The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-01
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE,
CyIl
A SWIM FOR LIFE.

nongahela river. My earliest employ
ment was ON that stream. / was ferry
nnan, fisherman, a boatman, a rafts-
IMAM, and certainly swimmer-every-
thing that did not call me away from
the river
When the United States declared war
against Mexico / enlisted at Pittsburg in
the Second Pennsylvania regiment, and
went. Ipassed through General Scott's
campaign with but one slight wound,
and it was an adventure had near the
City of Mexico, after the fighting was
over, that resulted, strange as it may
seem, in big swim in the Monongehela
two years afterward
One day while we were quartered at
Cuycan, seven miles from the conquer
ed capital L, being sergeant, was order
Led to take file of men and pursue a
RECKLESS character named M'Cutchin,
who had escaped from the guard house
and fled toward the CITY, He was one of
the worst men in the regiment, and had
lately been confined in the guard house to
await trial by court martial on charge
of murderous assault on a superior
officer. We caught sight of the fugitive
tbefore we had gone half the distance to
the city, and he Immediately left the
road and plunged into dense thicket of
square mile in extent. We immedia-
tely scattered through the bushes in pur-
suit, and five minutes later came upon
him hiding in very thick clump of
the chaparal. 1 expected he would run
for it on being discovered, but to my
surprise he sprang out and rushed upon
sme like tiger, flourishing large knife.
Il had barely time to club my musket
when he was within two feet of me, and
had he been one second sooner he GER
tainly would have stabbed me. But
with one blow from the butt of my
n11Nsket felled him, and Immediately
called for my companions. They were
both within hearing, and soon at the
spot.
g Here he is, boys" l said. 1.-THE
rascal made an assault on me with his
knife, and knocked it down. Watch
him. Where is that knife ~
- Here it is,'' said one of the boys,
picking it up.
MCutehin had not got upon his feet
and was rubbing his head, every now
and then scowling upon me in very
TERRIBLE manner.
''Oh, I'll pay you for this" he finally
said.
M'Cutchin," said l, lin arresting
i ei,, rI T.,
knocking you down 1 simply acted in
self-defense. You know you attempted
to kill me with that knife. Now 1
want none of your threats, or I'll make
your case worse than it is. March him
to camp, boys"
We proceeded to camp, the desperate
prisoner all the while glaring upon me
like demon, and repeating muttered
threats. He was very wicked and re-
vengeful man.
He was soon after court-martialed
and sentenced to wear ball and chain
about his ankle for one month and after
that he was dismissed from the army in
disgrace, forfeiting all all his back pay.
So two months later he was put on board
transport at Vera Cruz and sent to
New Orleans.
During the second summer after my
return to the United States / was en-
ployed as mate of steamboat on the
Monongahela. She was light draught
boat called the Merry, and as the water
did not usually fall low till late in Au-
gust, we piled between Pittsburg and
New Geneva nearly all summer-the
distance being one hundred miles. DC.
casionally, when there was any consid.
cradle rise in the river, we ran up to
Morgantown, w. ", twenty miles
above New Geneva.
One rainy evening, when we arrived
at New Geneva, we found the water
high enough for venture to Morgan
town, and the captain decided to run
up.
Just before we left the landing
strange man came aboard, stating to thu
clerk that he wished to take deck pas
sage to Pttsburg, and asking permission
to remain on the boat while running III
to Morgantown and back, that he nigh
at once " turn in" and have an unbro
ken nights sleep, to which the clerl
assented, the passenger paying his far
to Pittsburg.
He was a rough looking man, with
sandy beard that covered three fourth
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