Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1862-11-26
Blind Joe Parsons, of Baltimore.

I ASAtNNC9 SAAO 4O4AOW4n9 duOCAOIS-
Joe enlisted in the 1st Maryland regi-
ment and was plainly trough" Origi-
nally. As we passed along the hail. we
first saw him, crouched near an open
window, Justify singing, I'm bold
soldier boys" and observing the broad
bandage over his eyes, I said, "what's
your name my good fellow 2''
sJoe, sir" he answered, "JOe Par
sons
"And what is the matter with you"
Blind, sir-blind as bat"
In battle ?"
" "Yeo-at Antietam. Both eyes shot
out at one clip" ~
Poor Joe was in the front at Antietam
creek, and Mimic ball had passed direct
ly through his eyes, across his face, de-
stroying his face forever. He was but
twenty years old; but he was as happy
as lark
+" 1t is dreadful, said
"I'm very thankful Tn alive, sir. It
might ha' been worse, yer see" he con
tinued. And he told US his story:
"I was hit, he said, and it knocked
me down. lay there all night. and
nexe day the fight was renewed. could
stand the pain, yer see, but the balls was
fyin' all round, and I wanted to get
away. I Ioouldn't see nothin, though. So
1 waited and listened, and at last I heard
feller grOanin' beyond me. sHellOP
says 1, Hello, yourself, says he. rWho
be yer? says la 'rebel?' You're a
Yankee, said he so I am says I.
whats the matter with your 'Myleg's
smashed, says he. Cant yer walk p
No. Cant yer see?' Yes well,
says I, you're a id rebel, but will
you do me little favor?' 4 Will says
he, 'ef ken. Then I says, well ole
butternut, I can't see nothing My eyes
is knocked out, but I ken walk. Come
over here. Let's get out O this. You
pint the way, an I'll tote yer off the
field on my back
Bully for your says he. And SO we
managed to git together. We shook
hands on it. I took a drink outer his
eanteen, and he got on to my shoulders.
I did the walkin' for both, an he did
the nayigatin'. An eff he didn't make
me carry him straight to a rebel COlonels
tent, mile away, I'm liar Hows' ever,
the Colonel came up, an says he, 'Whar
Eyer come from who be yer? I told
him. He said I was done for, and
couldn't do no more shootin'; and he
sent me over to our lines, So, after three
days, I came down here with the wOun-
ded boys, where we're dOin' pretty well,
all things considered"
"But you will never see the light
again, my poor fellow" L suggested sym
pathetically.
"That's SO, " he answered, glibly; "but
I can't help it, you notice. I did my
dOoty-got shot, pop in the eye-an'
that's my misfort'n, not my fault-as the
ole man said of his blind hoss. But
Pm bold soldier boy"
he continued, oheerily renewing his song;
and we left him in his singular merri-
ment. Poor, sightless, unlucky, but
stout-hearted, Joe Parsons" "
HERE is bit of English eccentricity
in sufficiently bad taste even for John
Bull. Mr.. Queensly, the Cambridge
sauant, a great admirer of the Greek
poets, has given orders in his will, that
after his death his body shall be dis
sected and has skin taken of and tanned in
such manner as to convertinto a parch-
ment, on which the Iliad of Homer shall
then be copied, the singular MS. then to
be deposited in the British Museum.
A COMMITTEE of the young ladies of
the High School at Lancaster, Penn,
recently forwarded to Mrs. General Nc
Clellan a handsomely arranged parlOr
ornament, called "phantOm bouquet,
as a present. It was accompanied by
note from the fair donors, which elected
the following reply:
TRENTON, N. J., Nov. 4, 1862.
Ny DEAR YoUNG LADIES Il beg
that you will present to the pupils of the
Female High School my most cordial
thanks for the exquisite gift you have
been kind enough to bestOw upon me;
and allow me to express my warm appre-
citation of the kind feeling you express
for my noble husband, all of which I
feel he deserves.
I assure you shall prize highly this
beautiful present, and always feel deep
interest in the young ladies who were
kind enough to make me the happy re-
cipient.
With earnest wishes for the happiness
Of you all, I remain truly yours,
ELLEN NJ. MCCLELLAN.
To Misses Mary NJ. Martin, Maggie
Griel. Rose Hurley.