Edwin was born on the 16th of July 1860, in Wilmington, North Carolina. When he was seventeen, he received an appointment to the US Naval Academy, and he graduated four years later with the class of 1882. After his required two years of sea duty, Edwin received a commission to Ensign on the 1st of July 1884, a rank he remained at for about ten years. When the Spanish-American War began, he was a Lieutenant Junior Grade on board the USS Marblehead and was second in command in planning the operation to sever an underwater communications cable at Cienfuegos. Edwin was given command of one of the boats launching from the Marblehead and took control of the boat after Spanish rifle fire wounded the coxswain, three others, and put holes in the boat. For his actions during the operation, he was promoted and given command of a gunboat.

Edwin saw service in the Philippines and Hong Kong before returning to the States for an assignment at the Navy Recruiting Station in Cincinnati, Ohio. By 1913, he had been promoted to Captain and was given command of the USS New Hampshire, as well as the Second Seaman Regiment. It was Edwin’s actions while leading this bluejacket landing force during the Mexican Campaign that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

For extraordinary heroism in battle, engagement of Vera Cruz, 22 April 1914, in command of the 2d Seaman Regiment. Marching his regiment across the open space in front of the Naval Academy and other buildings, Capt. Anderson unexpectedly met a heavy fire from riflemen, machine guns and one-pounders, which caused part of his command to break and fall back, many casualties occurring amongst them at the time. His indifference to the heavy fire, to which he himself was exposed at the head of his regiment, showed him to be fearless and courageous in battle.

Edwin received the Medal of Honor on the 4th of December 1915 and attended the Naval War College. At the beginning of the first World War, he was promoted to the rank of Commander and was assigned to defense duties off the Florida coast. Edwin received a promotion to Rear Admiral and was in command of Squadron One, Patrol Force, Atlantic Fleet for the rest of the war. By 1922, he was the Commander in Chief of the Asiatic Fleet and when a large earthquake struck Japan in 1923, Edwin deployed a division of destroyers to assist with medical supplies to Tokyo and Yokohama.

Edwin was married to Mertie in 1888 and the couple had one son. Edwin returned to the States in October of 1923 and was placed on the retired list at the rank of Admiral on the 23rd of March 1924, after almost 42 years of service. Edwin Alexander Anderson Jr died on the 16th of July 1860, at the age of 73 and he is buried with his wife in Arlington National Cemetery: Section 2, Grave 3798.