E P Alexander was the confederates leading artillerist. He was also an accomplished author, teacher at the University of South Carolina, railroad executive and devoted husband and father.

He was beloved by his fellow officers/soldiers and his posthumously published memoirs are among the most appreciated depictions of the civil war that exist, comparable in fact to those of U S Grant. 

His honest examination of the Confederate cause after the war made him a singular historical personality and endeared him to the nation.