Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-04-27

Believing JnaJ the HE oi Johh ~
Parsons, who died a short time age
at his home in upper Accomack, II
worthy of more than passing
notice. | submit The following FOL
, publication:
Mr.. Parsons was born July 9Th, 1885,
on farm in Somerset county, Md
, near Dublin, and was one OF family
. OF thirteen children His parents
were John Selby Parsons and Eliza
beth Parsons (nee Truitt). Wher
he was quite young his father, who
, at the time, was In comfortable cir
= cumstances died. Shortly after hi'
, death practically all his property wat
sold for debts to which he wat
security, and as a consequence the
subject of this sketch had to spend
his boyhood at hard work on farm
He had no opportunity to attend
school until he was seventeen years
of age. when he went one winter FOL
| fifty two days to a Mr.. Wilson. DE
could read a little In the old blue
Back Spelling Book" when he started
to school, and at the end OF the term
had been through Smiths grammar
and had acquired fair knowledge
of geography,sp spelling and arithmetic
through the double rule OF three.
After this he continued to work on
the farm and to study at night and
during his other spare moments until
he was twenty years OF age. Then
he went to Baltimore and succeeded
in getting a position to teach two
small children In the family OF
gentleman living near Baltimore.
This gentleman was highly educated
and possessed good library, which
he placed at Mr.. Parsons disposal
and also helped him in his studies
especially in the study OF Latin.
At the close of the school, he went
West, and located in st. Louis, Mo-,
where he secured a clerkship in a
wholesale hardware house. Here he
continued his studies at night, and
after awhile commenced to read law
under the instruction of an attorney.
Having acquired some knowledge OF
the principles of law, he was admit
ted to the Bar, and commenced the
practice of the profession at Farm
ington, st. Francois county, Mo. He
remained here until the fall OF 1850.
Then he moved to st. Louis, opened
a law office and was beginning to get
a little practice when the war begun.
He at once joined the Southern army,
and with his comrades followed the
flag of the "lost cause" through the
gloomy forests of Missouri, Arkansas
and Tennessee and over the scorch-
ing plains and beneath the burning
suns of Mississippi, Alabama and
Georgia. He was three times wound
ed.once left on the field for dead. He
was captured at vicksburg, but was
afterwards exchanged for Northern
prisoner. and continued in the SER
vice until again captured at Frank
lin, Tennessee, when he was sent as
o prisoner to Johnson's Island, Lake
Erie. He served the Confederacy as
Captain of Company "C", End and
9th Mo. Infantry and was under the
command of Gen. F. M. Cockrell who
is the present U. s. Senator from
Missouri. In writing to party about
Mr.. Parsons, Gen. Cockrell used the
following language; Capt. j. D..
Parsons, OF Atlantic, Va, resided in
Missouri in 1860, and early in 1861
espoused the cause Of the South =
enlisted for the war and served to the
end. knew him personally from
about 1862 to the close. He was a
captain in my old brigade, and was a
gallant soldier, and an efficient OIL
Ger, and with all an intelligent, Gull
tivated, honorable and worthy
gentleman"
In letter to his brother from
Johnson's Island, he wrote the fol-
lowing lines, which show something
of the suffering our soldiers endured
as prisoners:
Johnsons' Island, Ohio.
June 18th, 1866.
Thou cold bleak isle of Northern
lake,
Who shall write thy story
Shall tell each day that sets the stake,
Which marks departed gloryf
Imprisoned on thy icy shore
And stricken by It's blast,
True Southern men with patience
bore
Disease-and death at last
No gentle wife with soft caress,
Here cooled the fevered brain
70 mothers prayer, or sisters kiss,
Here soothed away their pain.
But all unheeded here they fell
The gallant, brave and true
Unrung by any Christian bell
And honored but by few.
They from their cold hunks were
borne,
In collins rude and plain
Some paused to look-few went tc
mourn
In their sad funeral train.
They came at length to the grave
yard
Where fellow soldiers sleep
10 circle round are formed the guard
Who sneer at those who weep.
But as in his shallow grave they place
The South's true patriot son,
There's something in bis snow-whitt
face
That says--my duty's done.
True to his native land he fought,
His country's foes defied,