Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-04-08

q y ~ y
| N|I@7.>I NIX Pelham was kill.
~ /P/h-sTbt ed in u chance
cavalry action ut
Kclly's ford on the Rappahunnock. Hi
artillery battalion was not present, bui
he happened to bo near the scene when
the sound Of chance battle summoned
every true soldier to the trout. Riding
to the point # danger, he saw a regi.
ment wayeriu" and, with sword flying
shouted: Howard. boys! Forward
victory ard plcIyl" At that mono.
the guns of EtonCmgr's Federal bC,..
batteries were rhCliing the he.as who
the ConfedeIates were gathering to lis
! pute the crossing e the river. \ fra
ment of shell struck Pelham aud pierced
his brain. Amid he roar Of battle Ei.
young life wet out. aud NOT CNtrG"r
binary ceremonies and rrlogies glte,t. q
his renCwn in be curls. Stuart i,su.
general Cr.'r GrruIu,8ag his d,i,!
and requiring t.rt thGhiliiHry L"age e..
mourning DO 5. Co.. f1r 30 days out O!
respect to bis memory.
John Pelham was !CTn g. hlahul,a
in 1888 ard was In the r'a.ln Of hi
twenty-third ~: EELn g. war Lruh
out. He vas tisn il tt -'aduGtil
class at Wess Point, whore be had ca,
no small fir~"e during the five years &,
his cadetshiu. Ii was saying IIut
when PelEa:I started to go auywl,.r
or to do anything be would never tau
or look back 10 matter what the ten.
tation or provOoation. in fencing AZ
boxing he c%cclled, and his skill T.
horsemanshir, especially in feats Of cA.
traordinary daring, became tradition
of the school. 1he Prince Of Wales sill
gled him out as wonderful horseback
rider when he visited the academy III
! 1860.
Like most great soldiers of the civil
war, Pelham stood low in his class yet
high career had been prophesied for the
young AlabaiHian because Of his general
bearing at West Point. A week before
commencement, in 1861, with his com.
mission ALREADY made out in the United
States army, To resigned his cadetship
and threw up al bis chances, to fight
! for southern rights.
Young Pelham set out in his cadet
uniform, but as he neared the southern
border be found himself an object of
suspicion, which he tried to allay by
passing himself of as courier in the
service of the United States. At New
Albany, Ind the cadet was intercepted
by tho Federal authorities, word hav-
ing reached there that he had left West
Point, intending TO go south and fight
In the Confederate army. He was placed
under surveillance and not allowed to
cross the river to Louisville. However,
at Jacksonville, above New Albany, he
found his project favored by fortune in
the shape of Il true Yankee maiden who
SO deeply fell in love with the gallant
adventurer that although her principles
would not allow her to urge him on
ward, world not halk his honest ambi.
ton to fight against her people. Little
by little she had learned his story. She
urged him to give up the idea of going
south, and he listened kindly il not
earnestly.
One day the couple, who were much
together went out rowing ON the river
and on nearing the Kentucky shore
young Pelham gave the skiff an impetus
that sent it to the bank. Swiftly jump.
ing out he pushed the boat back into
the current and waved farewell to the
astounded girl who bad unwittingly
helped an enemy and sped the departure
OF lover from her side
From Louisville Pelham hurried TO
Montgomery, then the capital of the
Contederacy. He was commissioned
first lieutenant in the regular Confed.
crate service and assigned to duty with
the artillery at LynchburR, Va. At the
First Bull Run the boy fought with
battery which he had drilled and han
died the guns so skillfully that Jeb
Stuart, then commanding the First regi-
ment OF Virginia cavalry, helped him
raise new six gun light battery for
service with his own command. Re.
cruits for the battery were quickly
gathered in Alabama and Pelham him
self raised detachment of creoles from
Mobile to man one piece. Being of
French descent, these creoles were
named the Napoleon detachment"
They went into battle singing the
"Marseillaise" and chung to their boy
leader as did tho Old Guard to Napo.
leon. II not always first into battle,
they were invariably the last to leave.
Pelham 8 six gun battery became the
nucleus of the famous battalion of horse
artillery which helped to make Stuart's
corps terrible thunderbolt of war. At
the battle of Gaines Mill, in June,
1862, Pelham advanced one gun mile
to the front of the general Confederate
line and drew the fire of several pieces
of Federal artillery, Stuart was fighting
with Stonewall jackson that day and
the conduct of the boy artillerist did