The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-12-13
BOY COLONEL.
The Crack Artillerist of the Con-
federacy, William john
son Pegram.
Only a Schoolboy Volunteer in
1861, He Became Noted
Battery Commander.

Conspicuous among the war reiics
in the state house at Richmond hangs
"a faded bit of bunting, rent, torn
and grimy. The rents are the rents
of shot and shell, each with stirring
story, and the CRIME is the CRIME of
battle" 1t was placed there with the
usual accompaniment OF choking
eulogy, runaway tears and humping
heart beats in the presence of a gath
ering of the mothers, wives, daugh-
tiers, sisters and friends of the living
and of the dead members of Pegrams
artillery battalion (Confederate).
The gift of the relic to the Survivors
association was made by Mrs. Pegram,
the mother of Col. William johnson
Pegram, who fell under that flag. The
speech of presentation on behalf Of the
donor was from the lips of the old bat
TALON adjutant, Captain W. Gordon
McCabe, boon comrade of Colonel
Pegram at college and in camp. His
words eulogizing the band of gray
coats who carried the banner from
Bull Run to Appomattox, as was nat
ural, counted two for the dead war
riors to every one for the lucky living
ones, and, as was natural again, the
chief among the dead in the minds OF
the speaker and hearers was the boy
colonel, Willie Pegram, who handled
a single piece of artillery at First Bull
Run, and was killed at Five Forks
while commanding battalion of SIX
light batteries, position correspond
ing in rank to that of brigadier gen
eral of infantry.
Capt .McCabe and Col. Pegram left
school together to become soldiers, they
served in every battle together of the
Army of Northern Virginia, and when
the boyish chiettain fell in the last
ditch mortalIv wounded his friend
stood by to >oothe his last moments
and give him a rough soldier burial on
the field swarming with victorious en-
emies. A story from lips 50 qualified
is seldom rehearsed outside of fiction.
Seldom in real life is there such Il story
to tell.
Pegram was the son of soldier,
Gen. j. w. Pegram, and was lad
attending the University of virginia
during the heated political campaign
that preceded the war 1860.
While his boyish mates talked war
talk he was silent. but when the
storm burst" said his eulogist. ''his
voice was in his sword" He went to
the front in the first batch of college
boys as private in crack military
company composed of the ''gilded
youth" of Richmond. In the camp at
Aqua creek he was appointed drill
master for the foot soldiers in Walk
er's legion and WAS elected lieutenant
of the legion artillery-the Purcell
battery. In the First Bull Run tie
battery shelled the hill at the Henry
House at the time of the Union defeat
there and then was galloped to Lewis
ford, across Bull Run, to cut off fugi-
tives. An artillery dI.el took place
across the stream between Pegram's
guns and those of Captain Carlisle's
regular battery.
Soon after the battle the company
was reorganized for the Confederate
service, with Pegram as captain. His
first independent fight with the bat
terry was ON June rs, 1862, in front of
Richmond, an affair known as Me-
gainesville, and Beaver Dam Creek.
The union infantry and batteries were
on a wooded hill on the east bank of
the creek, and the confederates adj
vanced across open ground beyond,
exposed to bullets and she'll for mile
Pegram ran his guns upon crest in
an angle where the creek bends, and
in short order drew the fire of FIVE
union batteries-thirty guns. His
nearest opponents were Capts. De
Hart and Smeads companles-Fifih
United States artillery. He Tough,
over five hours, or until darkness
came on, and his battery then con-
sisted of ? serviceable guns, officer
and 80 mer.l Four guns had been
disabled and 60 officers and men killed
and wounded.
During the night the young captain
pulled his remnant together and re-
ported to his division chief, Gen A.
P. Hill, for assignment % place in
the attack Oh the union lines at Gaines
Mills next day. The "Seven DAYS
Battles" followed. At Malvern Hill,
after all the batteries aiding Gen. Ma
gruder's column i'm the famous charge
had been knocked to pieces, Pegram's
two cannon we're called in to help
cover a brigade attack. The men at
one piece were speedily disabled, and
the other piece, with Pegram acting
as cannoneer, continued the fight