Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-09-20

One OF the famous characters of tn,
border, an hundred years ago, wa,
Samuel Brady. He seemed to hav,
possessed the qualities best calcu
lated to win and hold the place anC
honor Of a hero among the pioneers
In him were combined, immense
strength, the most astonishing agility
nerves as steady as steel, and greai
endurance. He was brave to reckless
ness, vigilant as a weasel, and Gun.
ming as a fox, gifted with peculiar
tact and fertility of device, and
skilled in everything pertaining to
frontier life and warfare. Many times
he outwitted and overmatched the
widest and ablest Indian chieftains.
To such qualities he united those
that inspire the esteem and conf
dence Of friends; he was generous
to a fault" affable and sympathetic,
courteous In manners and entertain
ing in conversation.
Indeed, so numerous were the ex-
cellencies and exploits attributed to
him, that he might be deemed a
mythical parsonage had he lived a
few centuries father away in the past.
But the writer has known so many
relatives and intimate friends of Cap
tain Brady; has seen such posi-
tive and still existing proofs of his
courage and prowess, and visited the
very spot Of so many of his deeds,
some Of which yet bear his name,
that his place among American celebr-
tiles is fully established. His relative,
Major General Hugh Brady, Of whom
General Scott makes such honorable
mention In the battle of Chippewa,
used to say: Captain Sam Brady is
the brayest Of Americans, compared
with whom the rest Of us are little
better than towards"
He reached maturity of body and
mind 80 early as to have borne a part
In the seige Of Boston before he was
eighteen years Of age; and as a lieu
tenant though not twenty-one, was
the most efficient In escaping and
saving others from the massacre Of
Paoh. Owing to the butchery of his
father and q brother by the Indians.
he had In boyhood registered a VOW
OF vengeance. which. perhaps, may in
part account for his intrepidity.
The recital of one of his exploits
viii give an idea both of the man and
Of border warfare as waged against
the early inhabitants of regions now
peaceful and prosperous.
Brady had been placed In command
Of a small party of scouts detailed to
watch the movements OF the Indians
and give warning OF the approach OF
the hostile bands toward the settle
ments- The territory to be covered
by his operations was denominated
the French Greek Country" a wild
but beautiful belt OF forest, skirting,
on the west side, the present @oil
regions and extending north and
south across the counties OF Butler,
Venango and Crawford. Pennsyl-
vanfa-
One afternoon the scouts struck a
fresh Indian trail in the valley OF a
stream called Slippery Rock Creek.
Calculating from the character Of
the trail, that the enemy was not
numerous enough to make IL neces-
sary to apprise the garrisons and set
Elements, Brady decided to follow the
savages and attack them at daybreak
the next morning. Swiftly but warily
the scouts threaded the wilderness,
until, when darkness stopped their
pursuit, they we're within q very
short distance of their unsuspec.ing
foe. Munching supper Of venison
and corn. and drinking water from
their hands from a brook, they
lay down among the dry leaves to
wait for dawn.
But while they had been tracking
and preparing to assail the Indians
In their front, another and larger
party Of Indians In their rear, were
trailing them. with minds bent on
blood-a worse trap being baited for
themselves than they had set for the
enemy.
Daybreak came. and as soon as It
was light enough to look through the
sights OF rife. the scouts were I'M
der motion Creeping among the
dense foliage, a few minutes brought
them within range of their victims,
who were sitting In q circle eating
breakfast. Each selected his target,
and when Brady gave the signal to
IRE, which was the imitation of the
boot Of an owl, the crack of their
guns rang out through the woods.
Hardly had the smoke cleared
away, when the other party of red
skins opened fire upon the whites.
Two OF Brady's men fell at his side;
and 2erceiving from the number Of
guns discharged that the enemy was
too strong to be successfully resisted,
the wary captain instantly adopted
the motto. Discretion is the better
part Of valor, and gave his party the
word to save themselves by fight.
There are emergencies when true
martial wisdom teaches that.
He who fgafs and runs away,
Nay live 10 1ght another day.
Brady himself started like a deer
to get out Of the jaws of his out
numbering foes. A few steps brought
him out OF the thicket, from which
they had diacharoed thar emma ,,pop