The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-05-08
" STEADY, my BOYS" said he old


will soon be here. Never let it be
said that the lines broke where tie
Alabamians stood !
1.-The whole air seemed black
with shot and she'll. A piece Of
one grazed the colonel's cheek, and
the blood kept trickling down his
face, but he didn't seem to feel It..
The firing grew SO hot that the
men seemed fairly moved down,
and The line began 10 waver and
break. Suddenly. clear on our
right, there arose tremendous
yell. 1t grew louder end louder,
and ran down the line toward US.
Then, at last, we saw courier sal
loping down The line. shall never
forget how he looked. His black
horse was all white with foam and
its tlanks were bloody from his
spur. lie rode bare headed down
the line "a if he bore a charmed
life, and kept waving his cap
around his head and shouting some
thing to the men, and as they
heard him the wavering lire raj
lied and sent up deafening cheers.
Then he galloped by where we
were and yelled:
"'Raliy, men rallyl Stonewall
jackson is in Their rear, and CIV
ing 'em sui
"Then we cheered, too, until we
we're hoarse. The courier gallop-
ed ON, and presently our officer
shouted:
"'Forward men; charge p!
and away We went. down the
hill and across IA field, right toward
the Yankee lines, yelling like In
dians.
I held the colors in my and,and
| ran a little ahead. didn't seem
to have any feet; | seemed to fly,
and the men followed me. Right
toward the blazing line we ran.
All at once | saw the colonel,
who was riding by me, grasp the
colors, for they were falling. l
looked and saw that my hand, my
whole arm was gone, and | hadn't
felt it. l grabbed the flag in my
left hand.
IL can carry the colors yet, col
onel," | said. Il don't feel any
pain"
ran on some fifty steps, when
the blood began spouting from ny
shoulder. | dropped. Joe Ashe,
one of the color guards, snatched
the flag. aud they all rushed on.
81 fell senseless. | never knew
another thing TILL weeks after,
when | woke up one day in Chin
borazo hospital and found some
funny looking ladies in black bon
nets that the boys called The sig
ters,' bending over me. If II had
not been Tor their good nursing, |
should have died"
Perkins ceased. lie had been
so carried away by the interest he
felt in his own narrative that he
had gone quite beyond his auditor.
"But tell me, joe" Jennie eag-
erly asked she had been impa-
tienlly waiting for an opportunity
for some minules-"iell ne, did
you ever find your arm that you
dropped Z"
"No; TO be sure not. | never
went TO look for Il.'
lyon couldn't iasten ii on again,
then p
"Of course not, child. lam not
joinied doll"
"What a pity you couldn't" SAID
the child. "What pity! And how
do you manage TO dress yourself
and lie your cravat and shoes "
she asked, for she had been burn
ing TO make these inquiries ever
since she had seen The armed
Confederate.
"Twas awkward at first, but |
learned at last to do 1t with The
help of my teeth"
"But how when you get old and
lose 'em 2" said Jennie, who was of
an investigating mind.
"Providence will raise me up
some other way" he said with
pathetic smile. 'I'll have my wife
to wait on me-"
"To be sure, | forgot Miss Mary
Jane will. What did she say |"
IL got one of the sisters 10 write
her for me. and | set her free. |
said | wouldn't bind her 10 poor
cripple like me-"
"And she said no, sir rec, | sup
pose" cried Jennie, full Of fiery
zeal for her new friend.
Something 10 that effect" said
Joe smiling. "She wrote me
that she loved me more with
one arm than she had ever done
with two. And whenever 1 could
get home she was ready" Here
Joe's ewes filled and he gaZed
steadily in the wafer.
well, now, JOe," said Jennie,
who was suddenly struck with
bright idea, "maybe if you would
lose both arms, she'd love you bet
terer and beiterer."
Il believe I'm satisfied with
what she feels now" said Joe,
laughing.
"But why hain't You married ?"
continued Jennie, pursuing her in
vestigaIions.
Because | first had 10 get welt,
and then | had 10 get something
to do. had been a mechanic,and
| couldn't work at my trade with
r,r lort hand Co Cant Pauaeox