Early Life
Pelham was the third of seven children, with five brothers and a sister Betty, born to Dr. Atkinson and Martha Pelham (née McGehee ) at his grandparents' home along Cane Creek near Alexandria, Alabama. He grew up on the family's 1,000-acre (400 ha) plantation, and learned to raise horses at a young age. On one occasion, he rode a neighbor's milk cow until it ran dry, prompting a lecture to only ride bulls in the future, if he were feeling adventurous.
In 1856, local Congressman Sampson Willis Harris secured an appointment for Pelham to the United States Military Academy at West Point (N.Y.), at the request of A. J. Walker.
Read more about this topic: John Pelham (officer)
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