G. Moxley (Gilbert Moxley) Sorrel

Born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1838, Gilbert Moxley Sorrel studied at the Georgia Military Institute before serving in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He became one of General James Longstreet’s most trusted staff officers and rose to the rank of brigadier general.

Sorrel is best remembered by many readers for his memoir Recollections of a Confederate Staff Officer, drawn from his wartime experience. The book is valued for its direct, readable style and for the detailed picture it gives of campaigning, leadership, and everyday life on a high-level military staff.

After the war, Sorrel returned to business life in Savannah. He died in 1901, but his memoir has kept his name alive as an important witness to the Confederate military experience.