The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-07-23
"BRADY,s LEAP !"


The Shippensburg [Pa.) NelCS of a
recent date publishes a letter from Gen.
L. V. Bierce, of Akron, touching the
famous leap of Captain Samuel BRADY
across the Cuyahoga River at Kent.
As the letter may be of interest te
many of our readers we reprint it:
AKRON, o., June 26th, 1874.
i MesSTs. Wagner 81 am in receipt
John Barr, Esq, respecting Captain
Bradv's Leap"
A you say "Captain Brady was q
native of the Borough of Shippens-
burg" 1 have thought some further
/ incidents respecting him might be in
teresting to your readers.
/ I have been, for over twenty years,
engaged in collecting incidents of
carly times in Northern Ohio, which,
as in the case of Brady, run into Wes-
tern Pennsylvania. Tradition gave
us the fact of Brady's fight with the
Indians. his defeat, escape, leap of the
Cuyahoga, and concealment in what
is since known as Brady's Lake-four
miles west of what is now Ravenna,
the county scat of Portage county
The facts corroborative of ssthe leap
you have given. They are, historical
ly, conclusive.
A corroborating fact has recently
come to light, strangely confirming
the tradition of his foot race with the
Indians.
The village of Cuyahoga Falls is
five miles north of this city. The
first improvements were made there
in 1925. Some half mile east Of these
improvements was large spring issu-
ing from the rocks, known to the In
dians aud early settlers as ''the Big
Spring" The Indian path from Fort
Mcintosh (now Beaver TO Sandusky
went past this spring. The growth
of that flourishing village, has been
such that ''the Big Spring" is now in
the heart of the village. and from it
the people get water for domestic use.
A few years ago they cleaned out
the spring, and at the bottom, among
leaves and mud, they found an old gun
barrel. The stock was entirely gone,
and the barrel nearly consumed with
rust. 1t must have been there long
before the settlement by the pale faces.
and as traditions assigns this as the
route on which Brady retreatmed, he,
finding his gun an iInpediment to his
flight. was forced to abandon it, and
to prevent it from falling into the
hands of the Indians, he threw it into
this spring.
Connected with the tradition of
''Brady's Leap" is also tradition that,
on his escape, he retured to Pennsyl-
Vania. collected his Rangers" and
was again on ''the war path" a par
ty of Indians from Sandusky, had
made raid on Western Pennsylvania
and Virginia, killing many of the
settlers. Brady started in pursuit, z
and soon got on their trail. He pur-
sued till he came near them. He
then, by circuitous route, and s'dou-
Bile quick" got ahead of them.
The Indian trail from Port McIn-
tssh to SaRdusky was on the south
border of the lake. Here the lake
was inclosed by sand bank, fifteen
to twenty feet high, and barely wide
enough on top for an '9ndian fle."
Arriving at this spot Brady divided
his men, stationing half of them in
ambush, at the west end of the narrow
pass, to cut of the advance, the other
1t the east end to cut off retreat.
The water of the lake, trickling
through the sand bank, formed an inn
passabIe alder swamp on the south
side of the bank. Here Brady, and
MS .Rangers," in ambush awaited
heir enemy.
The Indians, unsuspicious of dam
ger, entered on the narrow defile be-
wecn the lake and the swamp, when
3rady's men sprang up in front and
ear, and general slaughter commen-
ed The Indians in trying to escape,
led into the swamp, but here their
ate was equally certain. Not one es-
'aped.
In 1924 was law student in the
1ffice of Jonathan Sloane, in Ravenna.
We often discussed these traditions,
md to test the truth of this one, we
ormed a company, and went to the
pot, in the swamp we found lot of
human skulls, and the hilt of a sword.
The blade was entirely destroyed, the
lilt, being of fcopper and silver washed,
vas in a good state of preservation.
From my examination of the facts,
nd proofs, these traditions are fully
S reliable as the generality of history.
Very Respectfully,
L. V. BIERCE.