The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-16
Pelham Indorsed For Stone Mountain
 Fame


 Maj John Pelham has been in- dorsed by Pelham chapter, United Daughters Of the Confederacy, for Stone mo unta$f1 fafae.
 The colntnittee appointed by Pel- ham chapter composed of Mrs. R. N. Bell chairman Mrs. P. B. Mims and Miss Alma Rittenberry, helped by the suggestion ef-s Mrs. Hubert Scruggs, president of the chapter. hopes that the ommittee which mas rne selec- tion of Alabama heroes for the Stone mountain monument under consid- eratiCn. will head the list with the name of Mali, John Pelham and that his statue twill be erected in full unit form of his rank, commanding a horse artillery, with a nearby how itzer, not because Alabama heads al- alphabetically the list of states, and because the first capital of the Con- federacy was at Montgomery, but be- cause John Pelham was a native Of Alabama, a soldier of the Confed- eracy, and because he added fame and lustre to the south and the cause he fought for
 Major Pelham of Alabama, one of the most famous war heroes of the Confederacy. was born in Calhoun county rAlabama, September ', 1SSS. His father was pr. Atkinson Pel- ham. who came to Alabama from Kentucky, and his mother was of North Carolinian descent. In 1856 John Pelham was appointed to the United States Military academy, where he was conspicuous in ath- ietics and horsemanship. Leaving West Point at the beginning of hos tilities In 1881. he crossed the line at Louisville, disguised as one of General Scotts cCuriers, and report ing at once at Montgomery, he was commissioned as first lieutenant of artillery, and put in charge of the ordnance at Lynchburg, Va. A few days later he was assigned as drill master to Imoden's battery, with which he served at First Manassas tract attention of his superiors. Gen ]. E. B, Stuart then entrusted him with the organization of battery of horse artillery, and in the fall Of 1861. he secured the requisite num- Der of men from Alabama and Vir- ginia and Maryland, 40 of them en- listing from Talladega county, un- der Lieut.. William McGregor. As captain of this battery, known as the Stuart horse artillery, he was con- spcuous at Williamsburg, where, when the cavalry was compelled to retire momentarily, says Stuart: T ordered the horse artillery at once Into action, but before the order could be given Pelham's battery was speaking to the enemy in thunder tones of defiance, it's maiden effort on the field. keeping up destruc- tive fire upon the enemy until our infantry, having reformed, rushed forward Still further words df praise for Pelham. Breathed and Me Gregor appear in Stuarts report. and Longstreet joined in the commenda- ton Of Pelham and his battery. In his report of the seven days battles Stuart declared that he had displayed such signal ability as an artillerist, such heroic example, devotion in dan ger, indomitable energy, that at the risk of lCsing him we must ask for his promotion. With the remark That in either cavalry or artillery no field grade is too high for his merit and capacity" he was pro- noted to major.
 At Second Manassas he won praise in the reports of Lee and Jackson, the latter noting that when body of the enemy threatened his wagon train he sent the infantry for it's protection, but in the meantime the Vig1lant Pelham" had unlimbered his battery most advanced. Jackson had the most advanced Jackson had the young officer ride over the field with him and then directed him to place his guns where he could do most good and on the 29th he pushed for ward close to the enemy, until bat teries supporting him retired, and he was alone with one gun, exposed to the fire of a long line of federal bat teries, but not until the trail of his only gun was shivered did he retire from the combat At Sharpsburg he fought on the left, in command not only of his battalion, consisting of his own battery, Harts and Chew's but other batteries from every por- tion of Jackson's command, and held essential to the safety of the Con- federate position. "The gallant Pel- ham displayed all those noble quail ties that have made him immortal" said stuart in describing the battle. After Sharpsburg he commanded the four guns which accompanied the cavalry in the raid around McClel- lan's army and he held Pleasanton's cavalry at bay while Stuart made safe crossing of the Potomac on his return. Commanding Stuart's artil- lery in the operations about Upper vile, preceding the battle of Fred ericks burg, he bore the brunt of the Federal attacks, supported only by sharpshooters. Tt was during this engagement," said Stuart, that Major Pelham conducted howitzer some distance beyond support to neighboring, hill and opened masked fire upon a body of the enemys cavalry in the valley beneath. captur- ing their flag and arms, equipment and horses, as well as some prisoners, sustaining in this extraordinary feat