When Federal troops threatened Jackson’s unprotected flank, Pelham’s gunners cut them down. Rushing his battery between the two lines without hesitation, Pelham stalled the Union advance, giving Jackson time to reach the high ground of Henry Hill. During the battle, Pelham observed a wave of Northern infantry descending on a position held by Brig. Pelham had trained his men long and hard by the time he was given command of his battery and shipped by railroad to Manassas with General Joseph E. Pelham worked with his men to fashion the rolling stock they required from scrap lumber. James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart, presented him with some horses he had “liberated” from the Union Army. His four ancient smoothbore cannons came without limbers, caissons or horses, but later a good-natured cavalry officer, Lt. His “raw material” comprised 60 recruits from half a dozen states. First Lieutenant Pelham had no experience with artillery, but was assigned as a battery drill instructor. Just days before graduation in 1861, war broke out between the states, and Pelham went home to join the Confederate forces.Īfter enlisting in Montgomery, Ala., he was sent to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. His horsemanship was legendary, he was a keen boxer and swordsman and though a mediocre student overall, he excelled in cavalry tactics. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1856, he became one of the best-liked students. “Stonewall” Jackson said, “With a John Pelham on each flank I believe I could whip the world.”īorn in Benton County, Ala., on September 14, 1838, Pelham was blond, blue-eyed and athletic. Lee called him “The Gallant Pelham.” Thomas J. John Pelham was 23 years old when he joined the Confederate Army, but by the time he died at age 24, he had fought in some 60 engagements and become one of the South’s most admired figures. Personality: Confederate Colonel John Pelham Close
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