Charles DeWitt Anderson (July 7, 1828 – November 21, 1901) was an American soldier, railway builder, civil engineer, and lighthouse keeper.

During the voyage both of his parents died, and after arriving at the port of Galveston Anderson and his brother were adopted by an Episcopal minister, who raised them both.

Anderson struggled academically at West Point; during his sophomore year he was found "deficient" in both French and mathematics, and resigned from the academy on November 13, 1848.

Acquiring a leave of absence he headed home, and (after covering about 100 miles of wintry terrain) Anderson then decided to resign from the U.S. Army, which was accepted effective on April 1, 1861.

There he was given command a regular detachment, organized separately from the volunteer forces but attached to the 2nd Alabama Infantry, and was responsible for the installation's ordnance.

His total force consisted of the remaining regular recruits from the Mount Vernon Arsenal in Alabama, and numbered only two officers and nine enlisted men.

On November 9 Anderson entered the volunteer service for good, appointed a major in the 20th Alabama Infantry, and command of his regulars fell to 2nd Lt. Alfred M.

[8] Military historian Bruce Allardice summarized Anderson's predicament: Union shells were penetrating the walls of Fort Gaines as if they were made of cheese.

Gen. Richard L. Page, criticized the surrender as a "deed of dishonor and disgrace" and for his allowing Lt. Col. James M. Williams (Anderson's second in command) to abandon nearby Fort Powell late on August 5.

[10] David Farragut, the admiral commanding the Union Navy vessels during Battle of Mobile Bay, had Anderson in mind with one of his dying wishes.