Pelham Genealogy - General William Pelham (1798-1870)
The uncle of John Pelham and older brother of his father was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1798.
I do not know much about his early career except that at one time he was the surveyor general of Arkansas. He then served as a general in the Texas Revolution.
When the war broke out in 1861, Pelham sided with the South. When General Sibley went into New Mexico in 1862, the following letter sheds some light on Pelham's activities:
Austin, Tex., February 8, 1863
General J.B. Magruder, Galveston.
Sir:
General Pelham, a most worthy citizen of this vicinity, was in New Mexico
at the beginning of the present war, and when General Sibley reached that
country with his brigade and found it untenable General Pelham shouldered
his gun to fight for Southern independence, and on his way down from Santa
Fe with arms in his hands was taken prisoner and paroled, but inasmuch as
he had not joined the service formally and had his name placed upon the muster-roll
the enemy deny him the benefits of a prisoner of war and claim him to be a
political prisoner and refuse to exchange him. He feels the injustice done
him in this regard by the enemy and is exceedingly anxious to be exchanged,
so that he may be in a condition to aid in the defense of our country against
the Abolitionists, and particularly to be enabled to defend his family without
violating his parole. General W.R. Scurry is referred to for full particulars
in regard to General Pelham. Now if you can consistently with your duties
aid in disenthralling a brave, true and valuable citizen by procuring his
exchange the people of Texas will consider it not only as an act of justice
but another evidence of your devotion to her cause. Not having a personal
acquaintance with you that would justify this appeal induces me to address
you over my official signature.
Hoping you will find it compatible with your public duties and sense of justice to use your best efforts in behalf of General Pelham,
I have the honor to be, your most obedient servant,
C.W. Burnley,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ninth Legislature.
Why did the Yankees have such an interest in a 64 year old man, who simply forgot to formally sign a muster roll? It appears the Yankees believed that he was to be the Confederate Governor of New Mexico, had sibley's campaign been successful. However, other newspapers denied this. He was incarcerated at Fort Union. Whether General John B. Magruder was able to help him, I do not know.
General Pelham's last years were spent in El Paso, where he died in 1870. William Pelham had married Ann Conway. They had three children, Isabella, Marianna and Charles Thomas. Isabella married a Mr. Ten Eyck. Charles Thomas Pelham served in the celebrated 8th Texas Cavalry, or Terry's Texas Rangers, as a private. He was killed in a cavalry charge near Dalton, Georgia, probably before the Atlanta Campaign in 1864. Charles having left no issue, General William Pelham petitioned the Texas state legislature to change the name of his grandson, Charles Pelham Ten Eyck, to Charles T. Pelham, which was done.
This article first appeared in Volume 2, No. 4 of The Cannoneer.
Sources:
Official Records, Series II, Vol. V, pp. 827-28.
Confederate Veteran, Vol. II, No. 3,-PP: 74-75.
Confederate Veteran, Vol. II, No.7, p. 219,
Mark Hardwick Hall, Sibley's New Mexico Campaign (Austin University
of Texas Press, 1960).
