Edward Clifford Anderson, SR
| Edward Clifford Anderson | |
|---|---|
Edward Clifford Anderson, SR
|
|
| Born |
November 8, 1815 Savannah, Georgia |
| Died | January 6, 1883 (aged 67) Savannah, Georgia |
| Place of burial | Laurel Grove Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Confederate States Army
|
| Years of service | 1834–1850 (USA) 1861–1865 (CSA) |
| Rank | Union Navy Lieutenant (USA) Brigadier General (CSA)
|
| Commands held | City of Charleston Old Fort Jackson Mayor of Savannah 1854-1856 1865-1869 1873-1877 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Other work | U.S. Army officer, Confederate Army Officer, Mayor of Savannah |
General Edward Clifford Anderson, SR, (November 8, 1815 – January 6, 1883) was a naval officer in the United States Navy, Mayor of Savannah, and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded Old Fort Jackson near Savannah, Georgia before its capture in 1864. He was elected Mayor of Savannah, Georgia nine times, before and after the war. He was the first Mayor to be elected after the civil war on December 6, 1865.
Edward Clifford Anderson was the ninth child of George Anderson and Eliza Clifford Wayne. One of his brothers was John Wayne Anderson, who commanded the Republican Blues for over thirty years. His grandfather, Captain George Anderson served in the American Revolutionary War and died aboard his ship, Georgia Paquet on a trip to Great Britain in 1775. Growing up around the docks of Savannah, he dreamed of being a famous naval officer much against his father's wishes. He attended the Round Hill School in Massachusetts from 1824 to 1830 before returning to Savannah, Georgia. Fulfilling his dream, he was appointed acting midshipman by Secretary of the Navy Levi Woodbury on October 20, 1833 he served on USS St. Louis for a year. On November 24, 1834 was commissioned midshipman and was assigned to 'Old Iron-sides', USS Constitution. He began keeping a diary during his tenure aboard Constitution, and added to it over the years, documenting his life and those of his shipmates. He served in the Mexican American War and eventually heeded his fathers call to resign from the Navy in 1849, returning again to his native Savannah. He was elected Mayor of Savannah for the first time in 1855.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Anderson was sent to Richmond by Governor Joseph E. Brown, to purchase ordinance from the Tredegar Iron Works for the State of Georgia. Soon after, Anderson was personally summoned to Montgomery, Alabama by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, who commissioned him a major in the Corps of Artillery. He was ordered at once to set sail for Europe, as a confidential agent to buy war material for the Confederacy. In England, he was stalked continually by spies hired by the United States Consul General, Charles Francis Adams. Anderson described his position as the Secretary of War in England. He and fellow Georgian James D. Bulloch negotiated with the British for the sale of warships and blockade runners to the South. Upon learning of the Southern victory at the First Battle of Bull Run, Anderson raised a Confederate Flag upon the rooftop of a friend's house in Liverpool. Their success in both exporting arms, and running the blockage prompted other British firms to begin blockade-running efforts. Returning home in November, 1861, aboard the newly purchased Merchant Steamship Fingal with Bulloch, they delivered much needed arms and ammunition. Anderson was promoted, and served as "Commander of the River Batteries" as a part of General Robert E. Lee's staff. He was a member of the Confederate high command at Savannah until the end of the war. At this time, Anderson was placed in command of Fort James Jackson, becoming the Confederate Headquarters for River Defenses, including the Confederate Navy.
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