Description
Military Memoirs Of A Confederate: A Critical Narrative by Confederate Brigadier General Edward Porter Alexander, published in 1910.
Octavo, xviii, [2], 634pp. Three quarter green morocco, marbled boards, title in gilt on spine. Decorative raised bands, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Frontispiece portrait and fold-out map of the Operations of the Army of Northern Virginia. Solid text block, internally fine. This work was first published in April, 1907. A beautiful copy.
Edward Porter Alexander (1835 – 1910) was born in Georgia and graduated from West Point in 1857. During the war, Alexander gained distinction as an artillery officer, playing a key role in several major battles. His most notable service was at the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was in charge of the massive artillery bombardment preceding Pickett’s Charge, one of the war’s most famous assaults. Alexander’s skills in artillery deployment and his innovative use of signal flags for communication significantly impacted Confederate military tactics. He continued to serve with distinction throughout the war, participating in the Seven Days Battles, the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the Battle of Chancellorsville, before surrendering with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in 1865.
In retirement, he wrote this book on his military experiences, which has been called “a superb history of Lee’s army” and “the best critique for operations of the Army of Northern Virginia.” An unpublished memoir, intended for his family, was discovered, and published in 1989, titled “Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander.” (Nevins I, 50) (Eicher, 174) (Howes, A114)
