The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-11-24
GALLANT YOUNG PELHAM.
Ills Horse Artillery in the Battles Of
Stunrt'S Corps.
Gcoryc Hi,mcr. in Auanta Constitution.

- tuNtH tOn3tttHtfOu.
which was guarded on the retreat by
Stuart troopers. At one point the
pursuing fcdcrals came close upon a
gun which Pelham kcptfar in advance
Of the others. Stuart ordered the boy
to retire, but he begged SO hard to re-
main Z little longer that the request
was granted. 1t became hotter and
hotter, and even the cannonccrs took
advantage Of Stuart's order and ran
away Pelham fired the piece in the
face of the enemy, and then, ali alone,
mounted one Of the head horses to
haul the cannon away. The horse
was shot down. Pelham cut the ira.
ccs, mounted another horse, and after
he had got the remaining five fairly
into a gallop, the second horse was
shot down under him. Mounting an
other he started again, and the third
horse was killed and cut from the ira
ccs. With the three remaining ones
the piece was hauled hack TO safety.
All this was previous to the battle
Of fredericksburg, where the young
artillcrist won the high cncomum
from Stoncwall jackson. lee said to
jackson at that time: sit is glorious
to see such courage in one so young"
In his report General lee went still
further, for he coupled the name of
the boy major with those Of the gen
erals, calling him "thc gallant Pei
ham. a commission as lieutenant
colonel was issued at Richmond when
Lees report was read at the war de-
partmcnt, but the parchment did not
reach Lee S bivouac on the Rappahan-
mock until the brave boy had met his
death in battle.
One day Stuart's line of pickets
along the river was suddenly attacked
by the fedcrals at Kclly's ford. Pei
ham was in the vicinity, but not on
duty with his battalion. Sending O
courier to bring up his guns, he gal
lopcd toward the scene of fighting,
and. evcrtaking regiment Of mount
ed men that was wavcring under the
confusion of sudden attack, placed
himself at their head and shouted,
Forward, boys! Forward to victory
and glory At that moment fcdcr-
nj shell burst over the squadron he
was leading, and fragment penctra-
tratcd his brain. ''Thc noble, the
chivalric, the gallant Pelham is no
morcl His loss is irreparable," said
Stuart in message wired to the con-
fcdcrate congress.
But the most remarkable tribute of
all, and one so rarely paid to SOL
dier Of subordinate rank that it is
worthy to be quoted iufull, was q gen.
eral order issued by Stuart to com
memoratc the tragic death Of the boy
hero. Il waa ns follows end appeared
in the archives of the war department
Of the Cenfedcratcs States:
Headquarters Cavalry Division,
Army Of Northern Virginia, March 20,
1863-Gcneral Order No. 8: The ma
jor general commanding approaches
with reluctance the painful duty Of
announcing to the Division its ire
parable loss in the death of Major
John Pelham, commanding the horse
artillery. lie fell mortally wounded
in the battle Of Kelly's Ford. March
II, with battle cry on his lips and
the light Of victory boaming in his
eyei To you, his comrades, it is
needless to dwell upon what you have
so often Witnessed, his prowess in ac-
ton. You well know how, though
young in years and mere stripping in
appearance, remarkable for his genu-
iuc modesty Of department, he yet
disclosed on the battlefield the con-
duet of veteran and displayed in his
handsome person the most impertrr-
bablc GOODNESS in danger. His eye
had glanced over every battlefield Of
this army from the frst Manassas TO
the moment of his death, and he was
a brilliant actor in all. In token Of
respect for his cherished memory the
horse artillery and division staff will
wear the military badge Of mourning
for thirty days. By command Of ma
jor general. J. y. B. STUART.
= No boy can too soon learn the
lesson that profanity is ungcntlemanly.
1t even desccnds to the depth Of in
decency. And yet some intelligent
men seem to regard proficiency in pro-
family aR q great ACCOMPLISHMENT