A Confederate Cannoneer at Gettysburg: The Life and Career of Edward Porter Alexander

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: David Zarbock

Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

In the narrative of the Civil War, Edward Porter Alexander has loomed larger in death than in life. Just 25 years old when the war broke out, Porter Alexander had already served as an engineer and officer in the US Army, but the native Georgian resigned his commission in May 1861 and joined the Confederacy after his home state seceded.

Porter Alexander spent 1861 as an intelligence officer, and he served as part of a signal guard, but he soon became chief of ordnance for Joseph Johnston's army near Richmond. Half a year later, Johnston would be injured during the Peninsula Campaign at the Battle of Seven Pines, after which he was replaced by Robert E. Lee. Over the course of 1862, Porter Alexander took on more roles in the Army of Northern Virginia's artillery branch, particularly under James Longstreet's 1st Corps.

Though he participated in several battles, he played his biggest role at the Battle of Gettysburg. On the third day, Lee decided to make a thrust at the center of the Union's line with about 15,000 men spread out over three divisions. Though it is now known as Pickett's Charge, named after division commander George Pickett, the assignment for the charge was given to Longstreet, whose 1st Corps included Pickett's division. Lee's decision necessitated a heavy artillery bombardment of the Union line in an attempt to knock out the Union's own artillery before beginning the charge that would cover nearly a mile of open space from Seminary Ridge to the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. Lee tasked Porter Alexander, in charge of the 1st Corps' guns, to conduct the artillery bombardment. What resulted was the largest sustained bombardment of the Civil War, with over 150 Confederate cannons across the line firing incessantly at the Union line, for nearly 2 hours.

Unfortunately for Porter Alexander and the Confederates, the sheer number of cannons belched so much smoke, that they had trouble gauging how effective the shells were. As it turned out, most of the artillery was overshooting the target, landing in the rear of the Union line. Reluctant to order the charge, Longstreet commanded Porter Alexander to order the timing for the charge. As Longstreet and Alexander anticipated, the charge was an utter disaster, incurring a nearly 50% casualty rate and failing to break the Union line.

Porter Alexander would continue to serve under Longstreet's corps for most of the rest of the war, and he famously suggested to Lee at Appomattox that the Confederate army should disband and melt away instead of surrender. Porter Alexander would later regret the suggestion, and Lee scolded him for it anyway.

A Confederate Cannoneer at Gettysburg profiles the life, career, and legacy of the man in charge of the Confederate guns before Pickett's Charge. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Porter Alexander like you never have before, in no time at all.

©2014 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors

Good overview

I was expecting something different. This was a general overview of Porters life, and had very little to do with him at Gettysburg. Good story though.

Edifying

This is a biography of one of the lessor known Civil War Generals. Brigadier General Edward Porter Alexander was a graduate of West Point and an engineer officer in the United States Army but was a native of Georgia. When Georgia succeeded from the Union, Alexander resigned his commission in May 1861 and joined the Confederacy.

Alexander became the Chief of Ordnance for General Joseph Johnston’s Army near Richmond. In 1862 Johnston was injured in the Peninsular Campaign at the Battle of Seven Pines and was replaced by General Robert E. Lee. Col. Alexander took on a bigger role in the artillery branch of General James Longstreet’s 1st Corp. Alexander was responsible for the heavy bombardment of the Union Lines at Gettysburg. He conducted the largest sustained bombardment of the Civil War.

The book is well written and researched. Alexander wrote his memoir of the Civil War and it is considered by historians as one of the most insightful and evenhanded. The authors depended on Alexander’s memoir and other documentation for this biography. The book format has pictures and battle maps that are not available in the audio format.

The book is three and a half hours long. David Zarbock does a good job narrating the book. Zarbock is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator.