Talk:Marshall H. Twitchell

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A fact from Marshall H. Twitchell appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 13 July 2010 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the Louisiana Reconstruction politician Marshall H. Twitchell survived six bullets in an 1876 assassination attempt but lost the use of both arms?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2010/July.

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Copyright problem[edit]

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I've begun work on a revised version of the Twitchell article that will include all new references and citations. I anticipate being complete on September 15.

Billmckern (talk) 18:12, 14 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

I've completed a re-write of the Twitchell article, which can be viewed here.

Billmckern (talk) 11:27, 15 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Rewrite moved into place. MER-C 12:16, 21 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Origin of rank as colonel?[edit]

Does anyone know or want to take a crack at finding out how Twitchell came by the title "colonel"?

As far as I can tell, the first newspaper articles that make reference to it appear in 1889, but do not explain the origin of the title. I assume that either he received an appointment on the staff of a Grand Army of the Republic commander, because the leadership structure of the GAR carried nominal ranks, or that he received an appointment as an aide-de-camp on the staff of one of Vermont's governors, because in the 1800s governors could have military staffs and confer rank in the militia on them, even though they often had few duties, if any.

I've been researching, but I have not yet found the source of Twitchell's colonel's rank. If anyone else can shed some light, I can add that detail to the article.

Billmckern (talk) 17:24, 22 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Update - I've found an earlier reference to Twitchell as a colonel. It's from Canada's Ottawa Daily Citizen for September 7, 1882.

Billmckern (talk) 19:53, 22 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Update -- An even earlier reference dates from July 16, 1875 -- Bellows Falls, Vermont's Bellows Falls Times.

Billmckern (talk) 19:57, 22 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

It occurred to me that Twitchell might have received brevet promotions during the Civil War. I found his name in a list of USCT officers recommended for brevet promotions - for Twitchell, it was brevet major. I haven't yet found anything to indicate that the recommendation was acted on, or that he received brevet promotions for ranks higher than major. Still looking...

Billmckern (talk) 07:01, 24 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]