Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-11-13

| i'Hnlel Kobcfdenn and James Ewing
were elected Brigadier Generals of the
/ AsEocihtors of the Province. And now
I comes in order of time, August, l77G, the
/ incident at Derr's trading house, when
! returning in haste from Sunbury tlnid
out ia June, l772, just below the site OF
/ Fort Augusta he entered canoe and
showed swiftly over TO Derr's, 10 find
the Indians in high carnival over bar
| rel of rum, with which Derr was stand.
ing treat. In the midst of their drunk.
en- orgies he kicked over n barrel. 70
! this interference some attribute Captain
| Brady's sad fate, as the Indian appoint
ed to be sober that day said, in effect,
"lle would rue the spilling Of that rum
some day"
| Soon after this occurrence Captain
Brady moved to Muncy, having erected
in the spring of l77G the semi fortified
residence which aiterward went by the
name of Fort Brady. The day Of asso.
ciators was soon over with nine months
and one years service. II became i'm.
pcratve to raise regular regiments en-.
listed for the war, If the Independence
OF the State was To be maintained. Ac.
cordingly Col. William Cooks Regiment.
the Twelfth, was directed TO be raised
III the counties of northumberland and
Northampton. Among the last acts Of
the Convention which formed the first
Constitution of this Commonwealth.
September y, I77G, was the election of
the field officers of this Regiment. Col
William Cook whose grandson, Jacob
Cook, is with us to day, Lieutenant
Colonel Neigal Gray, then OF Northamp
ton county, but who after the war own.
ed and died upon the place now known
as Kelley's Mills, in Union county, and
Major James Crawford, who died in
Wayne township, Lycoming county, of
which he was a Justice of the Peace in
1914, were elected. John Brady was
commissioned one OF it's Captains, &c.
tober II, lTTG, and on the 18th of De.
cember, in mid winter, it left Sunbury
IN boats for the battle fields of New
Jersey. The regiment went immediate.
ly into active service. Being composed
Of good ritlcmcn it was assigned TO the
same duties our Buck tails were in the
late war, on picket, on the skirmsh
line. to commence the fighting and to
go through it. At Boundbrook. at
Bonumtown, at Plscataway, it left It's
dead, and the green mounds that deck,
ed the purple heaihs OF New Jersey left
their sorrow in many home in the
West Branch Valley.
when General Washington crossed
the Delaware into Pennsylvania to
await the development to General
llowc's plans, he detached Captain
Hawkins Boone, OF the Twelfth TO Nor.
gau's Rifle Command, to assist in the
capture Of Burgoync, and two at least
that know Of of his wounded soldiers
returned TO this valley 10 tell that Tim.
othy Murphy. West Branch riheman,
had shot Gen. Frazer, at Saratoga, and
how they. with Major James Parr. of
Northumberland. and Lieutenant Col.
onei Richard Butler. Of Wcsimoreland,
siofmed Bfcymand's camp, led by the
lion hearted Arnold. Within few
short months July &c, l779,l after Capt.
Brady's death, Capt. Boone braycly died
in defence Of this valley at Fort Free.
land
In due time Howe made his appear.
auce at the Head Of the Elk and Gen.
Washington moved his army Of the
banks OF the Bradywine 10 confront him.
The Twelfth, with the Third. the ninth
and the Sixth. was in Conways Brigade.
General SterlIng's Division, in the right
wing commanded by General sullivan
on the llth OF September battle OF
BrBudywinei. General Wayne. with
the two other brieadcs Of Pennsylvania,
was left at Chadd's ford TO oppose Kny.
phausen while SullivAn's right wing
was hurried on TO Birmingham Meeting
House to attack the English left under
CORVALLIS. When the Twelfth Penn.
sylyania arrived on double quick upon
the ground, "thc cannon balls were
ploughinR up the ground, the trees
cracking over their heads. the branches
riyen by the artillery, and the leaves
were falling as in Autumn by the grape
shot" Capt. Brady had two sons in
the fight; samuel, the eldest, was First
Lieutenant commissioned July II.
l7I6.l in Capt. Doyle's company, then
attached to the First Pennsylvania, Col.
James Chambers. and was with General
Wayne, at Chadds Ford. John. lsub.
sequently, 1895, Sheriff of Northumber.
land county then a youth of fifteen
years, who bad gone to the army 10 ride
the horses home. was with. his father
with big rifle 10y his side.
They had scarcely time TO obey the
stentorian order Of Col. Cook, "iall into
line ~ when the British made their ap-
pearance. The Twelfth fired sure, and
fast, and many an officer leaped forward
in death after the sharp cracks Of its
rifles. As the fight grew furious and
the charge of cleaning bayonets came
on, other troops that had not time to
form reeled before "the FURNISHED rows
Of steel" But the Twelfth stood firm.
Lieutenant William Boyd tof Northum.
berlandl fell dead by his Captain. Lit.
tie John was wounded and Captain
Brady fell with a wound through his
mouth. The day ended with disaster
TO our arms, and the Twelfth sullenly
quit the field nearly cut TO pieces.
The wound only loosened some Of the
Captains teeth, but being disabled by a
severe attack of pleurisy, caused by bis
exposures, which he never got entirely
we'll Of, he was sent home. On the in.