The son of Thomas and Sarah Winston Rutherfoord married Keziah Clark. They issued James and Thomas, sons. Alexander purchased the large plantation Oak Hill of Amelia County in 1863. He also owned Rutherfoord Mine there. It produced many fine specimen and gem minerals. Evidence of Indian work was there prior to Rutherfoord having many shafts and tunnels made. Those eventually caved in, making a pit as much as ninety feet deep. The mineral and gems from it have an unusually beautiful quality, much commercial use was made of them. Some went to the United States National Museum and others to the Natural History museum in New York. During the Civil War he served with Company F of the 1st Virginia State Reserves. His brother, John, was Governor of Virginia.∼"Oak Hill" is set in a grove of trees on the West side of State Route 609 not far from the 360 bypass, in Amelia County, Virginia. It was sold by Armistead Townes on 12 October 1839 to John T. Bottom (953 acres). One-twelfth acre was reserved for a burial ground. John T. Bottom and his wife Amelia R.A. Townes sold 740 acres in 1849 to Thomas W. Neal, reserving the burial ground. On 25 December 1863 Oscar F. Bresee sold to Alexander a tract near Amelia County Court House containing 640 acres known as "Oak Hill". On 1 Jan 1873 Thomas Rutherfoord of Petersburg, deeded to Alexander a tract near the Court House containing 160 acres (which had been sold to him in 1871 by Alexander).

Alexander wrote his will on 25 March 1886 and it was probated the same year in July. Bequests were made to a daughter, Annie C. Davenport, wife of G.A. Davenport; two sons, Thomas and Alexander H. Rutherfoord and a daughter-in-law named Pattie Melherd of Norfolk, formerly the wife of son James C. Rutherfoord, deceased; and a granddaughter, Evelyn K. Rutherfoord, the daughter of Thomas. (Will Book 21, p.558, Amelia County, Virginia.)