The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-09-10
NUMBER. 70.

cheers. Then he galloped by where
we Were and yelled:
Rally, men. Rally, StonewalI
Jackson is in their rear and giving 'em
sutv
''Then we cheered too. until we were
hoarse- The courier galloped on, and
presently our officer shouted:
Forward, men. Charger
"And away we went, down the hill
and across a field. right toward the
Yankee lines, yelling like Indians
Il held the colors in my hand, and I
ran little ahead. | didn't seem to
have any feet;.I seemed to fly, and the
men followed me. Right toward the
blazing line we ran.
"An at once l 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 l hadn't felt it, l grabbed
the flag in my left hand.
can carry the colors yet. colonel
said. 4 don't feel any pain
Il ran on some 80 steps, when the
blood began spouting from my shouI-
der. / dropped. Joe Ashe, one of the
color guards. snatched the flag, and
they all rushed on.
81 fell senseleSs. l never knew an
other thing till weeks after, when 1
woke up one day in Chimborazo hos
pital and found some funny looking la
dies in black bonnets that the boys call
ed the sisters bending over me. If it
hadn't been for their good nursing.
should have died"
Perkins ceased. He had been so car
ried away by the interest he felt in his
own narrative that he had gone quite
beyond his auditor.
But tell me. joe" Jennie eagerly
asked-she had been impatiently wait
ing for an opportunity for some min
utes-''tell me, did you ever find your
arm that you dropped?"
NO; to he sure not. 1 never went to
look for it,
you couldn't fasten it on again,
them
'fOf course not child. I am not
jointed doll"
what pity you couldh'tw said the
child. What pity! And how do you
manage to dress yourself and tie your
cravat and shoes?' she asked, for she
had been burning to make these in
Quiries ever since she had seen the one
armed Confederate.
"'Twas awkward at first, but learn
ed at last TO do it with the help of my
teeth"
But how when you get old and lose
emf" said Jennie, who was Of an in
vestigating mind.
providence will raise me up some
other way" he said, with a pathetic
smile. 'T'll have my wife to wait on
me-"
"To be sure, 1 forgot; Miss Mary
Jane will What did she say"
81 got one of the sisters to write her
for me, and I set her free. said
wouldn't bind her to poor cripple like
me-"
"And she said no, sir-reel / s'pose,"
cried Jennie, full of fiery zeal for her
| new friend.
Something to that effect" said Joe,
smiling
"She wrote me that she loved me
| more with one arm than she ever had
done with two; that whenever l could
get home she was ready" Here Joe's
eyes filed, and he gazed steadily in
the water.
.sWell, now, Joe," said Jennie, who
was suddenly struck with a bright
idea. maybe if you would lose both
arms she'd love you betterer and bet
| terer."
81 believe I'm satisfied with what
she feels now," said joe laughing.
"But why hain't you married?" con-
tinued Jennie, pursuing her investiga-
| tions.
| Because l first had to get well, and
| then l had to get something to do 1
had been mechanic. and l couldn't
| work at my trade with my left hand.
So Captain Ramsey gave me place on
his boat, and I've been trying to learn
how to write, so that l can keep his
books. l think I'm doing pretty well.
Seer
He drew from his pocket a little
blank book in which were scrawled
divers hieroglyphics, at which he gazed
complacently.
"Why, yes," said Jennie apprOvingly.
There's t with the cross mark, and
there is * with his broken back, and
that's an 81 | know him by his eye
brow. You see, l can read little"
she said proudly.
$50 see." said he, laughing and put
ting up his book. Now, l must 60
The sun has set. 1t is time for me to
see after things for the night
He stroked Jennie's curly head with
his left hand and walked away, softly
singing in his mellow voice, 'My Own
Mary Ann"