The Washington herald., 1914-10-29

the waves. that splashed against his face
from choking him.
At last, almost without conscious ef-
fort. he reached the soft mud OF the
shore. He tried to stand. and found he
could not. Splashlng and crawling in the
mud, he got into shallow water, and
knowing that here he was not in danger
OF drowning. he relaxed and lay waiting
for daylight.
Crawling Through swamp.
With the light came a slight revival
in his strength. He found that he was
but a short distance from a fort, and
that to remain there meant capture. He
therefore crawIed inland, slowly and
painfully. on his hands and knees.
He had not gone far when he reached
an open space. Beside 1t. but few yards
on. paced a sentry. Gushing dropped
prone and lay still. The mud that
smeared him from head to foot saved
him The sentry did not see him.
As he lay thus he heard footsteps on
path but a few feet from him. and
saw four men pass Two were officers
OF the AIbermarle. discussing the explo-
sion. They passed without seeing Cush-
ing.
Crawling. inch by inch. on his stomach.
by digging his toes and elbows into the
mud. Gushing got out of the sentry :
range of vision. Then he struck into the
noisome swamp beside the river. heading
east. for the sound and the fleet were
there.
Coming upon a clearing he found a
gang OF soldiers at work beside the river
bank sinking the hulks OF vessels to oh
struct the channel He passed them by
wriggling across the clearing in the fur
rows Of plowed field. Again striking
into no he -
someIy along. sometimes through mire
to his waist. again through thickets of
clinCing vines and wounding brierS. until
he came upon an aged negro in a clear
ing.
He felt that he could trust the black,
and giving him money, sent him away
foT-help? No. for news He wanted to
be sure he had destroyed the AIbemarle.
The negro went into Plymouth, and
returned with information that the ram
was indeed destroyed. being sunk to her
casemate. Comforted. Cushing again
took to the swamp.
Coming out on the bank of a small
deep stream. Gushing found himself
within a few yards of a Confederate
picket post, with seven men on duty. A
road here came down to the water, and
at the foot of the road was mOored a
skin. Here was the one thing that might
save Gushing from death or capture. All
his senses were now centered on getting
the skin.
At noon the soldiers relaxed their
watch, and retiring from the stream sat
down to eat their dinner. This was the
chance for which the fugitive had pray
ed. As silently as a snake he crept
down to the waters edge and slipped
into the stream. Swimming to the boat,
he carefully undid its fastenings. Then.
screening himself behind it, he driftsd
with II down the stream and around a
bend. He then climbed aboard. The
boat was leaky and had but a single
paddle. With this ne began padding for
his life.
Hour after hour he padded on, though
his hands were torn and bleeding from
his battle with the briers in the swamp.
Again his strength seemed failing, but
he kept on working mechanically, first
on one side of the poor craft, next on
the other.
1t was long after midnight when he
emerged from the marshes into the open
sound Fortunately the night was calm,
and he made some progress across the
broad water.
At last, after more than ten hours Of
padding. he saw a vessel looming up
ahead Of him, and hailed family ship
ahoy" 1t was the Federal picket boat
Valley City. His cry was heard on board
Of her. An alarm was sounded. The
crew sprang to quarters. Boats were
struck out to find the source of the hail.
They came upon a leaky skin, and In its
bottom, too weak to help himself the
brave Cushing
The next day Gushing seemed little
the worse for his adventure, except for
his swollen feet and hands.
Gushing was honored by the thanks
Of Congress, and lionized by the Amer
lean people. His brilliant war record
gave promise to a great career; but the
promise did not come to fruition. His
adventures in the war undermined his
health. He died in 1874 of brain fever.
He was then a commander
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