First Bull Run Wilmer McLean

Barrycdog

Major
Joined
Jan 6, 2013
Location
Buford, Georgia
Years after the war, Edward Porter Alexander told the story of his interaction with (pictured here), a family relative:
"When I first joined the A...rmy of Northern Virginia in 1861, I found a connection of my family, Wilmer McLean, living on a fine farm through which ran Bull Run, with a nice farm-house about opposite the center of our line of battle along that stream. General Beauregard made his headquarters at this house during the first affair between the armies—the so-called battle of Blackburn’s Ford. . . .
"I had not seen or heard of McLean for years, when, the day after the surrender, I met him at Appomattox Court House, and asked with some surprise what he was doing there. He replied, with much indigation:
"What are you doing here? These armies tore my place on Bull Run all to pieces, and kept running over it backward and forward till no man could live there, so I just sold out and came here, two hundred miles away, hoping I should never see a soldier again. And now, just look around you! Not a fence-rail is left on the place, the last guns trampled down all my crops, and Lee surrenders to Grant in my house.”
Expired Image Removed
 
GREAT story!

Porter Alexander is my 7th cousin on my mom's side Jewett family line (a very Yankee line but lots of them also moved south before the War)...

- in checking the Jewett's of America genealogy book:

I find no Wilmer McLean, so i think when Porter says "family connection" he might mean friend of the family... BUT:

Check out EP Alexander's brothers and sisters starting with the oldest to youngest:

Porter's sister Louisa married Jeremy Gilmer (as is CSA Gen. Gilmer)

Porter's next older sister married Alexander Lawton (yes! As is CSA Gen. Lawton)

Skip a couple sisters and we come to Porter's older brother William... he married Mary Louisa TOOMBS (Yes, daughter of Gov. and Antietam Burnside Bridge holder Robert Toombs!)...

Then comes Porter, the 7th child (his next oldest bro Adam died in childhood)
...EP is one very sharp cookie, not fully done justice in movie "Gettysburg" in my opinion, read his "Fighting for the Confederacy" and prepared to be impressed!

Next bro to Porter, Charles graduated front UVA

Next bro after that, James Hillhouse Alexander, started with the 9th Georgia Infantry then transferred to the CSA Semiphore Corp (I'd guess with Porter's help, since EP and Col. Myers basically invented the US Army's semiphore system before the War)

Then EP had 2 Bros and a sister born after him, one of whom died in infancy.

Pretty **** amazing family!!
Clay, York, Maine
Ancestors and cousins also in the 114th NY, 16th Michigan, 5th Michigan Cav, 78th Ill, 76th Ny, 8th NY Cav, 152nd and 121st and 157th Ny....
 
Last edited:
Back
Top