[AOX]≡ PDF Free Fighting for the Confederacy The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander Civil War America Gary W Gallagher 9780807847220 Books

Fighting for the Confederacy The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander Civil War America Gary W Gallagher 9780807847220 Books

Download As PDF : Fighting for the Confederacy The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander Civil War America Gary W Gallagher 9780807847220 Books

Fighting for the Confederacy The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander Civil War America Gary W Gallagher 9780807847220 Books

This is a wonderfully engaging memoir, written by E. Porter Alexander, engineer, staff officer, and, as most recall him, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's First Corps artillery guru. What sets this book apart is its honest, candid view of events from Alexander's perspective. Not the usual glorification of the cause and its leaders as with many other actors from the Civil War. This book stayed hidden from sight for many years after it was completed; it is a blessing to those who study the Civil War that it came to see the light of day with publication. The Introduction concludes by stating that (page xxiii): "'Fighting for the Confederacy' is a book to be savored, one of those wonderful volumes that is both instructive and pleasurable to read."

One line that exemplifies this, focusing on Lieutenant General Leonidas Pope, a corps commander in the Western Theater's Army of Tennessee, is enchanting. Polk was a bishop in his church and, for some unfathomable reason, had the confidence of President Jefferson Davis and General Braxton Bragg. When Alexander and the troops of General James Longstreet's First Corps joined Bragg's army at Chickamauga, he observed that (page 289): "So all our pious people with one consent & with secret conviction that the Lord would surely favor a bishop turned in & made him a lieut. Gen., which the Lord had not." A sly way of saying that Polk was a disaster as a general (and, indeed, Alexander was accurate in his assessment).

A couple passages that make this volume--and Alexander's method--so refreshing. At the close of his discussion of the battle of Chancellorsville, Alexander notes that Union Commanding General Joseph Hooker lost his courage and will--as did his top commanders. Alexander observes that the Union Army was intact, outnumbered the Confederate force and could have won the battle with better leadership. Then, in a passage extraordinary for a Confederate officer, he says (page 217) "Had it been Grant in command, he would not have dreamed of giving up the fight." This suggests a perspective on the war that many partisans--whether Union or Confederate--never had. Indeed, had the Union Army listened to Generals Meade and Reynolds who were arguing strenuously to counterattack the Confederate forces, the end result might have been a significant Union victory. We'll never know, of course, but Alexander does suggest an alternative history.

Then, Gettysburg. . . . Here is the poignant scene, told from Alexander's perspective, where Longstreet must order Pickett's forces (and others) to advance. But Longstreet fears a disaster, and obviously is in a state of inner turmoil (see pages 254 and following). At one point, it is almost as if he were giving Alexander the task of deciding whether or not the charge takes place. At a later time, Longstreet expresses openly his fear (page 261): "I don't want to make this attack--I believe it will fail--I do not see how it can succeed--I would not make it even now, but that Gen. Lee has ordered & expects it."

So, in the end, this is a wonderful first person description of the war, one of the finest of Civil War memoirs.


Tags : Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander (Civil War America) [Gary W. Gallagher] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Originally published by UNC Press in 1989, Fighting for the Confederacy</i> is one of the richest personal accounts in all of the vast literature on the Civil War. Alexander was involved in nearly all of the great battles of the East,Gary W. Gallagher,Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander (Civil War America),The University of North Carolina Press,0807847224,USA,United States - Civil War Period (1850-1877),Alexander, Edward Porter,Autobiographies,Confederate States of America - History, Military,Personal narratives,United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865,United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865 - Campaigns,American history: c 1500 to c 1800,American history: c 1800 to c 1900,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Military,Biography Autobiography,Civil War; West Point; South,Civil war,HISTORY United States Civil War Period (1850-1877),History,MILITARY HISTORY - U.S. CIVIL,MILITARY PERSONAL NARRATIVES,Military,Military History - U.S. Civil War,Military history,Military life & institutions,Non-Fiction,ScholarlyUndergraduate,UNIVERSITY PRESS,United States,United States - Civil War

Fighting for the Confederacy The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander Civil War America Gary W Gallagher 9780807847220 Books Reviews

This is very accessible and well written. As you read you feel like you are there and it's easy to forget these events took place a century and a half ago. There's not many expressions or phrases that will confuse the reader. There is a lot of military jargon, much of which is well explained or understandable.

I am left with a deep respect for the author and people in general of that era, especially the Confederates who fought so bravely in a lost cause. The author was quite proud of this and perhaps felt that the South bred a superior caliber man. Perhaps there is some truth in that, but they were also defending their homeland. Although I am a "Yankee" (a Bostonian) who considers slavery a terrible evil, I still felt a kinship with the author and others such as Lee, Jackson and Stuart. They certainly had a winning courage, confidence and charisma that seemed lacking in the Union. By the way, EPA had personal access to each of these, especially General Lee who he deeply respects and admires. Yet he did not afraid to express a strong disagreement with some of Lee's decisions.

I'm not a historian or military expert but I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I enjoyed most were the little anecdotes. The woman who complained to EPA after her sheep was eaten and her petunias were trampled "I've heard tell of the horrors of war, but I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes." And this was on their retreat after Gettysburg. Also the two boys who were so excited standing on their roof watching the cannon balls explode overhead, and when asked by a passing general, "Aren't you boys afraid you'll be hit by shrapnel?" they replied "Oh no sir... they ain't aiming at us!" Some of the author's anecdotes provide insight into fascinating characters such as Lee who is right up there with Washington and Benjamin Franklin as one of the most interesting men in American history.

I feel this is a must-read for all educated Americans. Thank you EPA and I salute you.
This is a wonderfully engaging memoir, written by E. Porter Alexander, engineer, staff officer, and, as most recall him, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's First Corps artillery guru. What sets this book apart is its honest, candid view of events from Alexander's perspective. Not the usual glorification of the cause and its leaders as with many other actors from the Civil War. This book stayed hidden from sight for many years after it was completed; it is a blessing to those who study the Civil War that it came to see the light of day with publication. The Introduction concludes by stating that (page xxiii) "'Fighting for the Confederacy' is a book to be savored, one of those wonderful volumes that is both instructive and pleasurable to read."

One line that exemplifies this, focusing on Lieutenant General Leonidas Pope, a corps commander in the Western Theater's Army of Tennessee, is enchanting. Polk was a bishop in his church and, for some unfathomable reason, had the confidence of President Jefferson Davis and General Braxton Bragg. When Alexander and the troops of General James Longstreet's First Corps joined Bragg's army at Chickamauga, he observed that (page 289) "So all our pious people with one consent & with secret conviction that the Lord would surely favor a bishop turned in & made him a lieut. Gen., which the Lord had not." A sly way of saying that Polk was a disaster as a general (and, indeed, Alexander was accurate in his assessment).

A couple passages that make this volume--and Alexander's method--so refreshing. At the close of his discussion of the battle of Chancellorsville, Alexander notes that Union Commanding General Joseph Hooker lost his courage and will--as did his top commanders. Alexander observes that the Union Army was intact, outnumbered the Confederate force and could have won the battle with better leadership. Then, in a passage extraordinary for a Confederate officer, he says (page 217) "Had it been Grant in command, he would not have dreamed of giving up the fight." This suggests a perspective on the war that many partisans--whether Union or Confederate--never had. Indeed, had the Union Army listened to Generals Meade and Reynolds who were arguing strenuously to counterattack the Confederate forces, the end result might have been a significant Union victory. We'll never know, of course, but Alexander does suggest an alternative history.

Then, Gettysburg. . . . Here is the poignant scene, told from Alexander's perspective, where Longstreet must order Pickett's forces (and others) to advance. But Longstreet fears a disaster, and obviously is in a state of inner turmoil (see pages 254 and following). At one point, it is almost as if he were giving Alexander the task of deciding whether or not the charge takes place. At a later time, Longstreet expresses openly his fear (page 261) "I don't want to make this attack--I believe it will fail--I do not see how it can succeed--I would not make it even now, but that Gen. Lee has ordered & expects it."

So, in the end, this is a wonderful first person description of the war, one of the finest of Civil War memoirs.