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Major-Generals and brigadier-generals, provisional army of the Confederate States, Accredited to Georgia.
Brigadier-General E. Porter Alexander, a native of
Georgia, was appointed to the United States military academy from that State, and was graduated in 1857 as brevet second lieutenant, corps of engineers.
He served at
West Point as assistant instructor in practical military engineering from October, 1857, to March, 1858, when he went on duty in the field with the
Utah expedition.
Returning to the military academy near the close of 1858, he remained until 1860, first as assistant instructor, next as assistant professor of engineering, then as instructor in the use of small-arms, military gymnastics, etc., and finally was attached to a company of engineer troops at
West Point.
Afterward he was a member of the board for the trial of small-arms, and assistant engineer in the construction of the defenses at
Alcatraz island, San Francisco harbor.
In 1861, when it became evident that war could not be avoided,
Lieutenant Alexander resigned his commission in the army of the United States, and on April 3d entered that of the
Confederate States as captain of engineers.
He was on the staff of
General Beauregard as engineer and chief of signal service from July 1st to August, 1861, acting in this capacity at the
first battle of Manassas.
Subsequently, until November 8, 1862, he was chief of ordnance of the army of Northern Virginia.
He was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of artillery in December, 1861, and colonel of artillery in December, 1862.
From November 8, 1862, to February 26, 1864, he commanded a battalion of artillery of
Longstreet's corps, composed of the batteries of
Eubanks,
Jordan,
Moody,
Parker,
Rhett and
Woolfolk.
At Fredericksburg
