The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-08
GALLANT
PELHAM.
"a Sketch of the Heroic Boy.
Artillerlst.
CAPT. M'CABE'S TRIBUTE;
My Was I That Thirteen Stars Were
Placed Upon the g confederate Flag?
Anecdotes and Incidents q ss
Y the War, Etc.

MI sSa3s &.53isG41
So Tar Is I know no sketch has yet
peen written OF "the gallant Pelham
he name by which Lee made him i'm
mortal in his official dispatch as TO 70 me me
battle Of fredericksburg Dec. -, 1s s's') IL
John Pelham was born In Calhoun
county. Alabama and was a lad at the
3 United States Military Academy, West
4 Point, when the war began. He resigned
from the academy In April. 81, and ~
4 once offered his services to the Confed-
crate Government at Montgomery. he
was Immediately commissions first leu.
tsgsant OF ar tillery and ordered 10 lynacchh-
burg. Va. as Ordnance officer. lie was
& soon sent 70 drill Albertns' battery and
handled the battery SO skilfully that Gem
Seral Stuart c.Jeb") secured for, him per-
& mission to recruit IL battery OF horse ar
s5tlllery to be attached to the cavalry,
a This was speedily done (the men com
posed chiefly Of Virginians, Few Ala,
e ban1ians and some Marylanders), and
from the moment thatEthe battery took
the field Pelhams splendid gallantry and
4 consum1nnte skill as an artillerisl drew
s. 10 HIN the attention and unstinted praise
& or his superiors. Already, however,
4 jackson (stonewalD had ''mentioned' him
u FOR his stubborn valor at first Manassas
81 1sse Jackson,s ofiicial report Of that
q 1ight) n At williamsburg Peninsula
r. ca mpai ign OF '62) he played a conspicu-
GUS part and was highly commended by
Z Longstreet in his official report as well
Is AS by Stuart. who speaks OF him as the
gallant Pelham" (report of May 10. 1922
thus anticipating Lee in applying to him
that eplthet SO dear to every soldiers
heart from the lips OF his superiors.
Again at first Cold Harbor," "SecioEd
+ Manassas. = Sharpsburg," the engagement
& Of Shepherdstown. did he render brilliant
a service Stuart's report OF The Mary land
campaign OF '62'' was not written owing
( to his ceaseless service as the eyes Of
the army') until long after Pelhams
death, but he does not forget HIM the
gallant Pelham displayed all those no.
Die qualities which has made MIN IN:
& mortal !. III
5s PELHAM AT FREDBRIcKsBUIRssGs;;
But 1t was at fredericksburg that
y he drew to him the heart Of the whole
army and won from the commanding
y General that epithet by which ne VIII
go down to history. What sight Il
( was! AS the sun came bursting through
The mist on that glorious morning. the
army from its position looked down upon
I scene. which stirred the heart OF con-
script and veteran alike. Countless bat
4 leries. supported by serrled masses or
Infantry were moving In all the pride
and circumstance Of war across the plain
sworn to wrest victory from the perch
!, t, which she so obstlnately clung-the
e tattered battle-fag OF rebellion" Pei
. ham .'opened the ball 5 Far on the right
r as the steady-marchng columns passed
the "riyer. road. and began the debouch
4 this Youthful Paladln,f his cap bright with
ribbons (Which some Virginia girls had
4 nut thare at little ''party" rev nights
. fkoAt ha with n sec.
tloa" OF Napoleons.E and though exposeu
10 the convergent fro Of four six-gun
n batteries, inlanoeuyred his two guns with
such superb skill and daring Changing
position with lightning like preclsion3
B now dashing up to within nlstef
hring5 at a gallop to come into battery
,eain for shrapnell and shell that q
mighty shout burst out from the men on
the right, while the looming masses ,or
tho enemy sta ggered and stayed undeF
/ his fire as II but in wonder at such Sun
peendous rashness. But y was n no n,,,i;
Z OF the sort-only the nicey-adj usted sKlll
Eof a daring spirit. Lee says (dispatch 70
Secretary Of War Dec IA, 1862 In his
y quiet fashion: General Stuart, with Two
hrigades Of cavalry, was posted IN the en-
tensive plain on our extreme right, AS
soon as the advance OF the enemy was
discovered through the fog, General
Btuart, with his accustomed promptness,
moved up a section Of his horse artillery,
which opened with effect upon his flank
md drew upon THE GALLANT. PEI
HAM heavy fire, which he sustained
untllnchingly for about two hours In
bis report of the battle OF Fredericksburg
(Aprll 10, 1862 Lee says; ''As they adj
yanced. Major Pelham, of stuart's Horse
Artillery, who was stationed near the
Port Royal Road with one section, opened
a rapid and well-directed 'enflade fire,
which arrested their progress. Four bat
teries Immediately turned upon him, but
ne sustained their heavy fire with the
unflinching courage that ever distinguish
ed him." Lee was chary Of his praise,
and to be thus mentioned by him was
like being "lsnighted on the field by the
{ King himself. Yet fate wllled that Pei
HAMS career should be brief,
He received the unWonted honor at
the cavalry battle at Kelly's Ford Rnowyl
as nKellysyille'') March II, 1868, where
Fitz. Lees brigade, eight hundred strong,
drove across the Rappahannock Stone
mans three thousand sabres, who put up
\ "a mighty fine fight.''5
HOW HE WAS WOUNDED, 4.
Pelham had left HIS guns and Joined IN
sinia Cavalry, when hereceived hts NOR
him on top of his head, forcing aSsmall
His life might have been saved could he
K but he vas believed to be dead and thrown
across a horse head down, he was carr
ried eight miles TO- Culpeper G, IL, Where