Chief of Artillery, of General James Longstreet's 1st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

It was Alexander's guns that bombarded the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge in preparation for the immortal Pickett's Charge, at Gettysburg, on July 3, 1863!

From Captain Pichegru Woolfolk, Ashland Virginia Light Artillery, who was severely wounded during the battle of Gettysburg and captured at Bowling Green, Kentucky!

War date Confederate envelope with pair of 5 cents Jeff Davis (Scott #7) postage stamps, with ink cancellation. Addressed by Confederate Captain Pichegru Woolfolk, in ink, to Col. E.P. Alexander, Care Genl. Longstreet, Bragg's Army, Kingston, Georgia. Milford, Va., Sept. 24, is written in ink at the top of the cover, and it is docketed at the left edge in a bold pencil hand, Pich. Woolfolk, Sept. 24/63. The reverse of the cover does have the back flap which is torn at the center where the letter was opened. There are also 2 period pencil inscriptions on the back, "Milford, Va.," and, "actively S.E. of Chattanooga at this period." Very fine. Extremely desirable.

General Edward Porter Alexander: (1835-1910) Born in Washington, Ga., he graduated from West Point in the class of 1857. He was appointed a captain of engineers in the Confederate army in May of 1861, and served as General Beauregard's signal officer at the battle of 1st Manassas, Va. Afterwards, he became chief of ordnance of the Army of Northern Virginia, with rank of lieutenant colonel, then chief of artillery of General James Longstreet's 1st Corps. He participated in most of the early battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, and it was at Gettysburg where Alexander's 75 guns raked the Union line on Cemetery Ridge in preparation for Pickett's Charge, on July 3, 1863. He accompanied Longstreet to Chickamauga, Ga., and Knoxville, Tenn., and was in the thick of the fighting at Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor and Petersburg, Va., where he was severely wounded. He rejoined the army in time to make their last march to Appomattox Court House where he surrendered.

Captain Pichegru Woolfolk: He enlisted on August 14, 1861, at Ashland, Va., as a captain, and was commissioned into the Ashland Virginia Light Artillery. He was cited for gallantry by Colonel E.P. Alexander in the battle of Fredericksburg, Va., on December 13, 1862. He was severely wounded by a gunshot wound to the right shoulder on July 2, 1863, during the battle of Gettysburg. He was captured on June 1, 1864, at Bowling Green, Kentucky, and confined at White House, Va., Washington, D.C., Fort Delaware, Delaware, and was exchanged on September 1, 1864, at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. He returned to duty and was recommended for promotion to major on March 24, 1865. Described as being 6 foot tall with black hair, he was killed on April 27, 1870, when the floor of the Virginia State Capitol, in Richmond, Va., collapsed.