF the service. When he could no
longer reach him by his own arbitrary
schemes of torture he sent him to this
city and surrendered him to the civil au-
! thorities to be tried for his attempt on the
dastard's life. He was tried, and sen
fenced by Judge Doty to five years in
prisonmeut in the county Jail ; but only
a short time elapsed when proper repre-
sentation of the facts was made to President
jackson, and he was pardoned and set Al
| liberty.
nea 1t is undeniable that in America
/ it takes three to make a pair-he. she, and