Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-04-14

a squaw of one Of their chiefs came
near him with a child in her arms. Quick
as thought, and with ntul,ive prescience,
he snatched it from her and threw it into
the midst Of the flames. Horror struck
at the sudden outrage, the Indians stimuli
tnneousy rushed to rescue the infant from
the fire. In the midst Of this confusion,
Brady darted from the circle, overturnlng
oil that came in his way, and rushed into
the adjacent thickets, with the Indians at
his heels. He assembled the steep side Of
the present hill, amidst shower Of bullets
and dar,ing down the opposite declivity,
secreted himself in the deep ravines and
laurel thckets that about for several miles
10 The west Of it.--His knowledge Of the
country and wonderful activity, enabled
him to elude his enemies, and reach the
settlements on the south Of the Ohio river,
which he crossed by swimming. The
hill near whose base this adventure ia said
to have happened, still goes by his name;
and the incident is often referred 10 by
the traveller, as the coach is slowly drag
ged up it's side.
BRADYs LEAP. Capt. Brady seems to
have been az much the Daniel Boone Of
the north east part Of the valley Of the Ohio
as the other was Of the south west, and
the country ia equally full Of Evolutionary
legends Of his hardy adventures and hair.
breadth escapes, although he has lacked
Flint to chronicle his fame, and transmit
it to posterity in the glowing and beauti-
full language Of that distinguished analist
of the West. From uhdoub,ed authority,
it seems the following incident actually
tronspired in this vicinity. Bradys resi-
dence was on Chairtler's Creek, on the
south side Of the Ohio, as before noted in
this diary; and being man Of herculean
strength, activity and courage. he was gen.
orally selected as the leader Of the hardy
borderers in all their excursion into The
Indian territory north Of the river. On
this occasion, which was about the year
1880, a large party Of warriors from the
falls oil the Cuyahoga and the adjacent
country. had made an inroad on The south
side Of the Ohio river. in the lower part Of
what is now Washington county. but
which was then known as the settlement
of" Catfish Camp" after an ole Indian of
that name, who lived there when the
whites first came into the country on the
Monongahela river. This party had muir.
dered several families. and with the "plun-
der" had recrossed the Ohio before effec-
tual pursuit could be made. By Brady q
party was directly summoned, Of his chosen
followers who FASTENED on after them, but
the Indians having got one or two days the
start, he could not overtake them 10 time
10 arrest their return to their villages
Near the spot where the town Of Ravena
now stands, the Indians separated into
Two parties, one of which went to the
north. and the other west, 10 the falls OF
the Cuyahoga. Brady's men also divided;
a part pursued the northern trail, and u
part with their commander went to the
Indian village, lying on the river in the
present township Of Northampton, in Por
tage county.
Although Brady made his approaches
with the utmost caution, the Indians eX-
pecting a pursuit, were on the lookout. and
ready 10 receive him. with numbers four,
fold to that Of Bradys party, whose only
safety was in hasty retreat, which, from
the ardor of the pursuit. soon become a
perfect fight Brady directed his men to
separate and each one to take care of him
self; but the Indians knowing Brady, and
having a most inveterate hatred and dread
Of him, from the numerous chastisements
which he had inflicted upon them, left all
the others, and with united strength pur-
sued alone. The Cuyahoga here makes a
wide bend to the south, including a large
tract Of several miles Of surface in the
form of peninsula; within this trac, the
pursuit was holly contested. The Indians
BY extending their line to the right and left
forced him on the bank of the stream.
Having, in peaceable times, often hunted
over this ground with the Indians, and
knowing every turn OF the Cuyahoga as
Familiarity as the villager knows the streets
Of his own hamlet. Brady directed his
course to the river, a spot where the whole
stream is compressed, by the rocky cliffs,
feet across the top Of the chasm, although
it is considerably wider beneath, near the
water, and in height more than twice the
number Of feet above the CURRENT
Through this pass the water rushes like a
race horse, chatting and roaring at the con-
finement Of its current by the rocky chan.
mel, while. a short distance above, the
stream is at least forty yards wide.
As he approached the chasm, Brady,
knowing that life or death was in the ef-
fort, concentrated his mighty powers and
leaped the stream at single bound. 1t SO
happened that, in the opposite cliff, the
leap was favored by a low place, into which
he dropped, and grasping the bushes, he
thus helped himself 10 ascend to the top Of
the cliff. The Indians for few moments,
were lost in wonder and admiration, and
before they had recovered their recollec.
ton, he was half way up the side of the
opposite hill, but still within reach Of their
rifles. They could easily have shot him at
any moment before, but being bent On ia
king him alive, for torture, and to glu,
their long delayed revenge, they forebore
the use Of the rife; but now seeing him
likely to escape, they all fred upon him ;