The Pelhams of Calhoun County
It was John Pelham's grandfather William McGehee, who first came to Benton County shortly after the Treaty of Cusseta in 1832. He was one of the first settlers along Cane Creek, a few miles from the present city of Anniston. McGehee lived in a log cabin, as did all the settlers. It stood, much modified, until the 1960's when it burned. To raise funds for John Pelham's monument in Anniston, gavels were made from this log cabin in which he was born, and funds were raised accordingly. It was of huge, squared, hand-hewn timbers, two rooms on the first floor, a passageway open at both ends, and upstairs was a long attic, used as living quarters. It was a huge household -- the McGehees had twelve children.
Martha McGehee had married Atkinson Pelham in Person County, North Carolina in 1833. He was a doctor, and according to a letter written by his father, Major Charles Pelham, Atkinson was not doing very well. The couple must have lived in Kentucky, for it was from Kentucky that they came to Alabama in 1838. They brought with them their two young sons and probably a few slaves. Martha traveled this long journey during her pregnancy at a time when pregnant women normally did not travel or were even seen in public. This suggests the Pelhams left Kentucky simply because they had no choice.
The Pelhams lived with the McGehees until Atkinson could clear his land. John Pelham was born at the McGehee home on September 7, 1838. A few weeks later the family moved into Atkinson's cabin, built two and a half miles down Cane Creek. It was near the settlement of Peaceburg, which is now part of Fort McClellan's "Pelham Range." It served as the family home until 1847; by then the family had grown to seven children.
In 1847 the family lived for two years in Jacksonville. They were one of the earliest members of the Presbyterian Church and attended every Sunday -- the church was located near the present location of Pelham Road and Vann Street (now the site of Hardee's). In 1858 a second house of worship was begun and was used as a church after the Civil War. The Pelhams were devout, but not Calvinistic, Presbyterians -- it was said that Martha, when young, liked to dance. In 1858, Martha and her eldest son, Charles, apparently attended a revival -- they were baptized, probably as Baptists. Her son Peter remained a devout Presbyterian; the youngest son, Thomas, is buried at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. Martha tried to convert the other children, telling William to "come out on the Lord' s side." She also disliked drinking and card playing, and like a good mother should, enjoined her sons to lead good, moral lives.
William McGehee eventually sold his land and Dr. Pelham bought a 1000-acre tract. In the 1850' s he bought ''Lower Plantation," and sold that at profit. In 1849 Dr. Pelham bought a four-acre site and built a larger home in the hamlet of Alexandria, about eight miles east of Jacksonville. This home was typical of middle-class Southern homes at the time. It was seven rooms, a story and a half, with a passageway in the middle. Two chimneys on the outside and fireplaces upstairs and downstairs provided heat. There were four rooms on the first floor, two of them certainly a kitchen and a parlor. The boys' bedrooms were upstairs. The home stood until 1931, although it had known no Pelhams since the 1880's. Mr. Fred Martin, a local historian, was born in the old Pelham home.
Dr. Pelham was frequently away from home with calling on patients. As both doctor and planter, Atkinson Pelham probably spent many worrisome moments. It is often difficult to combine two demanding professions. According to Milham, by 1860 Pelham owned 31 slaves. This hardly seems sufficient labor when you consider that at one time or another, he owned three plantations. Some of the slaves were house servants. The Pelham boys were expected to work the farms and they did. In John's letter of February 27, 1856 (written in verse), he refers to raising cotton, corn, and oats, and plowing a mule. His only help seems to be his brothers (who have apparently taken a section of the farm to manage and to compete with John) and a few slaves, one named Jack. In a letter in May, 1861, Atkinson refers to a hail storm which damaged crops, but Peter is expected home and will immediately go down and repair what he can. This is not exactly a "Gone With the Wind" lifestyle, and the Pelham family is more typical of the life led by most rural Southerners.
Money was often in short supply. When William writes that his suit is becoming worn, Martha tells him to make it last a little longer -- she has no money to send him. John promises to be careful about expenses traveling home from West Point. Land and negroes were hardly liquid assets.
As with all farmers, the land, the weather and seasons dictate the pace of life. The Pelham cotton went to Wetumpka, approximately 100 miles south of Alexandria. The Coosa River is a narrow stream. It is only navigable from Rome, Georgia to Greensport. In the fall, the Pelhams would take the cotton by road or when the river was high, by flatboat.
For entertainment, the Pelhams frequently visited Martha's sister, Sarah McGehee. She had married Judge Thomas A. Walker and they lived in a beautiful brick home, "The Magnolias." They paid visits to friends and family and vice-versa. As often is the case in small towns, everyone knew your business. Martha's letters are very gossipy. At times they went on hikes in the mountains. Hangings were a public affair back then, but Martha expressed concern lest her sons see one when they wanted to attend a show in Jacksonville the very same day. Politics and church were expected to be more entertaining than they are today. Martha once met a preacher and wrote disappointedly, ''He was the plainest preacher I ever heard I think."
Politically, Dr. Pelham was an old Whig. He subscribed to the National Intelligencer, the Whig party organ. He seems to have never held any office, but he certainly was interested. His love of the Union was great, being the son of a Major in the Revolution. He was a reluctant secessionist.
The Pelhams were simple country people. They were upright in character, had simple values, and were very practical in their dealings with others and in everyday life. Like most parents, they wanted their children to do better than they did and have an easier life. Also, they hoped that their children would lift some of the burden off of them as they got older.
Like Atkinson predicted, the Civil War had a devastating affect on their lives. John was killed. Charles, William, and Peter were at times prisoners-of-war. Any wealth accumulated was gone after the war. In the postwar period, the Pelhams did the best they could. Charles practiced law in Talladega and eventually got into Republican politics. Peter and William lived in Georgia. Bettie married a Georgian. Samuel died at the age of 25 from tuberculosis and is buried beside John. Only Thomas remained. Martha died in 1876; Dr. Pelham remained active, and it was while visiting a patient that he died in 1880.
The McGehee home burned in the 1960's. In 1984 we visited the home of Thomas
Pelham near "Mahlep" (Pelham spelled backwards) -- it burned in
1985. Except for John Pelham's monument over his grave, and the Pelham family
graves, there are no tangible reminders of them. But the name Pelham will
be forever associated with Calhoun County.
This article first appeared in Volume 7, No. 1 of The Cannoneer.
Source:
Milham, Gallant Pelham.
The Jacksonville Story.
Pelham Papers, Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina.
