The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-11-24

banners of the dashing "Jcb" Stuart
were the eyes Of his army, the outpost
guard to detect and signal danger.
But the day when Burnside $ fcdcrals
marched across the plains of the Rap.
pahannock to attack the confcdcratcs
on the heights Of Fredericksburg,
'ion>c fogs obscurcd the field. a
trooper in the saddle could not see be-
yund his horses head. The swish
and tramp Of the marching column re-
,calcd their movements, however,
and the troopers empticd their car
bincs at the blind targets, then slow
Is rctrcatcd toward the hills. There
was mounting in hot haste the moment
;hc dull reports Of firing reached Stu
art reserve biyouars. Still the at
tack was surprise and Stoncwall
Jackson line upon Hamilton Heights
was in danger of being ovcrrun by the
fc,icrals before the men in gray we're
ready for battle. 4 crisis like that
must always have its hero and the he
ro Of Stoncwall Jack son's ) battle at
Hamilton Heights proved to be Major
John Pelham, the boy leader Of the
horse artillery Of Stuart $ famous cav
airy corps. The little major ordered
his batteries to move down into the
Mai, I,. .1,n l,.-ou ,y..o ,ot -, L,r
ness and the men were scattered about
the camp. AS soon as the teams for
4 single cannon we're ready Major Pei
ham started down the slope, followed
at a gallop by one Napoleon gun,
manned by crcoles from New Orleans.
These crcolcs had been trained for
their business by the boy artillcrist
when he was cadet just out of West
Point, and men and leader knew each
other. Their gun was the first to
break the silence that morning and
arouse the army for defense.
When the federal leaders saw the
havoc created in their advancing ranks
BY that single cannon they ordered
five Of their own batteries, one after
another, to make target of it. 9th
or guns were rushed. down the slope to
join Pelham When the fight was
hottest he had with him twelve to Gf
teen pieces, contcnding with thirty On
the federal side Lee and Jackson
were attracted to the scene. AS the
federal infantry rctrcatcd Pelham
moved his cannon forward and contin
ucd to pour CALLING fire of canister
into the confused ranks.
After the battle Stoncwall turned to
his chieftain and said: "Havc you an
other Pelham, General Lee? If SO, l
wish you would give him to me-.
fredericksburg was the last great
battle of this beardless artillcrist, for
he was killed i'll slight engagement
soon afterwards. Hc then held the
rank Of major. and was twenty-four
years old. Already his exploits had
been heraldcd in Europe, and the
London Times, noticing his death,
said: ';For his age, no soldier on eli
ther side in the war has won such fame
as has young Pelham
Pelham was in the graduating class
at West Point when the war broke out
in 1861. He was noted as an athlete,
a fearless rider, and his feats of horse
manship remained tradition at the
academy for years. Being a native of
Alabama, Pelham responded to the
call Of his State, resigned his cadet
ship and started for the South. On
the way he was intercepted by the
federal authorities and placed under
surveillance. Reaching Louisville,
he found the river pickcted. Adopt
ing the disguise Of federal aid, l,e
went into society and won to his cause
q loyal yankee girl. She tried to in
ducc him to stand by the old flag, but
finding that his heart was set upon
the one with the single star, she row.
Ell him across the Ohio river in skitf
and bade him farewell OH the Ken
tucky shore. Reaching Montgomery,
he was commissioned lieutenant, aud
appointed drill master of battery.
With his creole cannonecrs. Lieu
tenant Pelham fought all day at the
first battle Of Bull Run. and General
"Jeb' Stuart offered him new bat
terry Of six pieces Of horse artillery.
A battery Of horse artillery which
keeps its end up with flying column
like that led by Stuart finds enough
excitement in war to cool the hottest
blood. Pelham was raised to the rank
Of captain and whenever Stuart rode
OH the peninsular his guns were at the
front. At the battle Of Cold Harbor
and again at Manassas. Stuart' 8 trO0D-