Label
Catamount Figurine, c. 1870
Owned by Marshal Harvey Twitchell (1840-1905)
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Metal, alabaster
Gift of the Twitchell family, 2010.61.1
Twitchell was born in Townshend and fought in the Civil War in the 4th Vermont Infantry. After the war, he worked for the Freedman’s Bureau, purchased property in Louisiana, and held several local political positions. His advocacy for formerly enslaved people made him a target; several members of his family were murdered, and in 1876 he lost both arms in an assassination attempt. When he recovered, he accepted a consulship in Kingston, Ontario and lived there for the rest of his life. This catamount statue held a place of honor on the mantel in his office; family lore says he used the tail to scratch his nose.