Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-06-08

we were ana yelled:
Rally, men. Rally, Stonewall
Jackson is in their rear and giving 'em
sut"
"Then we cheercd, too, until we were
hoarse. The courier galloped on, and
presently our officer shouted;
"Forward, men! Charge"
"And away we went down the hill
and across Il field, right toward the
Yankee lines, yelling like Indians
IL held the colors in my hand, and |
ran 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.
81 can carry the colors yet, colonel
l said. 4 don't feel any pain
81 ran on some 80 steps, when the
blood began spouting from my shout
der. | dropped. Joe Ashe, one of the
Colol SuuIuS, SIttCutu lllt nag. anu
they all rushed on.
q fell senseless. | never knew an
other thing till weeks after, when l
woke up one day in ChimboraZo hos
pital and found some funny looking Ia
dies in black bonnets that the boys call
ed the sisters bending over me. If 1t
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-"tcll me, did you ever find your
arm that you dropped?"
"No; to be sure not never went to
look for it,
"You couldn't fasten 1t on again.
them"
"Of course not child. am not a
jOinted doll"
What pity you couldn't!' said the
child. what a pity! And how do you
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
'pn ~ id Innnin who of in
vcstigating mind.
"Providcncc will raise me up some
other way" he said, with pathetic
smile. "Ill have my wife to wait on
me-"
ITO be sure. forgot; Miss Mary
Jane will. What did she say?"
81 got one of the sisters to write her
wouldn't bind her to poor cripple like
me-"
"And she said no. STREE! sposc,"
cried Jennie. full of fiery zeal for her
new friend.
Something to that effect" said Joe,
smiling.
"She wrote me that she loved me
W ltIl Oht i'll lllitu SIZE ever lldu
done with two; that whenever l could
get home she was ready" Here JOe's
eyes filled. and he sazed steadily in
the water
well. 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.'
Il 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 first had to get well, and
then | had to get something to do. |
had been mechanic, and 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 | can keep his
books. | think I'm doing pretty well.
See?'
He drew from his pocket a little
blank book in which We're scrawled
divers hicroglyphics. 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 H. | know him by his eye
brow. You see, | can read little"
she said proudly.
80 | see" said he, laughing and put
ting up his book. "Now, | must go.
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"