The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1894-10-04
THE TRUE HISTORY
OF CAPTAIN JOHN SWIFT, AS EsPE-
ClALLY CONCERNS
His Mining Operations Tor silver in What
is Now Known as the Mountainous
Part of Eastern Kentucky.
Interesting Reading.
WRITER BY ONE WHO KNOWS


shortly after Braddock's defeat at the
French port Duquesne in 1855. Among
the exchanged prisoners that came with
the Colonial army to Alexandria, then
one of the leading seaports of the colonies,
was man named Mundy who had been
captured by the Indians when about six
teen years old, and remained with them
near about eighteen years. Mundy had
been so long with the Indians he seemed
somewhat out of his natural element
among the whites in Alexandria,
Capt. John Swift at that time COM
manded a sailing craft between Havana
and Alexandria, his cargo consisting
principally of rum and molasses. He had
landed in port just about the time Mundy
made his appearance in Alexandria
Capt. Swift, noticing the singular APP
pearance of Mundy, interviewed him.
Capt. Swift, being naturally generous
hearted man, on learning Mundy's his.
tory, furnished him some suitable wear
ing apparel, went to the landlord of the
inn where he stopped when in port, and
told the landlord to let Mundy have to
eat and drink at his (Swift's) expense.
This practical kindness of Capt. Swift
so won the love and confidence of Mundy
that he seemed anxious to make some re-
turns to the Captain for his kindness.
Mundy, learning that Capt. Swift would
set sail for Havana within a few days,
went to him and told him he had some
thing of Importance to tell him. After
retiring to themselves Mundy proceeded
to tell Swift of rich mines of silver out
west in the mountains on the waters of
Kaintuck, saying to Swift that when he
was a Captain he was with the French
and Indians and helped to pack ore and
burn coal to smelt it with, but they never
learned him anything about separating
the metal from the rock, as there were
generally two or three of them that at
tended especially to that part of the
work.
Captain Swift replied to Mundy by say
ing he had frequently heard that there
was silver out West in the mountains,
also saying he knew nothing about ores
of any kind, that the business he was
engaged in was under contract for a GER
tain time, and when the time was up he
would then try and get up party con-
sisting of some who understood smelling
of rock so as to obtain the silver. He
said he had met Mexican and Peruvian
miners in Havana every trip he made,
and that he would take especial care to
hunt up such miners and try and induce
them to come home with him.
1t appears it was almost two years after
Capt Swift and Mundy met before they
got ready to go to the mines. There was
a party of six started from Alexandria
for the silver mines in 1853. After being
on their journey several days some of
the party became suspicious of Mundy,
saying that he might betray them into
the hands of the Indians, but Capt. Swift
told them that he had the utmost conf
dence in Mundy and would go on with
him. Finally four of the men deter
mined to turn back, two of the four being
the leading men "a smelters and refiners.
Swift and Mundy knew they could do
nothing if they went on. The four men
who determined to return told Swift and
Mundy if they would 60 on and bring
some of the ore, and if it proved to be
rich, they certainly would return with
them and run the silver out.
Mundy, learning from Swift that these
men mistrusted him refused togo, saying
TO those men that he would never pilot
any of them or be the means of their de-
irving any benefit from the mines. AT
that time they all went back to Alexan-
dria, and after their arrival Mundy said
TO Capt Swift that he would 60 alone
and see how to get through best, what
changes had been made, whether the old
furnaces had been used since he worked
with them, stating at the time that the
furnaces were on creek In the toughest