ALLEGHENY WINDINGS

McCLURE'S BARS - MILE 127�

BRADY'S BEND
The name given to Brady's Bend is derived from one Samuel Brady, the captain of the spies. He was a successful partisan officer against the Indians, in the war of the revolution. There are several traditional reports of the adventures and exploits of this distinguished individual, some of which need confirmation. We give below a portion of his early history, and several incidents that are copied from authentic documents, one of which occurred at the Bend, probably not far from these bars. These sketches were written by Mr. McCabe, of Indiana, and the facts were principally derived from the brother of Capt. Brady, who lived in Indiana County.

Capt. Samuel Brady was born in Shippensburg, in Cumberland Co., Pa., in 1758, but soon after removed with his father to the West Branch of the Susquehanna, a few miles above Northumberland. Cradled amid the alarms and excitements of a frontier exposed to savage warfare, Brady's military propensities were early developed. He eagerly sought a post in the revolutionary army; was at the siege of Boston; a lieutenant at the massacre of Paoli; and in 1779 was ordered to Fort Pitt with the regiment under Gen. Broadhead. A short time previous to this, both his father and his brother had fallen by the hands of Indians; and from that moment Brady took a solemn oath of vengeance against all Indians. And his future life was devoted to the fulfillment of his vow. While Gen. Broadhead held command of Fort Pitt, (1780-81,) Brady was often selected to command small scouting parties sent into the Indian country north and west of the fort, to watch the movements of the savages; a charge which Brady always fulfilled with his characteristic courage and sagacity.

The following Narrative is given by Kiskiminetas in the Blairsville Record:

The incursions of the Indians had become so frequent, and their outrages so alarming, that it was thought advisable to retaliate upon them the injuries of war, and carry into the country occupied by them the same system of destructive warfare with which they had visited the settlements. For this purpose an adequate force was provided, under the immediate command of Gen. Broadhead, the command of the advanced guards of which was confined to Capt. Samuel Brady.
The troops proceeded up the Allegheny River, and had arrived at the flat of land opposite the mouth of Redbank creek, without encountering an enemy. Brady and his rangers were some distance in front of the main body, as their duty required, when they suddenly discovered a war party of Indians approaching them. Relying on the strength of the main body and its ability to force the Indians to retreat, and anticipating, as Napolean did in the battle with the Mamelukes, that when driven back they would return upon the same route they had advanced on, Brady permitted them to proceed without hindrance and hastened to seize a narrow pass higher up the river, where the rocks, nearly perpendicular, approach the river, and where a few determined men might successfully combat superior numbers. In a short time the Indians encountered the main body under Broadhead, and were driven back. In full and swift retreat they pressed on to gain the pass between the rocks and the river, but it was occuped by their daring and relentless foe, Brady and his rangers, who failed not to pour into their flyng columns a most destructive fire.

The Indians on this occasion were broken, routed and forced to jump into the river. Many were killed on the bank, and many more in the stream. Our aged friend Cornplanter, chief of the Senecas, then a young man, saved himself by swimming, as did several others, of the party.

After they had crossed the river, as Brady was standing on the bank wiping his rifle, an Indian, exasperated at the unexpected defeat and disgraceful retreat of his party, and supposing himself now safe from the well-known and abhorred enemy of his race, commenced a species of conversation with him in broken English, which we call blackguarding - calling Brady and his men cowards, squaws, and the like, and putting himself in such attitudes as he probably thought would be most expressive of his utter contempt of them.
When Brady had cleaned his rifle and loaded it, he sat down by an ash sapling, and taking sight about three feet above the Indian, fired. As the gun cracked the Indian was seen to shrink a little, and then limp off. When the main army arrived, a canoe was manned, and Brady and a few men crossed to where the Indians had been seen. They found blood on the ground, and had followed it but a short distance till the Indian jumped up, struck his breast, and said, "I am a man." It was Brady's wish to take him prisoner without doing him further harm. The Indian continued to repeat, "I am a man." "Yes," said an Irishman who was along, "by _____, you're a purty boy," - and before Brady could arrest the blow, sunk his tomahawk in the Indian's brains.
The army moved onward, and after destroying all the Indians' corn, and ravaging the Kenjus flats, returned to Pittsburgh.

The story of Brady killing a party of Indians, near a little run opposite the crossing point rocks, we can find no authority for, except tradition, it may be true nevertheless. The story is as follows:

Brady having learned that the Indians were in force, some twenty-five or thirty in number, at the above named place, with three or four white men as prisoners, whom they were making preparations to burn alive that evening, appeared in full Indian costume, on the top of the mountain opposite to where the Indians were to where the coal-yard now stands, and having the advantage of understanding their language, persuaded them to defer burning the prisoners till the next morning, in order, as he represented to them, that himself and his party, some of which were absent, might be collected and be present on the occasion. The Indians readily consented to the arrangement, and after securing their prisoners for the night, betook themselves to sleep. When all was quiet Brady and his comrades went down to Goose bar and there crossed the river, crawled up to their camp and tomahawked them all while asleep, and rescued the prisoners.
We cannot vouch for the truth of this story, but one thing we can vouch for, if the story is true, Brady was certainly punctual.

MAHONING RAPIDS - MILE 142�

The extract given below is another incident in the life of Capt. Brady, which transpired in this neighborhood, not far from the mouth of Mahoning creek, it is copied from the numbers by Kiskiminetas in the Blairsville Record.

Brady's success as a partisan had acquired for him its usual results -approbation with some, and envy with others. Some of his brother officers censured the commandant for affording him such frequent opportunity for honorable distinction. At length open complaint was made, accompanied by a request, in the nature of a demand, that others should be permitted to share with Brady the perils and honors of the service, abroad from the fort. The general apprised Brady of the proposed arrangements; and an opportunity was not long wanting for testing its efficiency.

The Indians made an inroad into the Sewickley settlement, committing the most barbarous murders, of men, women and children; stealing such property as was portable, and destroying all else. The alarm was brought to Pittsburgh, and a party of soldiers, under the command of the emulous officers, despatched for the protection of the settlement, and chastisement of the foe. From this expedition Brady was of course excluded; but the restraint was irksome to his feelings.

The day after the detachment had marched, Brady solicited permission from his commander to take a small party for the purpose of "Catching the Indians," but was refused. By dint of importunity, however, he at length wrung from him a reluctant consent, and the command of five men; to this he added his pet Indian, and made hasty preparation.

Instead of moving towards Sewickley, as the first detachment had done, he crossed the Allegheny at Pittsburgh, and proceeded up the river,- Conjecturing that the Indians had descended that stream in canoes, till near the settlement, he was careful to examine the mouths of all the creeks coming into it, particularly from the southeast. At the mouth of Big Mahoning, about six miles above Kittanning, the canoes were seen drawn up to its western bank. He instantly retreated down the river, and waited for night. As soon as it was dark, he made a raft, and crossed to the Kittanning side. He then proceeded up the creek, and found that the Indians had, in the meantime, crossed the creek, as their canoes were drawn to its upper northeastern bank.

The country on both sides of Mahoning, at its mouth, is rough and mountainous; and the stream, which was then high, very rapid. Several ineffectual attempts were made to wade it; which they at length succeeded in doing, three or four miles above the canoes. Next a fire was made, their clothing dried, and arms inspected; and the party moved towards the Indian camp, which was pitched on the second bank of the river. Brady placed his men at some distance, on the lower or first bank.

The Indians had brought from Sewickley a stallion, which they had fettered and turned to pasture on the lower bank. An Indian, probably the owner, under the law of arms, came frequently down to him, and occasioned the party no little trouble. The horse, too, seemed willing to keep their company, and it required considerable circumspection to avoid all intercourse with either. Brady became so provoked that he had a strong inclination to tomahawk the Indian, but his calmer judgment repudiated the act, as likely to put to hazard a more decisive and important achievement.

At length the Indians seemed quiet, and the captain determined to pay them a closer visit. He had got quite near their fires; his pet Indian had caught him by the hair and gave it a pluck, intimating his advice to retire, which he would not venture to whisper; but finding Brady regardless of it, had crawled off - when the captain, who was scanning their numbers, and the position of their guns, observed one throw off his blanket and rise to his feet. It was altogether impracticable for Brady to move without being seen. He instantly decided to remain where he was, and risk what might happen. He drew his head slowly beneath the brow of the bank, putting his forehead to the earth for concealment. His next sensation was that of warm water poured into the hollow of his neck, as from the spout of a teapot, which, trickling down his back over the chilled skin, produced a feeling that even his iron nerves could scarcely master. He felt quietly for his tomahawk, and had it been about him he probably would have used it; but he had divested himself even of that when he prepared to approach the fire, lest by striking against the stones or gravel, it might give alarm. He was compelled, therefore, "nolens volens," to submit to this very unpleasant operation, until it should please his warriorship to refrain; which he soon did, and returning to his place wrapped himself up in his blanket, and composed himself for sleep as if nothing had happened.

Brady returned to, and posted his men, and in the deepest silence all awaited the break of day. When it appeared the Indians arose and stood around the fires; exulting, doubtless, in the scalps they had taken, the plunder they had acquired, and the injury they had inflicted on their enemies. Precarious joy - short-lived triumph! The avenger of blood was beside him! At a signal given, seven rifles cracked, and five Indians were dead ere they fell. Brady's well-known war-cry was heard, his party was among them, and their guns (Mostly empty) were all secured. The remaining Indians instantly fled and disappeared. One was pursued by the trace of his blood, which he seems to have succeeded in stanching. The pet Indian then imitated the cry of a young wolf, which was answered by the wounded man, and the pursuit again renewed. A second time the wolf-cry was given and answered, and the pursuit continued into a wind-fall. Here he must have espied his pursuers, for he answered no more. Brady found his remains there three weeks afterwards, being led to the place by ravens that were preying the carcass. The horse was unfettered, the plunder gathered, and the party commenced their return to Pittsburgh, most of them descending in the Indian canoes. Three days after their return, the first detachment came in. They reported that they had followed the Indians closely, but that the latter had got into their canoes and made their escape.


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