The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-06-20
SWIMMING FOR LIFE.
\ THRILLING EPISODE ON TIE MONON-
GAIELA RIN Err.

l am fifty years old now, hale and
strong, but not the vigorous man | was
at the time of the events described in
this story. l was reared on the MonOn-
gahela river NV earliest employment
was ON that stream. ! was a ferryman.
a fisherman, bOatman, a raftSman, and
certainly a swimmer-everythin that
did not call me away from the river
When the United States declared war
against Mexico l enlisted at Pittsburg in
the Second Pennsylvania regiment, and
went. | passed 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 a big swim in the MOnOngehela
two years afterward. One day while we
were qUarteTed at Cuycan, seven miles
from the conquered capital, |, being a
sergeant, was ordered to take a file of
men and pursue a reckless character
named MCutchin. who had escaped
from the guard house and fed toward
the city. He was one of the worst men
in the regiment. and had lately been
confined in the guard house to await a
trial by court martial on a charge of
murderOUS assault on a superior officer.
We caught sight of the fugitive before
we had gone half the distance to the
city. and he Immediately left the road
and plunged into dense thicket of a
square mile in extent. We Immediately
scattered through the bushes in pursuit,
and five minutes later | came upon him
hiding in a very thick clmp of the
chaparal. ] expected he would run for
it on being discovered. but to my sur
prise he SpTang out and rushed upon me
a., pf5l4s,
had barely time to club my musket when
he was within two feet of me, and had
he been one second sooner he certainly
would have stabbed me. But with one
blow from the butt of my musket l fell
ed him, and Immediately called for my
companions. They were both within
hearing, and soon at the spot
''Here he is, boys, | said. -'The ras-
cal made an assault or me with his
knife, and knocked him down. Watch
him. Where is that knife -
Here it is, - said one of the boys.
picking it up.
M'Cutchin had now got upon his feet
and was rubbing his head, every now
and then scowling upon me in a very
terrible manner.
'.Oh, III payyou for this - he finally
said
.'M'Cutchin.'' = said |. ''in arresting
you l simply Obeyed orders, and in
knocking you down / 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 tne
like a demon, and repeating muttered
threats. He was very wicked and re-
Yengeful man.
He was soon after court-martialed
and sentenced to wear a ball and chain
about his ankle for one month, and af-
ter that TO be dismissed from the army
in disgrace, forfeiting all his back pay.
So two months later he was put on board
a transport at Vera Cruz and sent to
New Orleans.
During the second summer after my
return to the United States l was en-
I ployed as a mate of a steamboat on the
MOnOngahela. She was a light draught
/ boat called the Merry, and as the water
/ did not usually fall low till late in Au-
/ gust, we piled between Pittsburgh and
| New Geneva nearly all sunmer-tht
/ distance being one hundred miles. DC.
/ caSiOnally. when there was any cOnSid
cradle rise in the river, we ran up Il
/ MorgantOwn, W. Va, twenty mile.
/ above New Geneva.
One rainy evening, when we arrived
I at New Geneva, we found the watel
/ high enough for a venture to Morgan
town, and the captain decided to run up
Just before we left the landing
/ strange man came aboard. stating to tht
1 clerk that he wished to take a deck pas
sage to PittSbuTg. and asking permission
to remain on the boat while running W
to MOTgaptOvn and back, that he might
at once ''tUn in, = and have an mbro
ken nights sleep, to which the clerk
assented. the passenger paying his far
/ to PittSbuTg.
He was a rough looking man. with
/ sandy beard that covered three-fourth
of his face. However, paid but littl
attention to him, and he soon passed af
to where the freight was stored and TIN
deck hands slept.
Onr boat steamed up the river a littl
before dark. and we passed the mOutl
of the Cheat river just as night fairl.
set in-which it did in terrible earnest
/ The clouds thickened up, the rain cam,
down in torrents, and ! never before o
since saw a night so intensely dark
The Merry could hardly proceed ia
I without running aground, for the tai
shores entirely disappeared from yiey
in the lN-ful rlnon but the doors of TN.