The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-26

trust you win pardon me IL I simply
use his words, and in doing so. II I
trespass on your time little, feel
that will not have imposed upon YOU
Pelham. the brave, the true, the
kindly. gentle spirit never knew a
human being Of more stubborn nerve,
or shrinking modesty. His blue eye
never fell before the stare of peril. but
often when you spoke to him. His color
never faded in the hottest hours of the
most desperate fighting; but word
would often confuse him. and make
him blush like girl. A native OF the
great State of Alabama. he had the
warm blood of the South in his young
veins; but / think that he had come to
love Virginia and the faces here with
love as warm as that of her own chill
dren. Virginia certainly loved him.
her boy defender; but ii was impossf-
BILE to know him and not love him. In
that light-blue eye was soulxof truth
and chiyalry The smooth, boyish
face was a veritable mirror of high
breeding, delicacy and honor. / never
knew a comrade more attractive--with
more delightful gayety, naturalness,
and abandon. Quick to resent an in
suit, or to meet defiance with defiance,
he was never imitable, and had the
sweetness and good humor of child
suspecting nothing. and fearing no Of
renee. Ills InOQeSty ulu uOt CHdhSc d.
ter Fredericksburg, when. the whole
army rang with that magnificent COM
pliment paid to the boy by the COM
mander- in chief, in calling him the
gallant Pelham" His spirit was too
proud and noble to be touched by ar
rogance. He was still the modest, sim
pie, laughing boy-in his charming
gayety, his caressing voice, and MS
sunny smile. On the slightest provo
cation the smooth cheeks were covered
with the blush of diffidence. He never
spoke of his own achievements; ana
you would not have known, had you
been with him for a whole month, that
he had ever taken part in single ac-
ton. In Maryland, an old farmer
looked at his beardless face, his girS-
ish smile, his slender figure, and SAID
to General Stuart Can these boys
fght?" And yet this boy" so young
In years, was old in tolls, In marches,
In hard combats, and desperate encoun-
ters. That light blue eye had looked
unmoved upon the bloody scene OF First
Manassas, Williamsburg, Cold Harbor,
Second Manassas, Sharpsburg. Freder-
Icksburg, and. those stubborn fights In
which Stuart's cavalry were constant
ly engaged. This boy fought his guns
at both battle of Manassas, till the
enemy were at their very muzzies; ne
held his ground with one Napoleon. at
Cold Harbor, against a hurricane OF
shot and shell poured on him from the
batteries near McGee's house; had COM
manded all the artillery on the left at
Sharpsburg; held the ford at Shepherds
town, driving back, hour after hour,
the heavy masses of the enemy; ana at
Fredericksburg had fought with that
stubborn persistence, that unconquer-
able nerve. which made the silent. ana
unexcitable commander-in- chief ex-
lie plOriOus 70 see such COur-
age in one so young!" Such was his
record-such the career of the SHRINK
ing youth who blushed when you spoke
to him. Stuart loved him like orotn-
err, and after his death, when was
speaking one day of him, the tears
came to the eyes OF the great caVaiief'
and he turned away, unable to- utter
word He is dead now; his voice Will
never more be heard--his laugh never
sound again. He was nothing to you,
1t may be; or his name was only that
of a brave boy who fought MS guns
with dauntless courage upon many
bloody battlefield. To me he-was more.
1t was the friend of my heart that
passed away when Pelham fell--a com
rade whom I loved, and who loved me-
When he passed from earth, amid that
thunder of artillery which he loved,
the world somehow seemed drearier,
and the sunshine not so bright. the
song of the birds was music no more;
the glory of existence seemed to fade;
Pelham was dead, and there was no one
left to take his place!
/ will offer. from the same pen, Two
instances of his brief career; one in the
death of little Jean, revealing heart
of woman-like tenderness: the other a
terrific battle scene. indicating the SOL
der of the highest type.
The Death of Little Jean.
IN the center of the group l saw
Pelham, the fire clearly lighting up
his slender figure and beardless face.
He was kneeling upon one knee and
supporting upon his breast the bleed
ing form of boy of Is, who had been
nearly torn to pieces by fragment or
shell, and was evidently dying The
boy was plainly suffering agonies from
his mortal wound, which surgeon had
rudely bandaged and his EXPLANATIONS
in French and broken English were
touching Jesus, Masterw he exclaim-
ed, in heart-rendering accents. as
drew near, II suffer! how / suffer, my
Captain And, raising his head, which
was rested upon Pelham's breast he
gazed into the young officers face with
look so helpless and appealing, that
the quick tears started to my eyes.
Try to bear it, JEAN" said Pelham in
a low voice; you are among your
friends-you know we love you. There
he broke down, and, turning away his
head, uttered a sob The rude can
noneers around looked grmly on, 81
lent before the scene "Oh! to dte.'
murmured the wounded boy, sinking