The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-26
STORY OF GALLANT PELHAM

was my privilege to be near enough to
hear the orders. Major d. was instructed
to march by cireuitous route, and at
tack a flank, while the New Workers
would go up the hill Immediately in front
Major ID. demonstrated
. But. Colonel we're not getting fair
show; your boys viii get there first and
the guns will be yours before we get a
chance at EN-; and all the honors will be
on your side. It's hardly fair
THE Colonel smiled. You don't know
our man as we'll as we do. Let me say,
Major, that If we get the guns at all,
there'l be honor enough for all You go
| ahead; you'll find Pelham there, and
ready for fight, for, though we shall
doubtless capture him, he'll give us a
| laundering struggle first
We'll we couldn't see it that way. Our
advantage was so great that the idea of
| successful resistance. or even a serious
defense, seemed absurd so our regiment
hurried-no, we raced through the wooded
, valley fearing we would not be in at
the DEATH
Painting and elated, we drew up at the
foot of the hill, and hastily dressed our
lines just as the New Workers delivered
their charge
"Pelhams reply was overwhelming. The
attack was instantly REFUSED. and the
New York boys were swept down the hill
like chaff, leaving their dead and wound
ed in swaths.
:" Nows the time,' shouted our leader,
and up we went at en- taking them en-
tirely by surprise. AT the same time the
New York regiment, having been rallied,
returned to the assault
Together both regiments struck the
brave southerners, and none but the very
best troops could have sustained the
shock Indeed, according to all precedent.
Pelham should have surrendered. His sit
uation- seemed hopeless desperate, and
no imputation Of lack of courage could
have lain had he delivered up his COM
mand then and there.
1T seems that this view had not oc-
Cured to Pelham, who moved calmly
among his trained bulldogs, exhorting
them to stand by their guns. With per-
feet GOODNESS he directed operations;
standing, as if rooted in the soil, he
struck, as 1t were, first with one hand
and then with the other
Our second attack had resulted as had
the first. Cheered on by the words and ex-
ample of their boyish commander, the
grizzled gray veterans, officers and men
alike handled that superb artillery so eff
ficiently that the cannons' mouths seemed
to breathe a living fire in our very faces,
while the trained cannoners kept time
with the .Marseillaise, singing this mar
tial song of France with a species of saw
age roar serving notice that II the guns
were captured at all they must be liter
ally torn from the hands of their defend
ers.
Again and again we essayed the hard
problem. Officers rushed ~ and down
our lines, urging our boys to do their ut
most, reminding them of the prestige of
the two crack regiments of the army of
the Potomac; pointing to the great prize
before our eyes-Stuart's famed artillery,
with Pelham In command
Both regiments were made up of APP
proved soldiers, and responded nobly.
notwithstanding we reeed under the
giant blows, both columns formed for the
supreme effort, just as the sun sank be-
hind the Blue ridge. Forward was the
ringing order. Like an echo came an
other sound-the knell of our hopes, the
well-remembered, unmistakable rebel yell,
and looking to our right we saw thou
sand sabers of the flower of Virginia cav
airy glitter in the declining rays of the
sun bear down upon us.
In an instant we were brushed from
the hillside, almost annihilated.
with sort of fascination my gaze
had followed Pelham wherever he moved.
and at the moment when he saw relief
was at hand. |, though badly wounded,
distinctly saw the young officer lift his
cap in salute to his staggering, bleeding
ranks in recognition of their splendid
valor, and heard their triumphant cheers
in reply.
Grand, glorious Alabamianl No won
der your peerless commander-in-chief,
even before the thunder of your guns
ceased to reverberate. knighted you the
Gallant Pelham and upon Fauquier's
hills you but added another page to the
record Of your imperishable fame"