april military engineer railroad executive author served officer united_states_army later american civil war rising rank brigadier general alexander officer charge massive artillery bombardment preceding charge day noted early use signals observation balloons combat civil war taught mathematics columbia spent time nicaragua wrote extensive memoirs analyses war received praise insight military memoirs confederate published extensive personal account military training participation civil war rediscovered long death published fighting confederacy early life career alexander known friends porter born washington georgia wealthy distinguished family sixth children brother law alexander graduated west point class cadets second lieutenant engineers briefly taught engineering fencing academy ordered report brig utah war expedition mission ended reach alexander returned west_point participated number weapon experiments worked assistant major officer assigned inventor code wig signal flags aerial alexander promoted second lieutenant october alexander met married april eventually children born twins born unnamed girl died infancy prior naming alexander final assignments near san_francisco california civil war service learning home state georgia alexander resigned commission join captain engineers organizing training new recruits form confederate signal service ordered report brig virginia chief engineer signal officer june battle bull run alexander history use signal flags transmit message combat long distance stationed atop signal hill troop movements signaled brigade col evans look left position turned receiving similar message sent timely reinforcements turned tide battle favor alexander promoted major july lieutenant colonel december period chief ordnance command managing supplies ammunition later active signal work intelligence gathering dealing extensively spies operating washington early days peninsula campaign alexander continued chief ordnance fought battle assumed command army alexander charge pre positioned ordnance lee offensive seven days battles alexander continued intelligence gathering observation balloon mill june ascending times returning valuable intelligence position union_army alexander continued charge ordnance second bull run barely missed capture federal cavalry col escaped maryland campaign ammunition wagons captured best known played prominent role important battles war served different artillery capacities starting role november leaving lee staff command battalion corps artillery reserve promoted colonel december instrumental arranging artillery defense heights battle december proved decisive factor confederate victory rest corps located suffolk virginia alexander accompanied flanking march battle artillery proved decisive alexander famous engagement july battle command artillery corps day effectively control artillery army despite brig formal role chief artillery lee conducted massive hour bombardment arguably largest war guns union position unfortunately poor quality confederate delayed planned shells number guns properly ranged rear areas sustained damage lines general effectively alexander charge launching famous charge placing young colonel enormous pressure determine union artillery defenses suppressed alexander blame lee defeat writing lee sic fight chief artillery alexander accompanied corps northern georgia fall reinforce personally arrived late participate battle served chief artillery subsequent early returned corps virginia remainder war rank brigadier general february served battles slipped lee army cross assault alexander able guns quickly lines repel main attack siege alexander adapt artillery tactics trench warfare including experimentation types mortars convinced union forces attempting tunnel confederate lines able act june wounded shoulder departed medical leave georgia informed lee suspicion unsuccessful attempts locate activity caught surprise ended significant union defeat alexander returned army february supervised defenses richmond retreated lee army alexander famous proposal army disperse surrendering lee alexander later wrote suggestion incident described proposal guerrilla war alexander describes proposal memoir fighting confederacy army ordered woods rally north_carolina way man state arms report governor later life surrender alexander briefly joining finding longer desired georgia plantation life youth taught mathematics columbia served executive positions charlotte columbia executive superintendent savannah president louisville nashville railroad president late 1880s georgia alexander friends spent hours hunting ducks alexander estate president cleveland appointed alexander commission tasked fixing boundary nicaragua costa_rica view possible construction canal dug central_america alexander spent years head commission headquartered coastal village nicaragua completed work satisfaction governments returned october wife ill nicaragua died shortly return november october alexander married wife niece alexander selected confederate veteran speech alumni day centennial celebration june speech received reprinted entirety june edition referred speech decidedly feature alumni day audience included president alexander commander general war alexander respected author wrote magazine articles published military memoirs confederate critical narrative praised altogether best critique operations long death realized alexander produced military memoirs sought professional work military history analysis long effort editing collection personal memoirs started compiling time nicaragua behest family earlier memoirs edited published posthumously fighting confederacy personal general unlike confederate officers early alexander bitter theories south doomed fail given overwhelming superiority north willing express writing criticisms prominent confederate officers including general lee historians regard alexander memoirs objective sources produced civil war called fighting confederacy superb personal narrative good deal analysis lee operations dramatic revealing important source general fellow officers alexander books include alexander died savannah georgia buried georgia popular culture alexander portrayed film prequel gods generals alternate history novel remain alexander continues career brigadier general long wins civil war instrumental defending union invasion second war united_states
Edward Porter Alexander