In 1861, with graduation approaching and war breaking out, John Pelham wrote to the new leader of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis. He asked whether he should leave West Point.
Pelham ultimately resigned from the academy just a few weeks before his planned graduation. He left to accept a commission in the militia of his home state of Alabama.
He soon went to Virginia, where he joined the army of Joseph E. Johnston as a lieutenant in the artillery. Pelham’s well-drilled and disciplined battery caught the eye of Jeb Stuart.
Stuart provided horses for the men and transformed the battery into a horse artillery. This made the unit more mobile than traditional artillery.
John Pelham was involved in every major military engagement of Stuart’s cavalry. This included more than 60 encounters, from the First Battle of Bull Run to Kelly’s Ford.
He is noted as chief of Stuart’s artillery in the Battle of Antietam. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Pelham’s guns held a position on a rise known as Nicodemus Hill.
From that position, he repeatedly harassed the flanks of oncoming Union lines. His fire caused numerous casualties and broke up battle formations.
At Fredericksburg, Pelham’s guns were positioned well in advance of the main Confederate lines. He held up the entire flank of the Union Army of the Potomac for several hours.
This enabled the Confederates to repel a series of strong attacks. General Robert E. Lee commended Pelham in his official report for his unflinching courage while under direct fire from multiple Union batteries.
At the time, Pelham was commanding only two guns that were in service. Even with those batteries, he was able to confuse the federal lines of battle.
At the Battle of Kelly’s Ford on March 17, 1863, Pelham participated in a cavalry charge. His artillery was not engaged in the fighting.
Not long afterward, he was struck in the head by fragments of an exploding federal artillery shell. He was carried six miles from the battlefield to Culpeper Courthouse.
Pelham died the following morning without having regained consciousness.