John Pelham

“ No harder battle has been fought during the entire war; and never have the enemy reeled back in greater confusion before the Southern steel than here. Our heroes won the day by hard and desperate fighting, in charge after charge; but lost in the struggle some of the most valiant hearts that ever beat. Pullor, Harris and Pelham were among the number—the "gallant Pelham" of the battle of Fredericksburg. He was in the performance of his duty as chief of artillery, and was riding toward his general, when a regiment of cavalry swept by him in a charge. ”

“ In Alabama, in the vale of Alexandria, September 7, in the year 1838, there was born a babe destined to be Bellona's bridegroom, and write "John Pelham" across the sky in flaming letters of battle. His was a superb career, but for some reason or other it is scarcely known outside of his native State, and even in that State but for being commingled with fiction the daring deeds and brilliant bravery of "Jeb" Stuart's "boy artillerist" would be almost mere tradition when the last Confederate shall have passed away. ”

“ It is glorious to see such courage in one so young!" It was glorious, indeed, to sec that one gun, placed in an important position, J'old its ground with a firmness so unflinching and heroic — to sec a beardless boy sternly standiug in that horrible hurricane of shell, with iron resolution and a soul as immovable as rock. ”

“ At Williamsburg and Cold Harbor Pelham fought with bull dog tenacity. At the latter fight he advanced one gun a third of a mile to the front, and for more than an hour it was the only gun on the Confederate left firing, drawing the attention of a whole Federal battery, until Stuart said to Stonewall Jackson:
"General, all your artillery on the left is idle; nobody is firing except Pelham." After the battle the warm pressure of Jackson's hand told Pelham how well he had demeaned himself. That is history. Shortly after this Pelham drove a gunboat from the "White House" with one gun. ”

“ The "breed of noble minds" like his is not numerous, and, when such forms disappear, the gap is hard to fill—the struggle for our liberties is more arduous than before. But the memory of this threat young soldier still remains with us—his name is immortal in history as in many hearts which throbbed at his death. ”

“ I am studying hard and think I shall be higher after the coming January examinations than I have ever been before; but my standing will not do me any good. I always (nearly always) get over my lessons and read a chapter in my Bible a short time before eleven at night. I am not allowed to have a light after this hour. For the past two years and a half I have read my Bible regularly, one chapter almost every night ”

“ The "gallant Pelham," as he was styled by his commanding general, was a native of Alabama, and commanded the horse artillery attached to the cavalry division of General J. E. B. Stuart. He entered the army at the commencement of the war and was engaged in every battle fought in Virginia from the first Manassas, in 1861, to the battle of Keysville, March 17, 1863, where he fell mortally wounded, with the battle-cry on his lips and the light of victory beaming from his eye. ”

“ Every soldier knew there was to be a fearful fight before the sun sank behind the western wood. The Federal army had crossed the Rappahannock and was forming line of battle under cover of the river bank. Jackson, Stuart and Lee rode down the Confederate lines to the extreme right, followed by waves of cheers, where the Stuart horse artillery was parked. Stuart called to Pelham and said something. Then Pelham turned and galloped to his guns. Immediately he dashed down the heights followed by one gun. ”

“ If you think it would be better for me to resign now than to wait and graduate which will be in June a single word from you will cause me to resign and as soon as my resignation is accepted, I will con¬sider myself under your orders and repair to Montgomery without delay. ”

“ How crowded with great events that are history now. Let us glance at it : When our forces fell back from Manassas in 1801, his batteries had their part in covering the movement, and guarding the fords of the Rappahannock. During the campaign of the Peninsula, his Blakely was as a sentinel on post next tho enemy; and at the battle of Williamsburg his courage and skill transformed raw militia into veterans. ”

“ By and by he gained her confidence sufficiently to disclose his identity without fear of betrayal, and informed her of his purpose to go South and join the Confederate army. She was a true Northern girl, and endeavored to prevail upon him to stand by the "old flag," but he was firm. Love has been known to be stronger than patriotism in hearts colder than that of a sympathetic maiden. ”

“ Talk with the associates of the young leader in those hard-fought battles, and they will tell you a hundred instances of his dauntless courage. At Manassas, he took position in a place so dangerous, that an officer, who had followed him up to that moment, rode away with the declaration, that "if Pelham was fool enough to stay there, he was not." ”

“ Once, twice, three times, Pelham drove back the Federal columns and delayed the battle an hour. When his ammunition was spent he retired, in obedience to a peremptory order, and was assigned to the command of all the artillery on the Confederate right.
Amid shot and shell he had opened the great battle of Fredericksburg and had become immortal. The part played by Pelham at that fight is history that will survive with General Lee's report He was a major of artillery then. His commission as lieutenant-colonel was issued soon after, and only awaited confirmation when he was killed. ”

“ He must go himself with the one gun forward, and beside that piece he remained until it was ordered back - directing his men to lie down, but sitting his own horse, and intent solely upon the movements and designs of the enemy, wholly careless of the "fire of hell" hurled against him. ”

“ With one Napoleon gun, he opened the battle on the right, and instantly drew upon himself the fire, at close range, of four batteries in front, and a heavy enfilading fire from 30-pOUnjd 1'arrois across the river. Rut this did not daunt him. Tliat NapoleOD gun wa- the same which he had used at the battle of Cold Harbour — it was taken from the enemy at Seven Pines — and, in the hands of the young officer it had won a fame which must not be tarnished by defeat ! It- grim voice must roar, however great the odds ”