Alexander P. Stewart
1821–1908 (age 87)·Confederate general, mathematician and philosopher·Birthday: October 2
Biography
Alexander P. Stewart commanded the Confederate Army of Tennessee's rear guard during William T. Sherman's 1864 March to the Sea, fighting a series of disciplined delaying actions from Dalton to Savannah. A pre-war mathematics professor, he brought a calculated, unflappable demeanor to corps command, earning the trust of generals like Joseph E. Johnston. His post-war reputation is often overshadowed by more aggressive commanders, yet his skillful retrograde maneuvers preserved his force under constant pressure. Stewart later served as chancellor of the University of Mississippi and a negotiator for the Jefferson Davis monument. His dual legacy rests on a tactical intellect applied both on the battlefield and in the fraught reconciliation of postbellum Southern institutions.
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1821Born
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1839Could vote
1842Turned 21
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1908Died at 87
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President: Theodore Roosevelt
“The science of war is the application of mathematics to the art of destruction.”
