Brigadier General, CSA. He was the oldest son of a North Carolina plantation owner. After finishing at the top of his class in high school, he enrolled at the University of North Carolina and while there received an appointment to the United States Military Academy. After finishing tenth in a class of forty-three in 1852 he was commissioned a second lieutenant with the 2nd US Dragoons and became a career military officer. He first went to California to assist in a survey before joining his regiment in Fort Chadbourne, Texas. He was promoted to first lieutenant and marched his troops from Texas to Fort Riley, Kansas. In 1858 he was with a regiment in the Utah Territory participating in what was known as the Mormon War. Ordered to recruiting duty in Louisville, Kentucky, he met and married his wife. When the Civil War began in 1861, he was one of the first to resign his commission and return to North Carolina where he was commissioned colonel of the Fourth regiment and made commandant of the defenses being constructed at Manassas. After the unsurpassed gallantry of Anderson and his regiment at the battle of Williamsburg, he was promoted to brigadier general. During this battle, 462 men of the 520 assigned were killed or wounded and all but one of the 27 officers were either killed or wounded. President Davis watched him grab the flag of a Georgia regiment, charge up the hill with his men cheering behind him, even as they were losing people with every step, and planting the flag on the heavily defended breastwork. Davis promoted him to brigadier general on the spot. He was later wounded during the Battle of Sharpsburg and carried to Raleigh, where he had a foot amputated. He died from shock the following morning.
Brigadier General, CSA. He was the oldest son of a North Carolina plantation owner. After finishing at the top of his class in high school, he enrolled at the University of North Carolina and while there received an appointment to the United States Military Academy. After finishing tenth in a class of forty-three in 1852 he was commissioned a second lieutenant with the 2nd US Dragoons and became a career military officer. He first went to California to assist in a survey before joining his regiment in Fort Chadbourne, Texas. He was promoted to first lieutenant and marched his troops from Texas to Fort Riley, Kansas. In 1858 he was with a regiment in the Utah Territory participating in what was known as the Mormon War. Ordered to recruiting duty in Louisville, Kentucky, he met and married his wife. When the Civil War began in 1861, he was one of the first to resign his commission and return to North Carolina where he was commissioned colonel of the Fourth regiment and made commandant of the defenses being constructed at Manassas. After the unsurpassed gallantry of Anderson and his regiment at the battle of Williamsburg, he was promoted to brigadier general. During this battle, 462 men of the 520 assigned were killed or wounded and all but one of the 27 officers were either killed or wounded. President Davis watched him grab the flag of a Georgia regiment, charge up the hill with his men cheering behind him, even as they were losing people with every step, and planting the flag on the heavily defended breastwork. Davis promoted him to brigadier general on the spot. He was later wounded during the Battle of Sharpsburg and carried to Raleigh, where he had a foot amputated. He died from shock the following morning.
Bio by: Tom Todd
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