Marshall Twitchell was from Townshend, Vt. He enlisted in the 4th Vermont Regiment in August, 1861. He was severely wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness and came home to recuperate.
Upon his return to duty he decided to apply for an officer's commission in the newly formed regiments of the United States Colored Troops. He led African American soldiers at the Siege of Petersburg and watched Lee surrender at Appomattox.
Twitchell next took a position with the newly created Freedmen's Bureau and was stationed in the Red River Valley of Louisiana. His job was to serve as sheriff, judge and jury in a former Confederate hotbed while supporting newly freed African Americans as they worked to establish themselves in a post Civil War South.
There were at least 4 attempts made to assassinate Twitchell. White supremacy groups sprang up in Louisiana to violently oppose the federal efforts taken to enforce the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution.
Twitchell left the Freedmen's Bureau, married a local Louisiana woman and settled in the area. He became a successful businessman and politician. He invited his relatives to join him in Louisiana.
Eventually, white supremacy groups murdered his brother, his brothers-in-law and his property manager. Twitchell was shot six times and left for dead. He survived the attack but lost both of his arms by amputation.
After this last attack Twitchell returned to Vermont for a short time before taking a job representing the federal government in Canada.
In August, 1877 Twitchell had a conversation with recently chosen President Rutherford B. Hayes. Hayes was visiting family in the area and the two spoke about Hayes decision to abandon Reconstruction efforts in the South. Listen to the podcast to hear the rest of the story...
