Sentence:  He thought of Simms Purdew , who once had risen at the edge of a cornfield , a maniacal scream on his lips , and <WSD>swung</WSD> a clubbed musket like a flail to beat down the swirl of Rebel bayonets about him . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  move or walk in a swinging or swaying manner