The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-13
HOW JOE LOST HIS ARM.
On the TombIgbec river so bright, was born.
In INT made Of hunks OF the bright yellow

Like IeAtheE wen uOAI IN my RumHeo CAuo
The clerk OF the Pretty Jane had
mellow voice, and blended sweetly wit
1t was little Jennie's childish treble.
He sat upon the deck Of the It'll
steamboat gazing around on the brlgh
waters of the Tombigbee as the SUI
danced on them, gazing intently, an,
smiling abssntly to himself.
He was man Of about thirty, and hi
right coat sleeve was empty and pinnet
upon bis heart.
Little Jennie leaned upon his knee
staring him intently in the lace in a wa
that children have. She pushed he
broad-brimmed hist back from her eye
so that she might stare the better. TIL,
hat was q queeTly shaped palmetto
structure, for this was in '63, and clothel
weren't a premium. She was the chile
OF one Of the passengers, and between
her and the clerk quite friendship
had sprung up.
Sand did you sure enough meet you
Julia here on the Tombigbee2" asked
the child, strokiDg the empty sleeve
with APPLYING touch.
"Yes," said the clerk, reused from hiE
reverie and smiling down ON the eager
little face, ~ have often taken her row.
ing on the Tombigbee before the war
when had my other arm"
"How NIGEL" said Jennie. "How nice
And in Humtree canoe?
"Well, wasn't particular as to the
kind OF canoe, so ii was a canee," said
he, smiling.
"And your Julia amt named Julia,
but Mary Jane, after all, said the child.
"YeB," said he, ''but she's just az
sweet as il her name was Julia, though
wouldn't fit in the song so WELL"
mo, you couldn't cay, i rowed my
Mary Jane so true, 'Twould make the
song too long.legged."
''True," said he, laughing, "but thai
makes no difference. l think Of her
while sing it, go that 1t seems as II II
was her name"
"Well, Mr.. Perkins" said Jennie, "tell
me why haven't you married your Julia,
If you've been rowing her around in
your gumtree canoe these ever so many
years."
"You see" said the mate smiling, "my
Julia couldn't make her mind up that
she loved me till the war broke out and
volunteered; then she said directly
she'd marry me, but twas too late then ;
| hSd to go oil to fight"
"YOu had both Of your arms then !"
interrupted Jennie; You was born with
emf.
"Of 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"
"We!l, II you had both Of your arms
then, ! don'tsee why she wouIdn't have
you"
"Bless you, child, everybody had
plenty OF arms then; that was no in.
ducement to take fellow. But, as l
was saying, when she found was going
of to the war and might get killed, then
she found that she loved me-"
"She'd rather marry you than that
you should get killed, said Jennie.
Eyes, / think she ought, after you rowed
her around in the canoe"
"You are right" said Perkins, laugh
ing; shut twas too late to marry her
then. We agreed that ii ever l got back
safely, when the war 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. l 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 oul
to the front, and the rest Of our 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. endorsements will soon be here
Never let It be said that the line broke
where the Alabamians stoodr
1.-THE whole air seemed black with
shot and shell. A piece OF one grace
the colonel's cheek, and the blood KEEP
trickling down his face, but he didn'
seem to feel it. The firing grew 80 ho
| LuhL tuo ucu be6Iueu IhILl1 nVWee
down, and the line began to wayer and
break. Suddenly, clear on our right
there arose a tremendous yell. It grew
louder and louder, and ran down thu
line toward US. Then, ut last, we saw {
courier galloping down the line. / shal
never forget how he looked. His biaCi
horse was all white with foam and it
flanks were bloody from his spur. II,
rode bare.heRded down the line as II b.
bore a charmed life, and he kept waviDI
his cap around his head and shouting
something to the men, aud as they hear
him the wavering line rallied and sen
up deGfening cheers, Then he gallope,
by where We were and yelled:
"'Rslly, menl rallyl Stonewall Jack
son is in their rear, and giving Zen
sutp
"Then we cheered, too, until we wer
hoarse. The courier galloped on, an
presently our officer shouted;
Forward, men charged
"And away We went, down the hi
and across field, right toward the Var
kee lines, yelling like Indians.
II held the colors in my hand, and
ran little ahead. / didn't seem to hav
any feet; seemed to fly, and the me
followed me, Right toward the blazln
line we ran.
"All at once l saw the Colonel, VII
was riding by me, grasp the colors, "a
they were falling. ] looked aud go
that my hand, my whole arm was gon,
and hadn't felt i'll Igrabbed the tla
in my left hand.
az can carry the colors yet, colonel
l said. ] don't feel any pain.
~ ran on some fifty steps, when Ii
blood began spouting from my shoulde
/ dropped. joe Ashe, one Of the cole
guards, snatched the flag, and they q
rushed on.
~ fell senseless. never knew al
other thing till weeks after, when vol
up one day in ChimboraEo hospital ar
found some funny looking iadies in blal
bonnets, that the boys called the 81
ters,' bending oyer me. Hit hadn t bee
for their good nqrlng, ! should ha'
died."
Perkins ceased. He had been so CT
rled away by the interest he felt in :
own narrative that he bad gone qui