Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-11-13
O r A T L Q n ,
Unyeiling of the Brady Monument ut
Muncy.
RY John BLAIR LINN,

PEorLE OF THE WEST Branch VALLEY:
The mourntul death of Captain John
Brady, which has flung its dark shadow
down through the corridors of centu.
ry and brought us together to-day,
occurred on the llth of April, l7T9. |
will relate it in the language of his
daughter, Mrs. Mary Gray (late widow
of Captain William Gray, of Sunbury, J
who was fifteen years of age at the time
of her fathers death, and who had, even
to the last day of her life december l3,
1850, a vivid recollection OF the stirring
scenes of border life. She said: "My
father was riding along the public road
beyond Muncy creek, and about three
miles from Fort Brady aud near Wolf
run, accompanied by Peter Smith on
foot, when the Indians fired and Cap.
tain Brady fell without uttering a word
being shot in the back between his
shoulders with two balls. Smith escap.
ed by jumping ubon my fathers fright.
ened horse. The Indians in their haste
did not scalp him, nor plumber him of
his gold watch, some money, and his
commission which he carried in green
bag suspended from his neck. His
body was soon after brought to the Fort
and inferred in the Muncy buryng
ground, some four miles from the Fort
over Muncy creek" John Brady, son
of Captain Samuel and grandson of Cap
tain John Brady, said, as noted down by
Lyman C. Draper, Esq, lin lSij) he was
shot through the heart, only two rifles
discharged, and the signs showed only
two Indians present. His watch, &c,
were not taken. Mrs. Gray's statement
gave my informant Lyman c. Draper
Esq.,) the impression that Captain
Brady was not killed out of revenge,
but that a couple OF Indians who shot
were in too big a hurry to stop and rob
his body, perhaps afraid that other
whites were following near at hand.
The history of contemporary events,
however, coupled with the undisputed
incidents OF his death-two Indians
and two shots fred into HMM my
judgment, point to design in his
death, and enrol him with Warren,
Montgomery, Mercer, and other mar.
tyrs to the principles of free govern.
ment for which they laid down their
lives upon the field Of battle.
The invasion of Wyoming Valley,
which had taken place in July, l77S,
caused the depopulation OF the West
Branch Valley, known as the great
runaway and as early IA the Fall of
that year decisive stroke at the Six
Nations in there own homes had been
determined upon, but postponed on
account of the lateness of the season.
All winter it was discussed by the camp
fires at Morristown, and with the open.
ing spring of l77g. General Washington
; I'll. >
1879, to President Reed of Penusylya.
mia, for actual surveys of the waters of
the Susquehanna to assist him in form.
ing plan OF operations. His prepara-
tions to visit the heart of the Indian
dominion with stern vengence could
not be concealed, and the news was
carried by swift runners to the council
fires of the Iroquois. To divert such a
stroke from their homes, what would
those willy warriors do but detach
scouting parties to beat up the settle
ments and ward off the blow rs the
desolation OF the West Branch Valley
on extreme right boundary Of their
nation? Their ablest leaders and those
well acquainted with the Valley would
be selected for the purpose. Among
these was John Montour,ff and what
greater blow could he deal TO the Amer.
lean cause than to assassinate the pTud.
ent, the resolute and fearless leader,
who stood with drawn sword upon the
frontier Of Pennsylvania TO hurl back
the savage foe.
The circumstances Of Captain Brady's
death, however, are not what this vast
assemblage has met to commemorate.
Many unknown mounds in this valley
wrapt the silent clay of other of its de.
tenders who fell by the rifle Of the con.
eealed savage. Nor is il to mark to the
latest posterity the seemed of this bloody
tragedy, this granite cenotaph is made
to arise. "Cold "a the sod on which il
rests, still as the heavens above it, it is
to be forever eloquent Of our undying
remembrance OF the man and the sol.
dier, and OF our regard for him and
others who died to save our National
Independence.
"For Got's inalienable rights TO man,
Our here fought and bled--
So glorious those rights secured,
We thus revere the dead
Let Us turn then to the record Of the
man, the soldier and the officer. Cap
tain John Brady was born in what is
now the State Of Delaware, in 1893.
His father, Hugh Brady, was an emf.
grant from the North OF Ireland of
that godly Scotch.Irish ancestry who
read their Bibles by the light of the
camp fire Of Oliver Cromwell's army,
who we're the first TO cross the Boyne
and engage the hosts OF churchly des-
potism and who at the seige of Lon.
donderry slowly starved to death for
the rights of conscience.
sorE--Ths the residence II Capt Brady, the
site u Which IL within the present borough u huHcy
Bort Mnncy vas several miles north - u. II think a
fort ought to be built Samuel Wallis ai1ut two
miles from Muney creek. and have directed one to be
laid out accordingly "COlonel Hsrtley's letter Aug
N N.Ih Ill MnfIen