Civil War Commanders - Edward Porter Alexander

One of the youngest general officers on eitherat Appomattox.
side in the American Civil War, Edward PorterAlexander is perhaps best known as the
Alexander was born in Washington, Georgia oncommander of James Longstreet's artillery at the
May 26, 1835. He attended the United Statesbattle of Gettysburg, where he directed the
Military Academy, graduating third in a class of 38pre-assault bombardment prior to Pickett's
in 1857.Charge. He is also often given credit for telling
Prior to the war, Alexander served as anGeneral Lee at Fredericksburg that "a chicken
instructor at West Point, as well as on the Utahcould not live on that field" in reference to the
Expedition against the Mormons in 1857 and 1858.open ground before Marye's Heights that would
When his native state seceded from the Unionbecome a Union killing ground in the ensuing battle.
prior to the Civil War, Alexander resigned hisWounded twice during the war, Alexander would
commission in the U.S. Army to join thebe just short of his thirtieth birthday at the time
Confederacy. He began his career in the CSA asof Appomattox. Following the conflict, he held
a Captain of Engineers, and would rise to the rankpositions as a professor at South Carolina
of Brigadier General of Artillery by the end of theUniversity, served as president of the Louisville
war.and Nashville railroad, and had several political
Alexander was present at virtually every majorappointments. He also wrote two memoirs of his
battle in the Eastern Theatre, including both firstexperiences in the war, often regarded as some
and second Bull Run, the Seven Days, Antietam,of the most objective first-person accounts of
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, andthe conflict.
the Overland Campaign that ultimately led to theAlexander died on April 28, 1910, and is buried in
siege of Petersburg and Robert E. Lee's surrenderAugusta, Georgia.