The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-22
JOE'S NARRATIVE.
How the Flag Carrier Lost His Arm
His Mary2Ann.

In a hut made OF husks OF the bright yellow corn.
And 'twas there that I met my julia 20 true,
And l nowed her about IN niy gumtree canoe,
Singing. row away, row Ger the waters 50 blue,
Like a feather wen float ia my gumtree canoe.
The clerk Of the Pretty Jane had 8
mellow voice. and blended sweetly with
it was little Jennie's childish treble.
He sat upon the deck Of the little
steamboat gazing around on the bright
waters of the Tombigbee as the sun
danced on them. gazing intently, and
smiling absently to himself.
He was q man of about thirty. and his
right coat sleeve was empty and pinned
upon his heart.
Little Jennie leaned upon his knee,
staring him intently IN the face in a way
that children have. She pushed her
broad brimmed hat back from her eyes
50 that she might stare the better. The
bat was a queerly shaped palmetto
structure, for this was in '63. and clothes
were at q premium. She was the child
Of n of the passengers, and between
her and the clerk quite a friendship had
sprung up.
"And did you sure enough meet your
Julia here on the Tombigbeey' asked the
child, stroking the empty sleeve with q
pitying touch
EYES," said the clerk, reused from his
reverie and smiling down on the eager lit
tie face: ~ have often taken her rowing
on the Tombigbee before the war, when
/ had my other arm"
How NIGEL" said Jennie. GLOW NIGEL
And in a gumtree Cancer
"Well, / wasn't particular as to the
kind of canoe, 50 it was a canoe" said
he, smiling.
"And your Julia amt named Julia,
but Mary Jane, after all" said the child.
YES" said he, ''but she's Just as
sweet as If her name was Julia, though
'twouldnt ft in the song SO we'll"
"No, you couldn't say, L rowed my
Mary Jane so true 'Twould make the
song too long legged"
True" said he, laughing, but that
makes no difference. / think of her
while / sing it, SO that it seems as If ii
was her name
"Well, Mr.. Perkins" said Jennie, "ter
me why haven't you married your Julia,
if you've been rowing her around in
your gumtree n these ever so many
years."
"You see" said the mate smiling, 'smy
Julia couldn't make up her mind that
she loved me till the war broke out and
/ volunteered; then she said directly
she'd marry me, but twas too late then;
had to go off to fight"
"You had both of your arms Them in
terrupted Jennie; "you was born with
'emY'
'tOf course, child. Did you ever hear
of any one born with one arm? Nature
don't ever make no such cobbled, lop-
sided work as that"
"Well, if you had both of your arms
then, l don't see why she wouldn't have
you"
BLESS you, child, everybody had
plenty of arms then; that was no in
ducement to take a fellow. But, as ]
was saying, when she found I was going
off to the wal and might get killed, then
she found that she loved me-"
ssShe'd rather marry you than that
you should get killed." said Jennie.
Eyes, I think she ought, after you rowed
her around in the canoe"
"You are right" said Perkins, laugh
ing; 'but twas too late to marry her
then. We agreed that if ever I got back
safely, when the wal was over, we'd
marry"
Tell me now, how you came to lose
your ARM" said Jennie.
"'Twas in one of the great battles
around Richmond that year. I had been
in many fights before, but this was
about the. hottest. The enemy were
bound to get the hill on which we stood,
and we were holding on desperately,
But at last the boys began to waver and
give way. Then our colonel came out
to the front, and the rest of officers
followed him. and they ran up and down
the lines cheering up the men.
STEADY, my boys said the old colo
mel; keep pouring it into them. Steady.
Re-enforcements will soon be here
Never let it be said that the line broke
where the Alabamians stoodr
1.-THE whole air seemed black with
buOb anu SlCA. p1IO1 Va OAC 6AdLCd
the colonel's cheek, and the blood kept
trickling down his face, but he didn't
seem to feel it. The firing grew 81 hoi
that the men seemed fairly moved
down, and the line began to a and
break. Suddenly, clear on our right,
there arose a tremendous yell 1t grew
louder and louder. and ran down the
line toward Us. Then, at last, We saw g
courier galloping down the line. shall
never forget how he looked. His black
horse was all white with foam and its
TANKS were bloody from his spur. He
rode bare headed down the line as if be
bore a charmed life, and he kept waving
his cap around his head and shouting
something to the men, and as they heard
him the wavering line rallied and sent
up deafening cheers. Then he galloped
by where we were and yelled:
"'RaIly, men! rallyl Stonewan Jack
son is in their rear, and giving 'em sutr
Then we cheered, too, until We were
hoarse. The courier galloped On, and
presently our officer shouted:
Forward men; charged
sand sway we went, down the hill
and across a field, right toward the
Yankee lines, yelling like Indians.
Il held the coiors in my hand, and /
=, 1;@tta abaad T dinnsf saen r. hava