The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-06-15
CAPTAIN SAMUEL BRADY AND CORN
f5- '- PLANTER
A LEGEND OF THE ALLEaHANY RIVER.


Many of the wild legends of ,ordcr strife
and Indian burharity tia have len enacted
along the shores of the Alehany and Ohio,
have been rescued from the dim ard fading re-
membranes of l'ast age. But occasionally
story of thrilling interest is snatched from the
lingering of the rcd man.
The story am about to relate, [ received
from an old Indian pilot on the Allegheny. 1t
was many years ago, when that stern old chief
Cornplanter, (whose remains now rerose in 81
fence and loneliness on the banks of that beau
teOus river he loves welD, was in his glory.
His tribe roamed over the dense and unbroken
forest along its banks, fearless and unmolested
and free. ..-.if I-etas
His people were hostile to the whites, and
never lost any opportunity to lie in ambush and
seize the lonely voyager as he was descending
the river, and consign him to the stake and the
torture. But the watchfnl: shrewd, and dead
ly fee of Cornplanter. aud the whole 'ttawny
rucc,n was the indemitable and fearless Capt
Samuel Brady. This veteran pioneer and In
dian hunter, was one of those noble specimens
of the hardy forestels who plunged fearlessly
into the interminabe forests that then over
spread so large portion of the Western States.
Like Daniel Boon. Lewis Wetzel Simon
Kcnton and others. who made Indian hunting
r:stime, his deadly hate of the Indian and
his burning passion for hunting them down,
amounted to nonomania. This hatred was in
consequence of the wrongs they had inflicted
upon his family-his father. Capt. John Bra
dy, and his brother having fallen victims to the
tomahawk and scalping knife.
The scene of the present story is at place
known to boatmen and raftsmen as 'Brady's
Bend" and where now tho noise and hustle of
a manufacturing town called tho 'sGreat
Western" responds along the shores that then
echoed only to the whoop of the savage or the
panther's scream.
1t is b,nd IN the river of nine miles in
length, and is sometimes called Nine Mile
Bend" and is scarcely half mile across the
neck. Here in this tend, Cornplanter return
ing from some successful inroad upon the whites,
had secured several prisoners, by tying them
to many trees, while his swarthy and hide
ously painted followers busy in making
preparations for the faggot and the torture.
The stake was erected and the faggots pre-
pared with all the coolness and refinement of
Indian barbarity. 1t was beautiful evening;
the sun was just sinking behind the lofty hill
upon the opposite shore. Calmness had thrown
its oily wand upon the Alleghanys crystal tide,
and it slept. The full round moon, Just burst
ing through the tree tops behind them, sailed
calmly through the distant blue and cast its
mellow beams upon the sleeping river, and
danced upon its placid bosom.
The melancholy note of the whippoorwill
from the adjoining thicket fell sweetly upon
the ear. The victims were unbound and led
forth to the place of torture. At this moment
voice high up among the frowning rocks that
loomed out from the thick hemlocks that
crowned the hill opposite, hailed Cornplanter
in the Indian tongue, informing him that che
was an Indian warrior, just returned from the
war-path with goodly number of prisoners" ,"
He desired that the ceremonies of the torture
Inhf ho pHodr mt haa fardt = tla
er and join them, when they would celebrate
the'occason, with the usual ualdemonstrationsof saw
age reIuicings.- To this t5prnpIanfer consented
The aa..rcs rrraE had been kindled were extin-
guished, and the prisoners again bound to the
trees.
In the meantime, Brady, for it was be who
had deceived the willy Indian, with body of
men moved silently up place known as "1ru-
by's Ripple" and there fording the river, drew
hismen up across the neck ofthe bend, and moved
noiselessly down upon the savages. So eau
tious was his approach that the Indians were
completely cut off from retreat before they be-
came alarmed. la.g .TEgI
Brady's men hemmed them in from behind,
while the Allegheny rolled in front. The first
intimation to the savage of his approach was
communicated by deadly discharge from his
unerring rifles. The Indians fought with des-
peration, but were overpowered; all were killed
or taken prisoners save the chief, Cornplanter,
who, finding himself alone, plunged into the
river, and swan for the other shore.
Being coed swimmer, he remained several
minutes under water, but as he rose for breath,
he was greeted by shower of bullets. In this
way alternately swimming under water as long
as he could hold his breath, and rising to the
surface, he escaped unhurt, and reaching the
other shore in safety, secreted himself behind
a large standing rock
The prisoners were of course unbound, and
all joined in the jollifcation and joy at the
timely and unloeked-for release. The rock
that shielded Cornplanter from Brady's bullets
was pointed out to me by the old Indian, in a
recent trip down this river. tt is known as