Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-03-07

AN UNPUBLISHED INCIDENT IN THE LIFE
OF CAPT. SAMUEL BRADY.
About thirty miles below the present
city of Pittsburg, stood an ancient fort,
known as Fort Mcintosh. It was built
BY revolutionary general of that name,
in the summer of l77S. 1t was one of
line of forts, which was intended to
guard the people who lived south of
the Ohio river from the incursions of
the savagcs to the nortward. This
fort was one of the favorite resorts of
the great Indian spy and hunter, Cap
tain Samuel Brady. Although his
usual head quarters was at Pitfsburg,
then consisting of rude fort and IA
score or two Of rough frontier tene-
ments
Brady had emigrated westward, or
rather had marched thither in l77S, as
a lieutenant in the distinguished E eht
Pennsylvania Regiment, under the
command of General Richard Broad
head, of Easton. When, in the spring
ol77g, Mcintosh retired from com
mand in the West, Broadhead succeed
ed him, and remained at Pittsburg un-
til 1871. Shortly after his advent in
the west, Brady was brevetted Cap
tain.
Brady had served at the siege of
Boston, fought at Long Island and
White Plains, gone through the whole
Of the terrible campaign of trenton and
Princeton, suffered at Valley Forge,
distinguished himself at G rmantown,
and Brandywine, and narrowly escap-
ed death at Paoli Bat his tastes led
him to the erratic mode of warfare
known upon the frontier. Indeed, his
early education upon the upper Sus-
quehanna had inculcated and develop
ed those tastes from the very earliest
boyhood. Hat NJ an Indian with thai
instructive hatred, which is begottcn
in the bosom Of the white race, by long
years of contest and outrage, bitter
intensity was impaired 20 the feelings
in his case by the murder of his father
and younger brother by the Incians,
under trying and terrible circumstanc
es.
Having promised this much by way
of Introduction, it brings us to the
opening of our story. On the 2lst day
of August, 1879, Brady set out from
Fort Mcintosh, for Pittsburg. He had
with him two of his trusty and well |
tried followers. These were not at
tached to the regular army, as he was,
but were scouts and spies. who had
been with him upon many an cxpedi-
ton. They were Thomls Bevingfon |
and Benjamin Biggs B ady resolved
TO follow the northern bank of the Ohio.
Biggs objected to this, upon the ground
as Brady well knew, that the woods
were swarming with savages. Brady, |
however, had resolved tie travel by the
old Indian path, and having once made
up his mind, no consideration could |
deter him from carry ing out his deter
Bevington had such irplic-
1t faith in his ability to lead, that he
never thought of questioning his will.
Quite a discussi N arose between
Biggs and his captain at the mouth of
Beaver river. about mile above the
fort, and where they must cross the
Ohio, if they continued upon the north
ern side. Blggs finally yielded his OBJ
jections, and they crossed Beaver, and
proceeded with the habitual caution of
woodsmen who fully understand their
business. They had started early, and
by rapid travelling they had reached,
ere noon came, the last piece of bot
tom lard on the north side of the riv-
er, just below what is known as the
Narrows. Upon this bottom pioneer,
more daring than most others, had
btilt cabin, and opened small spot
of cleared land. He had planted it in
corn, and 1t gave promise Of a most
abudant harvest.
But, as they approached the edge of
the clearing, just outside the fence,
Brady discovered Indian signs, as he
canrd them. His companions di>cov-
cred them almost as quick as he, and
at oaee, in lpv tones, communicated
to each other the necessity for keen
watch They slowly trailed them aloug
the side of the fence to,7ard the house,
whose situation they knew, until they
stood upon the brow of the b.uf bank
which overlooked it. A sight of the
raost terrible description met their
eyes. The cabin lag mass of smoul-
deripg ruins from whence a dull blue
smoke arose in the clear August sun
shine. They observed closely every
thing about it. Brady knew it was
customary for the Indians after they
had fired a settlers cabin, if there was
no immediate danger, to getire to the
woods close at hand, and vat2h for the
approach of any member of the family
who might chance to be absent wheni
they mads the DESCENT. Not knowing
but that they we're even then lying
close by, he lett Bevinston to watch.
the ruins, lying under cover, whilst he
proceeded to the nortward, and Biggs
southwark, to make discoveries. Both
were to return to Bevington, if they
found no Indians. Ifthey came across
the perpetrators, and they were too
numerous to be attacked regularly,
Brady declared it to be his purpose to