The Photographs of John Pelham
The picture of John Pelham which we use on the masthead of The Cannoneer is the same one used by Dr. Douglas Southall Freeman in the second volume of Lee's Lieutenants. It is the most frequently recognized photograph of John Pelham. According to Milham, the photograph was taken while Pelham was on furlough, which would date the photograph 1858 or 1860. Indeed, the uniform style of the coat is in accordance with West Point regulations as to the type of dress allowed of cadets while on leave. The regulations read:
Cadets when on leave of absence are permitted to wear an undress frock coat, similar to that worn by Lieutenants of the Army, but without the shoulder straps....No other military dress will be permitted to be worn, except for the uniform of Cadets; but the Cadets may at their option wear plain citizen's clothing. |
In the U. S. Army company grade officers wore a single-breasted frock coat
and stand-up collars were the regulation. This picture clearly shows that
John Pelham is wearing a "furlough uniform," and it is certainly
not a Confederate uniform, which many mistakenly believe. The full length
view of the photograph shows that Pelham carried his West Point hat (model
1858) with its decorative sunburst and the initials "U.S.C.C." (United
States Corps of Cadets).
This photograph, as far as can be determined, first had its widespread
publication in the August, 1898, issue of The Confederate Veteran,
probably given to the magazine by John Pelham's brother, Peter. The striking
photograph immediately drew comment. Governor Charles A. Culberson of Texas,
desiring to know if the photograph was a good likeness of Pelham, sent it
to Judge William McGregor of Milam County, Texas. McGregor had commanded a
battery under Pelham. In September, 1898, McGregor informed the readers of
the Veteran:
The inclosed is the best picture of Pelham that I have ever seen. It looks like he did when he first returned from West Point and also when he was killed. At other times he was thinner, because of active service....A perfect picture of Pelham cannot be had, because his most remarkable feature was his eyes. In social life they were gentle and merry, "laughing eyes;" but in the animation of battle his eyes were restless, and flashed like diamonds. |
Recently, a member of our Association, Bill Strong, found a carte-de-viste of this photograph at the Gettysburg Relic and Book Show. The stamp on the back reads, "E. H. & T. Anthony, 501 Broadway, New York," which strongly indicates that Anthony was the original photographer. Mr. Larry Williford, a Civil War photographic collector in Portsmouth, Virginia, has mentioned several times that he has seen these same carte-de-vistes and that they were sold in the North during the Civil War.
In July, 1862, Pelham gave a photograph of himself to Miss Nannie Price of "Dundee." In this photograph, Pelham is shown wearing an ill-fitting black suit; his hair has a distinct curl to it, and his hat has a plume. The United States Military Academy at West Point has the original negative, but has no idea where it came from. The same photograph, a carte-de-viste, is also in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond. Since Pelham is in civilian clothing, it was probably taken while on leave. Some have suggested that this may have been after Pelham left West Point in 1861. Perhaps the ill fit of the suit does suggest someone who had to find civilian clothing in a hurry. Internal evidence suggests that it is later than the previous photograph and it probably is the last photograph of Pelham which has survived.
Where this photograph was taken was a mystery, until Laura Henry mailed Peggy Vogtsberger several carte-de-vistes of John Pelham's classmates (James Dearing, John Poland, William A. Elderkin, Alex D. Hoore, and George Thornton, respectively). In each photograph (except Poland's, which was done by Brady), there is the same pillar and drapery background. On the back of each one is stamped: "Charles D. Fredricks & Co. Specialty, 587 Broadway, New York."
The history of this photograph is of interest. Mary Pelham Fitz also has a copy of the same carte-de¬viste, but her copy is stamped: "G. R. Rees, Photographic Artist, Richmond." It is obviously the same photograph, but why does Mrs. Fitz's copy say Richmond instead of New york? The mystery was solved by Mrs. Ralph Mitchell of the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society. Did Stuart ever receive a photograph of John Pelham, as he had requested, asked Peggy Vogtsberger. Indeed he had. It was sent to him by Mrs. Atkinson Pelham and showed him in a civilian suit. Stuart had a Richmond photographer make twenty-five copies for the members of his staff!
Mr. Rabun N. Patrick, grandson of John Pelham's sister, Betty Pelham Neel, provided JPHA a third photograph. It was taken in 1856, just before John Pelham entered the United States Military Academy. John Pelham is seventeen years old, and quite frankly, looks like a country hick. Even this obscure photograph has seen the light of day. Patrick Shaub came across an old magazine article in the Alabama Department of Archives and History in Montgomery. The article is entitled, "The Gallant Pelham: True Details of the Great Cannoneer's Death, now first told in the words of his tentmate, Captain James Louis Clark." What publication this article came from is unknown (however, the next article is written by T. C. DeLeon. Does anyone know what magazines DeLeon wrote for?). In this article was published the picture of John Pelham at age seventeen.
Clark definitely knew John Pelham. In the Museum of the Confederacy there is a carte-de-viste of the multi photograph and on the back it is inscribed: "To my friend, James L. Clark, (signed) John Pelham." He was a member of Co. F, 2nd Maryland Cavalry, and served with Harry Gilmor. Their relationship must have been close for Pelham to give a picture of himself at age seventeen.
Unfortunately, there is no known photograph of John Pelham in Confederate uniform. It is hard to believe that Pelham never had himself photographed in uniform, considering the number of times he visited Richmond. Perhaps one was done and did not turn out or survive. It is interesting to note, however, that Mrs. Atkinson Pelham sent Jeb Stuart the photograph of John Pelham in mufti. Normally, you would expect most people to send the most recent photograph to friends of a deceased loved one. Perhaps that was the most recent photograph she had. We cannot dismiss the possibility that John Pelham never had himself photographed in Confederate uniform; maybe he did not have the time, the opportunity, or the money. Still, it seems unlikely that he did not have one done -- possibly one day it will show up.
John Pelham was basically a fair blond, with blue, penetrating eyes. He is often described as tall, yet he was only of medium height (5 '10 ") but carried himself so well as to look taller.
Morris Schaff in The Spirit of Old West Point gives this description of John Pelham:
He was gracefully tall, fair, and a beautiful dancer, and it may be asserted that Nature was in a fine mood when she moulded his clay. Her final touch was to give him a pronounced cowlick on his forehead, which added a mounted swirl to his blond hair. His eyes generally were cast thoughtfully downward, and a little wrinkle on his brow gave just the faintest suggestion of a frown on his otherwise unclouded face. |
The cowlick is certainly pronounced in the mufti picture and the one of him
at age seventeen!
Many descriptions of Pelham refer to an extremely boyish appearance. He appeared younger than his years (young though they were) -- some references have his age at his death at 19, 20, and 22 years old. Actually, Pelham would have been 25 years old on September 7, 1863. It is obvious that he chose not to grow a beard -- not that he couldn't have grown one -- and his smooth face added to his boyish looks. No wonder "Sallie" was one of his nicknames at West Point!
That Pelham presented a fine appearance is agreed by all. "He was tall, slender, beautifully proportioned and very graceful. A superb rider and as brave as Julius Caesar," wrote W. W. Blackford of Stuart's staff. A cannoneer wrote of him: "Of ordinary stature and light buiId , but remarkabIy sinewy....A boyish appearance, erect and neat address, as modest as a maiden in a social circle."
It would appear that Pelham's photographs bear out the descriptions of him.
No doubt, he graced the ballroom and Stuart's cavalry reviews; his physical
strength apparently served him well during the rigors of active campaigning
and the hard life of camp. "A man's man he was by every act and impulse;
yet he drew many a sigh and gentle glance from the young
ladies of every town where he halted," wrote Douglas S. Freeman. "How
could it be otherwise? He was blond enough to match his dazzling blue eyes...
" Blackford called him "as grand a flirt as ever lived."
This article first appeared in Volume 5, No. 3 of The Cannoneer.
Source:
Confederate Veteran, Vol. 6, No.8, Aug. 1898, p. 363.
Ibid., Vol. 6, No. 9, September 1898, p. 436.
Morris Schaff, The Spirit of Old West Point, p. 133.
W. W. Blackford, War Years with Jeb Stuart, p. 90.
Burke Davis, Jeb Stuart: The Last Cavalier, p. 84.
Letter of Kenneth W. Rapp, U.S.M.A. Archives, to Peggy Vogtsberger, July 7,
1981
Letter of Michael J.McAfee, U.S.M.A. Museum, to Peggy Vogtsberger, July 26,
1983.
Letter of Mrs. Ralph Mitchell to Peggy Vogtsberger, April 13, 1985.
Letter of Mr. Charles T. Jacobs to Peggy Vogtsberger, June 2, 1985.
