Agent Thomas Twiss

[conz]

I was wondering if any knew of modern descendants of a fellow alumni, and fellow Vermonter, of mine, Thomas Twiss, United States Military Academy Class of 1826...

The USMA Graduate Register says:
Class of 1826;
Born in New York; appointed from the State of Vermont;
Graduated #2 in his class and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers;
Resigned in 1829 and was a professor from 1829 to 1847;
Railroad engineer from 1850-55;
Indian agent from 1855-61.
Died in Nebraska 18 Jan 1871.

Out of Hyde, I've gotten these fascinating details:

"On August 10 the new Indian agent, Thomas Twiss, suddenly appeared at Fort Laramie. A graduate of West Point and af former officer of the regular army, Twiss was not the usual politically appointed Indian agent but had been selected because of his special fitness to aid the military in dealing with the Sioux...

"Agent Twiss, who had charge of the Oglalas and Brules of the Upper Platte, for some reason concealed the fact that his Sioux were warring on the Crows; indeed, he represented his Indians as peaceful people who were being raided by the unregenerate Crows...

"The most astonishing of this man's schemes was the plan for an agency at Upper Platte Bridge for the 'Crows, Snakes, and Upper Band of Minniconjous.' This agency was evidently intended for the convenience of the Miniconjou Sioux, who woudl thereby be enabled to obtain all of the Crow and Snake scalps and ponies they required without the trouble of going from 200 to 300 miles to the camps of the Crows and Snakes.

"One year later, in 1857, this strange man had forgotten all about his plan for an Oglala farm on Horse Creek...without a word of explanation he had taken the agency from near Fort Laramie and moved it up to Deer Creek, on the Overland Road about 100 miles west of the fort. He does not indicate why he chose this spot after all his objections to having the Indians near the road and its bad influence. It may be noted, however, that by moving to Deer Creek the agent practically deserted the more friendly bands of Oglalas and Brules, those who hunted south of the Plantte and the Loafer band near Fort Laramie, and cast his lot with the wild Smoke People who were now hunting on the head of Powder River, only a short distance north of Deer Creek."

Here he banded with other "Squaw men" like the famous "Reshaw boys" of mixed heritage. They settled in the old Mormon outpost near Deer Creek..."he and his Oglala girl and their pet bear."

"The picture of this Indian agent, an honor graduate of West Point and a former army officer, hobnobbing with these illiterate French traders and their half-breeds, drinking with them, and sharing in their shady deals, is really an astonishing one. Removed from office by President Lincoln in 1861, Twiss took his Indian wife and children to Powder River and joined the Oglalas there. In 1864 he came to Fort Laramie with the Indians, where LT Ware saw him and described him as a fine-looking old man with a snowy beard...A few days later he left with is wild Oglalas, heading north for Powder River. It is not known when or where he died. Today there are many people among the Oglalas named Twiss, the descendants of this strange man."


Having told this story, can anyone tell me how true it is? Are his descendants still with us? The Register has his date of death, so that is something...I bet someone knows more about this interesting character...

Thanks,
Clair

[Dietmar]

Clair,

thanks for reminding us of this interesting person. Twiss must have had many descendants. I remember one son (?) of him went to Carlisle Indian School. I´ll have to look, but I think his name was Frank Twiss.

[Dietmar]

Frank Twiss interestingly is listed and photographed among the children of American Horse and High Wolf (both Oglala) in Carlisle. The group photo is in Sprague´s "Pine Ridge Reservation" on page 110.

According to Mike Stevens´site Frank was born in 1864 or 1870 to Maj. Thomas Twiss and Mary Standing Elk.

freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mikestevens/tiyo2-p/p17.htm

If you click through the site, you find that Thomas Twiss had at least six other children.

An here is obviously a modern descendant who writes about Twiss:
members.virtualtourist.com/m/5dc15/526/

I lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation from the age of 7 until I was almost 10, when my mother moved us back to her home town of Martin located in eastern Kentucky.

You might recognize this reservation as being the home to the Oglala band of the Lakota Sioux, the exact same tribe that famed war chief Crazy Horse hails from. In fact, my great grandmother, Wanikiyewin (AKA Mary Standing Elk Twiss) was registered as being on the Crazy Horse Surrender Lodge! She was the daughter of another Sioux chief, Standing Elk, who is mentioned in Stephen E. Ambrose's book Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors on p. 214:
"a Brulé chief named Standing Elk came to Fort Laramie with the news that Colonel Carrington and his column of troops were a few miles away to the east. Standing Elk said that he had talked with Carrington, who casually informed him that the soldiers were marching to the Powder River, where they were going to build forts and guard the new road. The Brulé chief informed Carrington that 'the fighting men in that country have not come to Laramie, and you will have to fight them.' Standing Elk then rode on to Fort Laramie, where he told Red Cloud what had happened."

In essence, my great-great grandfather advised Chief Red Cloud not to sign the treaty with the US. This resulted in Custer and his men illegally moving into the Black Hills to take over that territory in order to remove the gold to fill the US treasury. The Black Hills to this day is the second-largest gold producer for the US (following Alaska). If you follow the popular HBO show Deadwood then you are aware of this history.

Because we never signed the treaty, various Sioux tribes are still in the courts fighting over the rights to that land. President Ronald Reagan even granted us a settlement in the billions of dollars but that wouldn't even be close to the value of what was stripped from our land, so we have not accepted this settlement. Besides, if the settlement was divided amongst various members of the tribe we would each only receive a few thousand dollars.

Let me put this into perspective for you. The Black Hills (Paha Sapa) is our sacred land, where we conducted sacred rites, buried our dead and where our young men pursued their vision quests. Harney Peak of the Black Hills was to us the center of the universe due to its high elevation. The Black Hills we thought held the door to the underworld/afterlife.
My Twiss Roots in South Dakota

Wanikiyewin (Savior of Her People), a full-blooded Sioux, had married Major Thomas S. Twiss of the US Army. He had settled in Ft. Laramie as the first Indian Agent of the North Platte Territory. It was here on Deer Creek that my half-blood great-grandfather, William Twiss, was born. By this time, Thomas S. Twiss was in his mid-50s having earlier graduated from West Point Academy, 2nd in his class. In contrast to that, seven years later Custer graduated from the same academy last in his class! Along the way Thomas, as an engineer, had helped build the railroad in New York (he hailed from Troy in upstate NY), had moved to South Carolina and married, and had become professor of mathematics & philosophy at what is now the University of South Carolina, where they still hold some of his papers.
Wounded Knee Massacre

Others of you may know of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation as the location of where the standoff against the FBI occurred in 1973 at Wounded Knee. In essence, it was our precursor to Ruby Ridge by about 20 years.

Wounded Knee is also important because of the battle that occurred there in 1890, known as the Wounded Knee Massacre between the U.S. 7th Cavalry and Lakota Sioux tribes. Men, women, and children were murdered in this battle during a blizzard (if you've read the Laura Ingalls Wilder series of Little House on the Prairie books you know how quickly a blizzard comes up and devastating they can be).

Willy Twiss, my great-grandfather, was one of those who helped bury the dead at Wounded Knee. I've been to the cemetery on the little hillside and found it to be a very somber place indeed, seemingly still inhabited by those ghosts.

Willy married Elizabeth (Lizzy) Cuny, whose father, Adolph Cuny, had owned Three Mile Ranch (near Ft. Laramie) where Calamity Jane and "Wild Bill" Hickok had stayed.

Their son, Charles Twiss, was my grandfather. He owned a cattle ranch on the reservation and served as a council member on the tribe from 1954-56 for the Medicine Root District. He was also a council drummer during the powwows. I remember he taught my sister, Cathy, how to "Indian dance" before she was even a year old; she was held up by my father on the table while my grandfather beat out the time on the tabletop!

My grandfather's ranch was located about 10 miles southeast of Interior (which is on the northern edge of the reservation, 3 miles south of Cedar Pass which is in Badlands National Park). From atop a hill on the prairie on the ranch, you could see the Badlands ringing around the horizon for miles. It was gorgeous country and I still miss it to this day!

My father, Charles Duane Twiss, AKA Chuck Twiss, was also council member of the tribe from 1980-82. Dad had moved us from California to the reservation in the summer of 1974, shortly after the standoff with the FBI. He became a police officer after graduating from the Police Academy and then moved up quickly through the ranks to become a sergeant on the force before eventually becoming a Criminal Investigator. He died November 1985 from exposure to a blizzard. His car had stalled in the storm and he walked back 10 miles to the house of some friends he'd visited during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. He knocked on the door and when they opened it he fell over dead.

My sister, Elizabeth, and I also learned how to Indian dance, learning to do the Rabbit Dance and the Snake Dance which we would perform in the summer powwows.

[conz]

Thank you, Dietmar...this is a fascinating story of the intermingling of cultures, presumably at war with each other.

I'll bet a wonderful book, or at least a good article, could be written about the mixed-race Twiss family and their descendants to this day.

And you uncovered another link to me, since I hail from Kentucky.

Another great investigation could be made into the influence this former Army officer and his sons had on the Sioux councils during the great plains wars and their aftermath. He must have been a good source for "inside" information on the Americans, and the Army in particular. How much he "aided and abetted" the "enemy" would be an issue, and he may have tried to stay neutral. At least I've never heard that the Army was ever "out to get him," but I could be wrong. It seems Major Twiss was in the "wild" Oglala villages during the Hancock/Sully campaigns just after the American Civil War.

Clair

[Dietmar]

I´ve never came across a photo of Thomas Twiss, although I´m sure there must be one.

Here´s his son Frank Twiss at carlisle Indian School:


Frank Twiss is sitting far right.
These are allegedly children of American Horse and High Wolf, both Oglala. I wonder how Frank fits in there. The girls are Daisy Glade, Lucy Day and Mary Bridgeman. The boys are Bear Don´t Scare, Lone Hill and Singer.

[jinlian]

Nov 25, 2008 9:58:52 GMT -5 Dietmar said:

I wonder how Frank fits in there.

It's just an idea, but maybe Frank was woking at Carlisle's bakeries together with Mato Napesni (Bear Don't Scare aka "Guy") and High Wolf's son? I've in my files a picture of these two working there together (will post this this evening) and Frank could have been a classmate (or better, a workmate)

[conz]

Thanks for updating. A couple notes I gleaned off the internet concerning Major Twiss...

Twiss was a firm believer in the importance of diplomacy and treaties when dealing with Indians, as he had evidenced in his earlier attempts to prevent Harney’s 1855 punitive expedition. Indeed, on that occasion Twiss had advanced his beliefs so assiduously that Harney forbade the agent to participate in the treaty negoitaitions of early 1856 near Fort Pierre! – Hoopes, “Thomas S. Twiss, Indian Agent”, ppg. 353-64.

Twiss had moved the Upper Platte headquarters from Fort Laramie approximately 100 miles west to Deer Creek in 1857. From 1857 until his 1861 resignation Twiss was embroiled in considerable controversy, much of it revolving around allegations that he, in collusion with nearby traders, was cheating the Indians of some of their annuity payments. – Hill, “Thomas S. Twiss, Indian Agent” (1967), 90-93.

Sinner, or Saint, or both, like most of us? <g>

Clair

[debstar76]

Yes we are here...Major Thomas Twiss was my GGGGrandfather, his son James Twiss born 1858, and died June 4th 1909, married Rosella Sire, daughter of Alexander Sire a French Canadian adventruer, and an Indian mother called Sage. they had several children, Maggie their 4th daughter was my father's mother mother...
Major Thomas as we have always called him, was very loyal to his Indian Wife Mary (Savior of her People), after years of marriage they had several children. When he left Fort Laramie, they moved to Rulo, Nebraska where many other Half Breed families had moved to in South Eastern Nebraska.
See the 1870 Federal Census of Rulo, Richardson Co. Nebraska, Major Thomas died a year later in 1871, leaving his wife and children with nothing to live on, so Mary's brother's came for her and brought the Twiss family back to Fort Robinson to be with her family. At First the Government Army had not recognised Major Twiss family, but when they did she was allotted land and rations to help her family. They resided on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation, and their descendants still do to this day. This is just a short version of their story.
Deb

Attachments:

[emilylevine]

Wonderful photo. Looks just like the description in this passage:

". . . When he was removed from office in 1861 by President Lincoln, Twiss and his wife went to the Powder River country to live with her people. A few years later her made a visit to Fort Laramie; Eugene Ware describes him as "an old gentleman whose hair, long, white and curly, hung down over his shoulders, and down his back. He had a very venerable white beard and mustache. . . . He was dressed thoroughly as an Indian." Ware goes on to describe Twiss's contribution to a discussion at the sutler's store concerning a comparison between Grant's Vicksburg campaign and that of Napoleon at Borodino (The Indian War of 1864, 210-211_. In 1870 Twiss bought forty acres of land in southeast Nebraska near Rulo, where he died the following year. See Alban W. Hoopes, "Thomas Twiss, Indian Agent on the Upper Platte, 1855-1861," The Missouri Valley Historical Review 20 (June 1933-March 1934), and Burton S. Hill, "Thomas S. Twiss, Indian Agent," Great Plains Journal 6, no.2 (spring 1967): 85-96"

note from With My Own Eyes, 166

The history of the "half breed tract" here in southeast Nebraska is pretty interesting...

wife: Mary Standing Elk
daughter: Fannie died march 17, 1917 her daughter was Mary Ellen Brewer (1885-1963)
Mary Ellen married Joseph Richard, had a daughter named Leonna Suzanne Richard
there is more info at ancestry.com if you have access to that

1870 census:

Name: Thomas S Twist
[Thomas S. Twiss]
Birth Year: abt 1807
Age in 1870: 63
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1870: Rulo, Richardson, Nebraska
Race: White
Gender: Male
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: Rulo
Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas S Twist 63
Mary Twist 34
Frances Twist 15
Bridge Twist 11
Charles Twist 9
William Twist 7
Franklin Twist 5
Joseph Twist 3

[debstar76]

Thanks Emily! Yes, when my husband and I traveled to Fort Laramie, Wyoming in 2008, We met Sandy Lowry, the Archives Administraitor, we became fast friends. This Picture of Major Thomas S Twiss along with a few other pictures of some of our ancestors that once lived and worked at around Fort Laramie, where found by Sandy Lowry for us. There is also a long Article about the story of his life that was included on Major Thomas that she copied and gave to me while we were there.
In that 1870 census the 11 year old child written as "Bridge" was our GGGrandfather "James".
Thank you for posting that.
Nice to see you here too.
Deb

[emilylevine]

Deb Cordier, is that you?
When I was doing for With My Own Eyes Sandra Lowry was an incredible help. The days I spent at Fort Laramie working with her in those archives are a good memory. I'm glad to know she's still there (or at least was in 2008); she must be even more of a font of information now. What's the story of James being recorded as Bridge?

The Fort Laramie archive is a rich source of historical material that is often overlooked. I encourage researchers of early Sichangu and Oglala/white relations to look there.

[dianeb]

My granddaughters are kin to Thomas Twiss through William
Twiss and Elizabeth Cuny. I have been researching the Twiss
family in New England. Thomas had three sisters. From what
can be found the only one that didn't have children was
Achsah Twiss Kinne. Maybe Achsah is the one that came after
Thomas died and took William to New York. She died in 1872,
so he probably would have been sent back to the family.

dianeb


Children of JOSEPH TWISS and RACHEL MUNRO are:
2. i. THOMAS SANDERS6 TWISS, b. 1803, New York; d. 18 Jan 1871, Rulo, Nebraska.

THOMAS SANDERS6 TWISS (JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) was born 1803 in New York, and died 18 Jan 1871 in Rulo, Nebraska. He married (1) ELIZABETH SHERRILL. She was born 1800 in Salisbury, Litchfield, Connecticut, and died 26 Nov 1866 in Oakwood Cemetery Troy Rensselaer New York. He married (2) WANIKIYEWIN MARY STANDING ELK 1855, daughter of STANDING ELK and WHITE WOMAN. She was born 1832, and died 07 Mar 1917 in Porcupine, Shannon Co., SD.
1830 United States Federal Census
Name: Thomas S Twiss
Home in 1830: , Hancock, Georgia
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Slaves - Males - 10 thru 23: 1
Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35: 1
Slaves - Females - Under 10: 3
Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23: 1
Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35: 2
Free White Persons - Under 20: 3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 5
Total Slaves: 8
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 13

1840 United States Federal Census
Name: Thos S Twiss
Township: Columbia
County: Richland
State: South Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 30 thru 39: 1
Slaves - Females - 24 thru 35: 1
Total - All Persons (Free White, Free Colored, Slaves): 6
Persons Employed in Learned Professional Engineers: 1
Free White Persons - Under 20: 3
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 5
Total Slaves: 1
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 6

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Thomas S Swiss
[Thomas S. Twiss]
Age: 45
Estimated birth year: abt 1805
Birth Place: Mississippi
[New York]
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Family Number: 1307
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas S Swiss 45
Elisabeth Swiss 44
Emma Swiss 21 Ga
Sarah Swiss 18 Ga
Mary Swiss 16 Ga
Mary Comeford 19
Bridget Comeford 16

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Thomas S Twiss
Age in 1860: 57
Birth Year: abt 1803
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1860: Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Gender: Male
Post Office: Greenbush
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas S Twiss 57
Elisabeth S Twiss 59
Mary L Twiss 26 Ga
Sarah Fitch 86
Elisabeth Smith 52

on the same page
1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Emma Twiss
Age in 1860: 31
Birth Year: abt 1829
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1860: Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Gender: Female
Post Office: Greenbush
Household Members: Name Age
Henry Fraser 74
Mary Fraser 63
Evaline Snyder 18
Emma Twiss 31
same page as Thomas Twiss
1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah E Shemehorne
Age in 1860: 28
Birth Year: abt 1832
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1860: Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Gender: Female
Post Office: Greenbush
Household Members: Name Age
Simeon Shemehorne 35
Sarah E Shemehorne 28
Allice W Shemehorne 3
John S Shemehorne 10/12
William T Shemehorne 20
Ann Duffy 17

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Thomas S Twist
[Thomas S. Twiss]
Birth Year: abt 1807
Age in 1870: 63
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1870: Rulo, Richardson, Nebraska
Race: White
Gender: Male
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: Rulo
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas S Twist 63
Mary Twist 34
Frances Twist 15
Bridge Twist 11
Charles Twist 9
William Twist 7
Franklin Twist 5
Joseph Twist 3

Notes for ELIZABETH SHERRILL: First Wife of Thomas Sanders Twiss
Elizabeth SHERRILL's Details
Place of Burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Troy,
Rensselaer, New York
Birthdate: 1800
Birthplace: Salisbury, Litchfield, Connecticut
Death: Died November 26, 1866 in North Greenbush,
Schoharie, New York
Occupation: mistress of a school for girls
Elizabeth SHERRILL's Family
Immediate Family: Wife of Thomas TWISS
Mother of Julia TWISS, Sarah TWISS and Mary TWISS

Children of THOMAS TWISS and ELIZABETH SHERRILL are:
5. i. SARAH ELIZABETH7 TWISS, b. 01 Dec 1831, Sparta, Hancock, Georgia; d. 18 Nov 1875, Worcester Otsego, New York.
ii. JULIA EMMA ELIZABETH TWISS, b. 1829, Sparta, Hancock, Georgia; d. 1900, California.
iii. MARY LYDIA TWISS, b. Jan 1834, Sparta, Hancock, Georgia; d. 20 Dec 1907, Poestenkill Rensselaer, New York Oakwood Cemetery Troy Rensselaer New York.

Notes for MARY LYDIA TWISS: (Never Married)
1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Mary Twiss
Birth Year: abt 1835
Age in 1870: 35
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1870: North Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Race: White
Gender: Female
Post Office: DeFreestville
Household Members: Name Age
Mary Twiss 35
Delia Henry 30
Clarence Henry 6
Mary Henry 3

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Mary L. Traiss
[Mary L. Twiss]
Home in 1880: Poestenkill, Rensselaer, New York
Age: 45
Estimated birth year: abt 1835
Birthplace: Georgia
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: Vermont
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
Ann M. Snyder 50 Widowed wash woman
Mary L. Traiss 45

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Mary L Twiss
Home in 1900: Poestenkill, Rensselaer, New York
Age: 66
Birth Date: Jan 1834
Birthplace: Georgia
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relationship to Head of House: Head
Father's Birthplace: Vermont
Mother's Birthplace: Vermont
Marital Status: Single
Household Members: Name Age
Mary L Twiss 66
Rowella S Twiss 34 Cousin

GEORGE W.6 TWISS (JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) was born 1822 in Rensselaer New York, and died 1897 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois. He married (1) ELIZA CLARK. She was born 21 Jul 1825 in New York, and died 07 Feb 1858 in Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois. He married (2) RACHEL CLARK. She was born Feb 1837 in Vermont, and died 25 Aug 1922 in Santa Cruz California.

Notes for GEORGE W. TWISS:
1860 United States Federal Census
Name: George W Twiss
Age in 1860: 36
Birth Year: abt 1824
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1860: Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois
Gender: Male
Post Office: Rockford
Value of real estate: View image
Household Members: Name Age
George W Twiss 36
Rachael Twiss 24 Canada
Georgiana Twiss 10
Francis Twiss 5 F

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: George Twiss
Birth Year: abt 1822
Age in 1870: 48
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1870: Rockford Ward 2, Winnebago, Illinois
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
George Twiss 48
Rochel Twiss 32 Vermont
Georgiana Twiss 19

Notes for RACHEL CLARK:
1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Rachel C Twiss
Home in 1900: Soquel, Santa Cruz, California
Age: 63
Birth Date: Feb 1837
Birthplace: Vermont
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relationship to Head of House: Mother-in-Law
Father's Birthplace: Ireland
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland
Mother: number of living children: 1
Mother: How many children: 1
Marital Status: Widowed
Household Members: Name Age
Milton H Miller 59
Georgiana T Miller 49
Rae A Miller 22
Anson S Miller 20
George T Miller 18
Alvera E Miller 15
John M Miller 12
Rachel C Twiss 63 (Step-Mother)

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Anson S Miller
[Anson G Miller]
Home in 1920: Highland, Santa Cruz, California
Age: 40
Estimated birth year: abt 1880
Birthplace: California
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
[Head]
Spouse's name: Marie M Miller
Father's Birth Place: Indiana
Mother's Birth Place: Illinois
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Own
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Household Members: Name Age
Anson S Miller 40
Marie M Miller 26
Rachel Twiss 82 Step Grandmother

Children of GEORGE TWISS and RACHEL CLARK are:
8. i. GEORGIANA GRISWOLD7 TWISS, b. Sep 1850, New York; d. 1910, California.
ii. FRANCES ELIZA TWISS, b. 12 Sep 1854, Illinois; d. 18 Nov 1861, Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois.


Generation No. 3

5. SARAH ELIZABETH7 TWISS (THOMAS SANDERS6, JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) was born 01 Dec 1831 in Sparta, Hancock, Georgia, and died 18 Nov 1875 in Worcester Otsego, New York. She married SIMON SCHERMERHORN. He was born Abt. 1826 in New York.

Notes for SARAH ELIZABETH TWISS:
1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Schermerhorn
Birth Year: abt 1832
Age in 1870: 38
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1870: Worcester, Otsego, New York
Race: White
Gender: Female
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: East Worcester
Household Members: Name Age
Simon P Schermerhorn 46
Sarah Schermerhorn 38
Alice W Schermerhorn 13
John S Schermerhorn 10
Clarissa Schermerhorn 70

Notes for SIMON SCHERMERHORN:
1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Simon P Schermerhorn
Age: 19
Estimated birth year: abt 1831
Birth Place: New York
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Troy Ward 3, Rensselaer, New York
Family Number: 1708
Household Members: Name Age
John Burtis 55
Hannah Ann Burtis 47
Sarah R Burtis 22
Simon P Schermerhorn 19 Student

same page as Thomas Twiss
1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah E Shemehorne
Age in 1860: 28
Birth Year: abt 1832
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1860: Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Gender: Female
Post Office: Greenbush
Value of real estate: View image
Household Members: Name Age
Simeon Shemehorne 35
Sarah E Shemehorne 28
Allice W Shemehorne 3
John S Shemehorne 10/12
William T Shemehorne 20
Ann Duffy 17

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Schermerhorn
Birth Year: abt 1832
Age in 1870: 38
Birthplace: Georgia
Home in 1870: Worcester, Otsego, New York
Race: White
Gender: Female
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: East Worcester
Household Members: Name Age
Simon P Schermerhorn 46
Sarah Schermerhorn 38
Alice W Schermerhorn 13
John S Schermerhorn 10
Clarissa Schermerhorn 70

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: S. P. Schermerhorn
Home in 1880: Worcester, Otsego, New York
Age: 54
Estimated birth year: abt 1826
Birthplace: New York
Relation to Head of Household: Self (Head)
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Farmer
Marital Status: Widower
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
S. P. Schermerhorn 54 WD
John S. Schermerhorn 20

Children of SARAH TWISS and SIMON SCHERMERHORN are:
i. ALICE W8 SCHERMERHORN, b. Abt. 1857, New York.
ii. JOHN S SCHERMERHORN, b. Abt. 1860, New York.


ii. HIRAM TWISS, b. 1805, New York. (JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1)
1850 United States Federal Census
about Hiram Luist (Looks like Twist)
Name: Hiram Luist
Age: 45
Estimated birth year: abt 1805
Birth Place: New York
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Family Number: 1278 (This page also has David Y Sharp 1279/ 1208) and Rachel Twiss and Debby Sharp
Household Members: Name Age
Hiram Luist 45
Elisa Luist 38 Vermont
Alfred Luist 17 Vermont
Charlesa Luist 12 M
Marrion L Luist 10 F
Allis C Luist 8 F
Helen A Luist 6
Geo E Luist 4
Joseph Luist 1

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Hiram Swiss
Birth Year: abt 1807
Age in 1870: 63
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1870: Ellisburg, Jefferson, New York
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Belleville
Household Members: Name Age
Hiram Swiss 63
Eliza Swiss 58
Alice Swiss 28
George Swiss 24
Jessie Swiss 9

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: George E. Troiss
Home in 1880: Ellisburgh, Jefferson, New York
Age: 34
Estimated birth year: abt 1846
Birthplace: New York
Relation to head-of-household: Son
Father's name: Hiram H. Troiss
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's name: Eliza Troiss
Mother's birthplace: Vermont
Occupation: Laborer
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Hiram H. Troiss 75
Eliza Troiss 69
Alice Troiss 36
George E. Troiss 34
iii. ELIZABETH TWISS,( JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) b. 21 Jul 1807, New York; d. 24 Sep 1888, Rockford Winnebago, Illinois; m. JAMES SMITH.
1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Elizabeth Smith
Age: 42
Estimated birth year: abt 1808
Birth Place: New York
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Family Number: 1276
Household Members: Name Age
Elizabeth Smith 42
Thomas Smith 21
Charles Smith 18
Harriet Smith 12
Elizabeth Smith 9
Geo Brown 24
Geo S Koon 35
1850 United States Federal Census
198 line 38
Daniel Y Sharp
Name: Daniel Y Sharp
Age: 43
Estimated birth year: abt 1807
Birth Place: New York
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Family Number: 1279
Household Members: Name Age
Daniel Y Sharp 43
1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Deborah Sharp
Age in 1860: 54
Birth Year: abt 1806
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1860: Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Gender: Female
Post Office: Greenbush
Household Members: Name Age
Daniel Y Sharp 52
Deborah Sharp 54
Angeline Sharp 19
Ailade Sharp 10


iv. DEBORAH TWISS, (JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) b. 1807, New York; d. 06 Feb 1886, North Greenbush, Schoharie New York; m. DANIEL YOUNG SHARP; b. 1807, Troy, Rensselaer, New York; d. 1874, North Greenbush, Schoharie New York.

Notes for DANIEL YOUNG SHARP:
1850 Greenbush Rens Co NY 52-3:949-1280 [948-1279], Sharp, Daniel Y 43 carpenter, Debby 44, Maria F 20, John H F 14, Angelica 11 school, George W 7 sch, Mary 5 sc, Adlade 2/12, all b NY.

1855 North Greenbush Rens Co NY 14:101-111 frame $75, Sharp, Daniel Y 48 mar res 48 yrs mechanic, Deborah 49 wife res 49 yrs, John 18 child, George W 12, Mary 9 child, Adalaid 5 child, all b Rens Co.

1860 North Greenbush 138:936-1141, Sharp, Daniel Y 52 carpenter $__-25, Deborah 54 $200-75, Angelica 19, Adelaid 10 school, all b NY.

1865 North Greenbush 153-153 Wood $500, Sharp, David Y father ae? 1st marriage carpenter owns land, Debra 60 mother of 8 children 1st mar, Adlaid 15, Kirkpatrick, Mary 19 1st mar, all b Rens Co.

1870 North Greenbush 344-426, Sharpe, Daniel Y 63 carpenter, Debra 64 kh $500-__, Mary 23 home, all b NY.
1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Daniel G (Y) Sharpe
Birth Year: abt 1807
Age in 1870: 63
Birthplace: New York
Home in 1870: North Greenbush, Rensselaer, New York
Race: White
Gender: Male
Value of real estate: View image
Post Office: DeFreestville
Household Members: Name Age
Daniel G Sharpe 63
Debora Sharpe 64
Mary Sharpe 23

DEEDS: Renss Co NY, GRANTEE-Daniel Y Sharp 63:381 23 Oct 1845-Jacob Warner & others, GRANTOR-Deborah & Daniel Y Sharp 163:405 18 May 1874 etal assignment- John H F & George W Sharp.

v. ACHSAH TWISS, (JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) b. 1811, Rensselaer, New York; d. 27 Feb 1872, New Mt. Ida Cemetery New York; m. WILLIAM W. KINNE; b. 02 Oct 1812, Connecticut; d. 25 Apr 1864, New Mt. Ida Cemetery New York.

Notes for ACHSAH TWISS:
Achsah Twiss Kinne
Birth: unknown
Death: Feb. 27, 1872

Wife of William W. Kinne M.D., Died aged 61 years.

Burial:
New Mount Ida Cemetery Troy Rensselaer CountyNew York

Created by: Alysia
Record added: Feb 18, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 48316405

Notes for WILLIAM W. KINNE:
Dr William W. Kinne
Birth: unknown
Death: Apr. 25, 1864

Died aged 52 years.
Burial:
New Mount Ida Cemetery
Troy
Rensselaer County
New York

Created by: Alysia
Record added: Feb 18, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 48316325

3. vi. CHARLES SIDNEY TWISS,( JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) b. 12 Oct 1816, Rensselaer New York; d. 09 Jul 1854, Oakwood Cemetery, Troy, Rensselaer New York.
4. vii. GEORGE W. TWISS, (JOSEPH5, JOHN4, JOHN3, EDWARD2, PETER1) b. 1822, Rensselaer New York; d. 1897, Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois.

[debstar76]

Dianeb, Very impressive researching, Thank You for sharing this with us, I never got past Thomas's father Joseph Twiss/Twist.

[kingsleybray]

dianeb

thank you so much for posting your detailed genealogical information on the Twiss family. As I mentioned on another thread, I feel there must be a Twiss family trunk somewhere with letters and memorabilia sent by Thomas S. from the Upper Platte Agency.

I have read something about Thomas's NY state wife and daughters, very intellectual radical women in women's rights and so on. I always wondered what they knew about the other family out west! It's the subject for a great novel I've always thought.

Kingsley

[debstar76]

Kingsley...If you contact Mrs Lowry at the Fort Laramie Archives Dept of which she is head...she has more on Major Thomas Twiss that you are inquiring about..and I think some of his life story has been played out in some books and in the Movie "Into the West" where the family there was closely based on Thomas Twiss's family. Towards the end of the Movie the old Character dressed in his buckskins and his hair hanging long as his long gray beard(just like Thomas was)..overhears some people talking about one of the battles of the Civil War, he walks over and interups the conversation, tellling them that they are wrong, they look at him strangely, he then tells them exactly with great detail what happened during that battle they were arguing about..When he finishes he then walks away catching up with his Indian wife and daughter..and they walk away. In the real story, as he walked away someone asked who was that man? he was Major Thomas Twiss.