Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-01-25

l Termed 'sTha Gallant Pelham" by General Lee
| ard Praised by the Lnndon Times" DARING
| Deeds Of Young Hero Ct the confedsraey
Eeealied.
No one can be accused justly OF
raking amid the ashes Of the past to
rekindle the fires of sectional preju-
dice when he undertakes to briefly
sketch one of the many brilliant
careers during the late war that IL
Iustrate the valor OF the American
soldier on a hundred battlefields,
especially when that career is all
too little known. In Alabama, in
the vale Of Alexandria, September
Z, in the year 1888, there was born
babe destined to be Bellona's g
bridegroom, and write "John Pei
ham" across the sky in flaming let
ters Of battle. His was a superb
career, out for some reason or other
it is scarcely known outside Of his
native State, and even in that State
but for being commingled with fic-
tion, the daring deeds and brilliant
bravery OF old "Jeb" Stuart's "boy
artillerist" would be almost mere
tradition when the last Confederate
shall have passed away. Indeed,
while writers almost innumerable-
both historical and penny-a liners
have, IN song and story, traced the
career of lesser lights of higher rank,
they have scarcely mentioned much
less eulogized the beardless boy
whom General Robert E. Lee in his
report of Fredericksburg termed
"the gallant Pelham" thus knight
ing him upon the field. OF this
same youth the great London Times,
in chronicling his death in 1868,
said: "For his age no aoldier on
either side in this war Confederate
has won such fame as has young
Pelham"
John Pelham came from old Ken
tuclEy stock, his father, DIR. Atkin-
sscff'FsihsHEy lsasiug remvves~from
this State to Calhoun County, Ala
bama, in 1887. Young Pelham was
appointed a cadet at West Point in
1856 by the Representative in Con-
gress from the Talladega (Alabama) J
district, Hon. s. W. Harris. The
only five-year class in the history of
the academy was organized in that
year, which accounts for his being
there at the opening of the war.
Like many other West Pointers who
have subsequently made gallant
soldiers his standing in his classes
was low, but his commission was
| passed on, and he would have re-
ceived it had he not resigned a week
before commencement to go South.
As cadet he had dash and sold
ierly bearing, and it is related that
when he started to walk across the
parade ground; or from one quarter
to another. he went straight as a
t~''bee line" and never looked back
no matter how much noise the other
cadets made in his rear. He was
considered the best athlete at West
Point, and was there noted for
fencing and boxing.
Then as now at the academy, a
cat with its reputcd plurality OF
lives would be dead a dozen times
in taking half the chances those
laughing cadets would eagerly seek
in the cavalry drill, but Pelham ex-
celled them all. The Prince OF
Wales was struck with his horse
manship when he visited the acad-
envy in 1860. His horseback riding
was marvellous, and went down from
class to class as a sort Of tradition,
and long years after he had met q
soldiers death the cadets would
relate to gaping Plebes.
How PELHAM RODE.
In 1861. when the laughing blue
of the southland sky was overcast
by the dark cloud of civil strife and
Alabama called to her sons in every
CLINE to come to her defense, Pei
ham resigned his cadetship at the
academy and started South. At
New Albany, Ind, he was inter
cepted by the Federal authorities,
for it was known there By someone
who reported the fact that he had
left West Point to join the Confed.
crate army. He was placed under
surveillance and not allowed to cross
the river to Louisville. However,
he accepted the first opportunity to
elude the authorities and went M