Alexander L. McCaskill was born in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina, on January 4, 1829. He moved to Walton County in 1852 where he married Catherine Campbell Gillis in 1858. They had three children, but only two survived to adulthood. In 1861, McCaskill was chosen to be a member of the Secession Convention and was one of seven members to vote against secession. He was elected to the State Senate in 1868 and served in that body until 1877, including a term as president pro tempore in 1874-1875.
Burial: Euchee Valley Cemetery, Eucheeanna