No such privilege had ever been given any other of General T. was with him at Second Manassas, where he was given discretionary power to place his battery where his judgment dictated. He handled, in addition to his own battery, the artillery of General T. The official records of the war are replete with the daring of this gallant officer and his men. Its deeds of valor has been written of by poet and historian even the men who opposed it on the Federal side sing its praises in no unmeasured tributes. I do not know a spot among the hills and dales of the Confederacy that has not heard of the Pelham-Breathed Battery, Stuart's Horse Artillery. The battery became as celebrated as the name of its commander. This battery under his leadership and command became famous and was second to none in the Confederate States Army.
In November, 1861, the battery of Stuart's Horse Artillery, consisting of eight guns, was organized, and the young officer, a mere boy in appearance, Lieutenant John Pelham, was commission its first captain. Stuart conceived the idea of organizing a battery of horse artillery to operate in conjunction with his cavalry, his eyes naturally turned towards the young artillery officer that had displayed so much gallantry and knowledge in the handling of his pieces at Manassas. He handled a section of this battery in such a masterly manner at First Manassas July 21, 1861, as to attract the attention of Brigadier-General T. He was only there a few days when he was ordered to Albertus's (afterwards Imboden's) Battery, at Winchester, Va. Repairing at once to Montgomery, Ala., he reported for duty, and was commissioned first lieutenant of artillery, regular army, and ordered to take charge of the ordnance at Lynchburg, Va. But his love for the South, and especially for his State, called him home consequently he crossed the line in April, disguised as one of General Scott's couriers. His standing in the class was low, but his commission was passed on, and he would have received it had he remained a week longer. John Pelham was appointed to the United States Military Academy from Alabama July 1, 1856, aged seventeen years and nine months, through the influence of the representative of his district, the Hon. His mother was a Miss McGehee, whose family came from Person county, N. Atkinson Pelham, came to the county from Kentucky in 1837, and was for many years a prominent physician. Lee) was born in Calhoun county, Ala., near Alexandria, September 7, 1838. The gallant Pelham (as he was called by General R. Pelham and Breathed were in the same battery kindred spirits indeed loyal to the cause of the South terrible hard fighters, with a stubbornness that would not yield an aggressiveness that was irresistible. Lee to the most humble private in the ranks. I come before you again asking that I be granted the same courtesy, that I may place upon the grave of the gallant Major John Pelham (the organizer and first captain of the celebrated Stuart Horse Artillery) a few forget-me-nots and sprigs of laurel, that those who did not have the great privilege of knowing the gallant boy-major may read in a measure of what manner of man he was and how he was esteemed by all of those whom he came in contact with, from the immortal R. The Times-Dispatch very kindly gave me space in their widely circulated paper and published the above mentioned tribute. Sir,-There appeared in the Times-Dispatch of February 16th over my signature a few words of tribute to Major James Breathed, of the Stuart Horse Artillery, Army of Northern Virginia. General Lee Called Him "the Gallant Pelham"-Records Prove His Bravery.