, 1862-01-10
A Legend of the Allegheny River.

lnulan OarOarlty I9aL nave Oeen enacted along Lne
shores of the Allegheny and Ohio, have never
been rescued from the dim and fading remem-
brances of past age. But occasionally a 4.a-..
of thrilling interest is snatched from the lingering
records of the red man.
The story am about to relate, received from
an old Indian pilot of the Allegheny. 1t was
many years ago, when that stern old chief, Corn
planter-whose remains now repose in silence and
loneliness on the banks of that beauteous river he
loved so well-was in his glory. His tribe were
wont to roam over the dense and unbroken forests
along its banks, fearless, unmolested and free.
His people were hostile to the whites, and new
er lost any opportunity to lie in ambush and seize
the lonely voyager as he descended the river, and
consign him to the stake and the torture. But
the watchful, shrewd and deadly foe of Complain
ter and the whole tawny race, wes the indomita-
BILE and fearless Captain Samuel Brady. This
veteran pioneer and Indian hunter was one Of
those noble specimens of the hardy foresters who
plunged fearlessy in the nterminable forests that
then oyerspread so large aporton of the Western
States
Like Daniel Boone, Lewis, Wetzel, Simon Ken
ton and others, who made Indian hunting pas
time, his deadly hate of the Indian, and burning
passion for hunting them down, amounted to a
monomania. This hatred was in consequence of
the wrongs they had inflicted upon his family
his father, Capt. John Brady, and his brother,
having fallen victims to the tomahawk and scalp
ing knife.
The scene of the present story is at place
known to boatmen and raftmen as Brady's Bend,
and where now the noise and hustle of new man
ufacturing town called the Great Western re-
sounds along the shores that then echoed only to
the wild whoop of the savage or of the panther's
scream.
1t is bend in the river of nine miles in length,
and is sometimes called the Nine Mile Bend, and
scarcely half mile across the neck. Here, in
this bend, Cornplanter, returned from some sue
cessfu nroad upon the whites, had secured several
prisoners by tying them to as many trees, while
his swarthy and hideously painted followers were
busy in making preparations for the faggot and
TIE torture.
The stake was erected and the faggots prepared
with all the GOODNESS 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 Alleghany's crystal tide, and ii
slept. The full round moon, just bursting 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 bo.
som.
The melancholy note of the whippowill 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 loomeG out from
the thick hemlocks that crowned the hill opposite
hailed Cornplanter, in the Indian tongue, inform
ing him that she was an Indian warrior, just re-
turned from the war path with goodly number
of prisoners"
He desired that the ceremonies of the torture
might be suspended until he could ford the river
and join them, when they would celebrate the oc-
casion with unusual demonstrations of savage re-
ocings To this Cornplanter consented. The
flames that had been kindled were extinguished,
and the prisoners again bound to the trees.
In the meantime Brady, for it was he who had
deceived the willy Indian, with a body of men
moved silently up the river to place known as
Truby's Ripple, and there fordng the river, drew
his men up across the neck of the bend, and then
moved noiselessly down upon the savages. So
cautious was his approach that the Indians were
completely cut off from retreat before they be-
came alarmed.
Brady's men hemmed them in from behind,
while the Allegheny rolled in front. The first in
tmation to the savages of his approach was com
munioated by deadly discharge from his unerr-
ing rifles. The Indians fought with desperation,
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 a good swimmer he remained several
minutes under water, but as he arose for breath
he was greeted with shower of bullets. In this
way alternately swimming under water as long as
he could hold his breath, and then rising to the
surface, he escaped unhurt, and reached the other
shore in safety, secreting himself behind large
standing rock.
The prisoners were of course unbound, and all
Joined in the ollifcation and Joy at the timely
and unlocked for release The rock that shielded