W.A. Swain of Manlyville, Henry County, Tennessee
These are the stories you hope to find about your relatives. This one isn't a story about one of mine (that I know of), but it's worth sharing anyway.
This story was written in the Nashville Union and Dispatch (Nashville, Tenn) on October 27, 1867 and can be found at this link:
This is what's said:
"On Thursday, September 26, while Mr. W.A. Swain, of Manlyville, Henry County, Tenn was drawing a bucket of water from a well sixty feet deep, with ten feet water, his little son Henry, an interesting child of three summers, was suddenly precipitated into the well, in which as is sometimes the case, two buckets are used. The child, it is thought, impressed with the idea of assisting his father, had, unnoticed, taken hold of the descending rope, and was thus instantly jerked over the curbing of the well. The first intimation Mr. Swain had of the casualty was seeing the child falling head foremost and striking against the bucket.
The feelings of the parents may well be imagined. There was no time for reflection. The peril of the child called for prompt, heroic action. In a moment, quick as thought, Mr. Swain seizes the well rope, and follows his child, determined to save him or share his watery bed. In another moment, he finds his child, convulsively presses him to his bosom, and rises with feelings of triumphant joy to the surface of the water. Here he sustains himself till preparations are made for raising him securely out of the wall. This was soon and safely done. The child suffered no injuries other than a few bruises, and when brought to the surface of the water, with great coolness and presence of mind he inquired for his hat, which he had lost in the fall. We dare say that such an occurrence with similar gratifying results, has no parallel."
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