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

town, and. Watching hi.
chance to slip The river, he
became acqua1 with a pretty
Yankee maidel 10 was visiting
friends in the She became
smitten with n bdsome young
soldier, and we're together
much.
BYand b 81 er condolences
sufficiently to disclose bis identity
without fear Of betrayal, and inform.
ed her of his purpose to go South
and join the Confederate army.
She was a true Northern girl, and
endeavored to prevail npon him to
stand by the "old fag.'' but he was
firm. Love has been know to be
stronger than patriotism in hearts
colder than that Of q sympathetic
maiden. Ii was true in her case,
and Cupid overthrew Mars in her
heart.
Finding her entreaties of no avail
she volunteered to ferry him across
the river. Consequently they took
a skitf the following day for pleas
ure row on the Ohio, bat they never
came back, that is, he did not, for
they landed on the old Kentucky
shore, where he bade his fair bene-
factor last farewell, and she re-
turned to Jeffersonville by way of
the ferryboat. From the time he
set foot upon Kentucky soil Pei
hams brilliant career began. How
ever, he did not remain in Louis
vile long, but hurried On to Mont
gomery, then capital OF the Confed-
eracy, and reported for duty. He
was commissioned First Lieutenant
in the regular army, and assiged to
duty at Lynchburg, Va, where he
had charge Of the ordinance. Short
ly after reporting there he was
ordered to Winchester, Va, and
wasdrillmastcr of a <as battery.
In the meantime the Federal
army like huge snake, was coiling
itself around Manassas preparatory
to striking Richmond. The Con-
federate Army went ont to receive
the blow and deliver another in
return, and Pelham rushed to the
front with his battery. All that
long day of Manassas he fought with
superb courage. So well did he
handle his guns that he attracted
the attention of that Prince Rupert
of American cavalrymen, General
J. E. b. Stuart. General Stuart
saw what was in the boy, and in
trusted him with the organization
of a battery of six pieces of horse
artillery. Some Of these men we're
from Virginia and Maryland, but
most of them were from Alabama.
From Talladega. Ala, near Pei
hams horife, went 40 men under
Lieutenant William McGregor, a
gallant officef now living in Texas.
One gun was manned by French
Creoles from Mobile, Ala, and were
called by Pelham the "Napoleon
Detachment" They were gallant
fellows, and invariably in battle
the voices of these men could he
heard above the roar Of the guns
singing the "Marseillaise," that
stirring song that roused the Man
of Destiny's Imperial eagles on
many CORY field where the Old
Guard could die
Bur NEVER SURRExDER.
This six-gun battery was the
nucleus around which gathered that
brave body of men that goes down
in history as Stuart's Horse Artil-
lery. Wherever the dashing Stuart
and his cavalry went there were Pei
ham and his war dogs. AT Will
liamsburg and Cold Harbor Pelham
fought with bulldog tenacity. At
the latter fight he advanced one
gun third of a mile to the front,
and for more than an hour it was
the only gun on the Confederate
left firing, drawing the attention of
q whole Federal battery, until
Stuart said to StonewalI jackson:
General, all your artillery on
the left is idle; nobody il firing ex-
cept Pelham" Afterthe battle the
warm pressure Of Jackson's hand
told how well he had demeaned
himself. That is history. Short
ly after this Pelham drove q gun
boat from the "White House. with
one gun. He again received the
thanks of old Stonewall at second
Manassas. where he fhru1f his yuns