Pelham's Report on Evelington Heights

On the night of July 2-3, 1862, Captain John Pelham and Lt. Col. Will T. Martin of the Jeff Davis Legion were sent to reconnoiter the Federal position following the Battle of Malvern Hill. Based on this report, General Lee sent General Longstreet to reinforce Stuart. However, on July 3rd, Stuart prematurely opened up on the Federals below and Longstreet's troops did not arrive in time to reinforce Stuart. Pelham was forced off the ridge by 2 p.m., after his last round was expended. The action on July 3rd has been rightly criticized, but Pelham's reconnaissance was expertly done. Below is the pencilled report done by Captain Pelham to General Stuart on the night of July 2-3. The report does not appear in "The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies". Instead, it was discovered by several JPHA members -- Mary Elizabeth Sergent, Laura Perkinson, and Joan Brzustowicz -- as being pasted in a book called "The Life of Thomas J. Jackson" by an Ex-Cadet (James Dabney McCabe), second edition, Richmond: James E. Goode, 1864. The report is bound in the book, following page 172. The book is in the possession of the Department of Rare Books, William R. Perkins Library, Duke University. We thank Mr. J. Samuel Hammond, Head of the Department of Rare Books at Duke, for his kind permission in allowing us to reprint the report.

July 2nd 1862

Genl
Our pickets are now below Mr. Allen Bradley's farm -- I fired on the enemy's pickets and drove them in. Capt Irving sent a scouting party out. They report the coast in front of us clear. I questioned Mr. Bradley about the position of the enemy --

[Here Pelham -drew a rough sketch of Evelington Heights]

He says in Westover and Berkeley [plantations] they have all their wagons and cattle -- It is a beautiful plain commanded by Eventon [sic] Hill -- one mile & 36 yards -- he says that guns placed on the hill commands every thing as far as the river -- the hill is two miles from our present position. He reports the roads leading to this Depot blocked up with wagons & stragglers. He also says they have a considerable force there -- all they have.

Mr. Turner knows this Bradley and says he is a reliable man.

Very Respt'y
(signed) Jno. Pelham
Capt. S.H.A.

Brig Cenl JEB Stuart Comdg Cav'y.

This article first appeared in Volume 6, No. 2 of The Cannoneer.