William Pelham was the son of Dr. Atkinson Pelham and Martha McGehee Pelham. He was born in 1836 in Person County, North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, he and his parents emigrated to Alabama following his mother's parents. He was the second son of 8 children, with six boys know as, "those wild Pelham boy's in Anniston." The neighbors agreed, "the only thing they were good for was hanging!" All six of the boys fought in the War Between the States.
His career as an attorney was interrupted by the War and he enlisted on 22 Feb 1861 in Company A,2 Alabama Infantry. He was ranked to 2nd. Lieutenant on 2 Sep 1862. In October he was wounded at a skirmish at Lavergne, Tennessee. After this fight, his regiment became part of the 51st Alabama Cavalry Partisan Rangers. William was captured at Shelbyville, Tennessee on 27 Jun 1863 during the fighting near Tullahoma. He was always a rebellious guy and was a difficult POW as well. He was transferred from a Federal prison at Louisville, Kentucky to Johnson's Island, Ohio, in order "to learn to behave as a prisoner of war." He served at Johnson's Island from 6 Jul 1863 until his exchange at City Point (now Hopewell), Virginia on 24 Feb 1865. Even then William did not prove manageable, for on the day of his exchange, "4 Marines [appeared] in column as William Pelham."
Records show that Will Pelham was severely beaten on the head by his Yankee captors during the war, which may have exacerbated his unpredictable and often violent behavior.
He was an older brother of Lt. Colonel John Pelham, who was the brilliant Chief of Artillery for Major General J.E.B. Stuart. Williams older brother, Charles Pelham, was a Circuit Court Judge, and a U.S.Congressman from 1873-1875.
He lived between both famous brothers. He never felt like he lived up to the Pelham name, and was always striving to do so.
One night in 1888, William Pelham was shot 5 times in Anniston, Alabama and lived to tell about it. However in 1889 he was mortally wounded by a police officer during a drunken altercation again in Anniston. The fearlessness of all six of the Pelham boys was known far and wide.
Sources:
William Pelham Article from the John Pelham Historical Association, by Peggy Vogtsberger and first appeared in the Cannoneer.
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham Ancestry.com
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham
American Civil War Soldiers about William Pelham Ancestry.com
Article titled, "Riddled with Bullets," from The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) > 1888 > June 14
"CHARLOTTE"S BOYS: The Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah," by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
Footnote.com
His career as an attorney was interrupted by the War and he enlisted on 22 Feb 1861 in Company A,2 Alabama Infantry. He was ranked to 2nd. Lieutenant on 2 Sep 1862. In October he was wounded at a skirmish at Lavergne, Tennessee. After this fight, his regiment became part of the 51st Alabama Cavalry Partisan Rangers. William was captured at Shelbyville, Tennessee on 27 Jun 1863 during the fighting near Tullahoma. He was always a rebellious guy and was a difficult POW as well. He was transferred from a Federal prison at Louisville, Kentucky to Johnson's Island, Ohio, in order "to learn to behave as a prisoner of war." He served at Johnson's Island from 6 Jul 1863 until his exchange at City Point (now Hopewell), Virginia on 24 Feb 1865. Even then William did not prove manageable, for on the day of his exchange, "4 Marines [appeared] in column as William Pelham."
Records show that Will Pelham was severely beaten on the head by his Yankee captors during the war, which may have exacerbated his unpredictable and often violent behavior.
He was an older brother of Lt. Colonel John Pelham, who was the brilliant Chief of Artillery for Major General J.E.B. Stuart. Williams older brother, Charles Pelham, was a Circuit Court Judge, and a U.S.Congressman from 1873-1875.
He lived between both famous brothers. He never felt like he lived up to the Pelham name, and was always striving to do so.
One night in 1888, William Pelham was shot 5 times in Anniston, Alabama and lived to tell about it. However in 1889 he was mortally wounded by a police officer during a drunken altercation again in Anniston. The fearlessness of all six of the Pelham boys was known far and wide.
Sources:
William Pelham Article from the John Pelham Historical Association, by Peggy Vogtsberger and first appeared in the Cannoneer.
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham Ancestry.com
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham
American Civil War Soldiers about William Pelham Ancestry.com
Article titled, "Riddled with Bullets," from The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) > 1888 > June 14
"CHARLOTTE"S BOYS: The Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah," by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
Footnote.com
William Pelham was the son of Dr. Atkinson Pelham and Martha McGehee Pelham. He was born in 1836 in Person County, North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, he and his parents emigrated to Alabama following his mother's parents. He was the second son of 8 children, with six boys know as, "those wild Pelham boy's in Anniston." The neighbors agreed, "the only thing they were good for was hanging!" All six of the boys fought in the War Between the States.
His career as an attorney was interrupted by the War and he enlisted on 22 Feb 1861 in Company A,2 Alabama Infantry. He was ranked to 2nd. Lieutenant on 2 Sep 1862. In October he was wounded at a skirmish at Lavergne, Tennessee. After this fight, his regiment became part of the 51st Alabama Cavalry Partisan Rangers. William was captured at Shelbyville, Tennessee on 27 Jun 1863 during the fighting near Tullahoma. He was always a rebellious guy and was a difficult POW as well. He was transferred from a Federal prison at Louisville, Kentucky to Johnson's Island, Ohio, in order "to learn to behave as a prisoner of war." He served at Johnson's Island from 6 Jul 1863 until his exchange at City Point (now Hopewell), Virginia on 24 Feb 1865. Even then William did not prove manageable, for on the day of his exchange, "4 Marines [appeared] in column as William Pelham."
Records show that Will Pelham was severely beaten on the head by his Yankee captors during the war, which may have exacerbated his unpredictable and often violent behavior.
He was an older brother of Lt. Colonel John Pelham, who was the brilliant Chief of Artillery for Major General J.E.B. Stuart. Williams older brother, Charles Pelham, was a Circuit Court Judge, and a U.S.Congressman from 1873-1875.
He lived between both famous brothers. He never felt like he lived up to the Pelham name, and was always striving to do so.
One night in 1888, William Pelham was shot 5 times in Anniston, Alabama and lived to tell about it. However in 1889 he was mortally wounded by a police officer during a drunken altercation again in Anniston. The fearlessness of all six of the Pelham boys was known far and wide.
Sources:
William Pelham Article from the John Pelham Historical Association, by Peggy Vogtsberger and first appeared in the Cannoneer.
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham Ancestry.com
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham
American Civil War Soldiers about William Pelham Ancestry.com
Article titled, "Riddled with Bullets," from The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) > 1888 > June 14
"CHARLOTTE"S BOYS: The Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah," by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
Footnote.com
His career as an attorney was interrupted by the War and he enlisted on 22 Feb 1861 in Company A,2 Alabama Infantry. He was ranked to 2nd. Lieutenant on 2 Sep 1862. In October he was wounded at a skirmish at Lavergne, Tennessee. After this fight, his regiment became part of the 51st Alabama Cavalry Partisan Rangers. William was captured at Shelbyville, Tennessee on 27 Jun 1863 during the fighting near Tullahoma. He was always a rebellious guy and was a difficult POW as well. He was transferred from a Federal prison at Louisville, Kentucky to Johnson's Island, Ohio, in order "to learn to behave as a prisoner of war." He served at Johnson's Island from 6 Jul 1863 until his exchange at City Point (now Hopewell), Virginia on 24 Feb 1865. Even then William did not prove manageable, for on the day of his exchange, "4 Marines [appeared] in column as William Pelham."
Records show that Will Pelham was severely beaten on the head by his Yankee captors during the war, which may have exacerbated his unpredictable and often violent behavior.
He was an older brother of Lt. Colonel John Pelham, who was the brilliant Chief of Artillery for Major General J.E.B. Stuart. Williams older brother, Charles Pelham, was a Circuit Court Judge, and a U.S.Congressman from 1873-1875.
He lived between both famous brothers. He never felt like he lived up to the Pelham name, and was always striving to do so.
One night in 1888, William Pelham was shot 5 times in Anniston, Alabama and lived to tell about it. However in 1889 he was mortally wounded by a police officer during a drunken altercation again in Anniston. The fearlessness of all six of the Pelham boys was known far and wide.
Sources:
William Pelham Article from the John Pelham Historical Association, by Peggy Vogtsberger and first appeared in the Cannoneer.
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham Ancestry.com
Civil War Prisoner of War Records, 1861-1865 Record for William Pelham
American Civil War Soldiers about William Pelham Ancestry.com
Article titled, "Riddled with Bullets," from The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia) > 1888 > June 14
"CHARLOTTE"S BOYS: The Civil War Letters of the Branch Family of Savannah," by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn
Footnote.com
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