Fort Brady, a Frontier Fort in the Susquehanna Valley

December 01, 2025 | by Terry Diener

In 1893, Pennsylvania Governor Robert E. Pattison appointed a commission to submit reports on the various forts erected to protect early settlers against the Indians prior to the year 1783. The forts were divided into five districts across the state.

The authorities appointed Captain John M. Buckalew to investigate those found in the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna Valley. He relied on local historians and others with local knowledge in locating sites of some of the forts, more than 100 years after their existence.

Portions of Buckalew’s report on Fort Brady in Lycoming County.

“Fort Brady was the dwelling house of Capt. John Brady, at Muncy, stockaded by digging a trench about four feet deep and setting logs side by side, filling in with earth and ramming down solid to hold the palisade in place. The settlers usually built them twelve feet high from the ground and pinned smaller timbers to the top transversely, creating a solid wall. Capt. Brady's house was a large one for the time. He had been a captain in the Scotch-Irish and German forces west of the Alleghenies which Dr. Egle* tells us composed the Henry Bouquet expeditions, and had received a grant of land with the other officers in payment for his services. He served as a captain in the 12th Pennsylvania Regiment during the Revolution and sustained a wound at the Battle of the Brandywine. His son, John, a lad of fifteen, also received a wound while standing in the ranks with a rifle. Sam, his eldest son, was in another division and assisted in making the record of Parr's and Morgan's riflemen world famous. The West Branch, in its great zeal for the cause of the colonists, had almost denuded itself of fighting men for the Continental army. Consequently, on the breaking out of Indian hostilities, a cry for help went up from these sparsely settled frontiers. General Washington recognized the necessity without the ability to relieve them. He, however, did all in his power by mustering out such officers as would be likely to organize such defense and restore confidence to these justly alarmed communities, distributing the men among other regiments. Capt. John Brady was one of these officers. He was mustered out soon after the battle of Brandywine, came home, and in the fall of 1777 stockaded Fort Brady. Fort Brady at once became a place of refuge to the families within reach in times of peril and continued so until after the death of the valiant captain and the driving off of the inhabitants. The Indians killed Captain Brady at Wolf Run, above Muncy, April 11, 1779.”

Meginness, in his History of the West Branch, says: "One of the saddest incidents of these troublesome times was the assassination of Capt. John Brady by a concealed foe on the 11th of April, 1779. He was living with his family at his fort, as it was termed at Muncy, and was taking an active part against the Indians. On this fatal day, he made a trip up the river to Wallis's for the purpose of procuring supplies. He took a wagon and guard with him, and after securing a quantity of provisions, started to return in the afternoon. He was riding a fine mare and was some distance in the rear of the wagon. The Indians mortally wounded and scalped Peter Smith, the same unfortunate man who lost his family in the bloody massacre of the 10th of June, on the 8th of August. When within a short distance of his home, Brady suggested to Smith the propriety of his taking a different route from the one the wagon had gone, as it was shorter. They traveled together until they came to a small stream of water (Wolf Run), where the other road came in. Brady observed: This would be a good place for Indians to hide; Smith replied in the affirmative, when three rifles cracked and Brady fell from his horse dead." In their haste, the Indians did not scalp him, nor plunder him of his gold watch, some money and his commission, which he carried in a green bag suspended from his neck."

Meginness continued, “They brought his body to the fort and soon after buried it in the Muncy burying ground, some four miles from the fort (now Hall's station, P. & E. R. R.) over Muncy creek."

In 1879, the Honorable John Blair Linn spoke at the dedication of the Brady monument, one hundred years after John Brady's death, and said: "To the valley his loss was well-nigh irreparable;

Captain Buckalew’s report contained details on fifteen or sixteen forts in the North and West Branch areas in the Susquehanna Valley.

 *William Henry Egle (1830–1901) was a physician, author and historian who served as the State Librarian of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1887 to 1889

Credits: In 1893, Pennsylvania Governor Robert E. Pattison appointed a Commission to submit reports on the various forts erected to protect early settlers against the Indians prior to the year 1783. The forts were divided into five districts across the state. Captain John M. Buckalew was appointed to investigate those found in the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna Valley. He relied on local historians and others with local knowledge in locating sites of some of the forts, more than 100 years after their existence. Portions of Buckalew’s report on Fort Brady in Lycoming County. “Fort Brady was the dwelling house of Capt. John Brady, at Muncy, stockaded by digging a trench about four feet deep and setting logs side by side, filling in with earth and ramming down solid to hold the palisade in place. They were usually twelve feet high from the ground, with smaller timbers running transversely at the top, to which they were pinned, making a solid wall. Capt. Brady's house was a large one for the time; he had been a captain in the Scotch-Irish and German forces west of the Alleghenies under Col. Henry Bouquet in his expedition, which Dr. Egle* tells us composed the Bouquet expeditions, and had received a grant of land with the other officers in payment for his services. He was a captain in the 12th Pennsylvania regiment in the Revolution and was wounded at the battle of the Brandywine. His son, John, a lad of fifteen, stood in the ranks with a rifle and was also wounded. Sam, his eldest son, was in another division and assisted to make the record of Parr's and Morgan's riflemen world famous. The West Branch, in its great zeal for the cause of the colonist, had almost denuded itself of fighting men for the Continental army. Consequently, on the breaking out of Indian hostilities, a cry for help went up from these sparsely settled frontiers. General Washington recognized the necessity without the ability to relieve them. He, however, did all in his power by mustering out such officers as would be likely to organize such defense and restore confidence to these justly alarmed communities, distributing the men among other regiments. Capt. John Brady was one of these officers; he was mustered out soon after the battle of Brandywine, came home and in the fall of 1777 stockaded Fort Brady. “Fort Brady at once became a place of refuge to the families within reach in times of peril and continued so until after the death of the valiant captain and the driving off of the inhabitants. Capt. Brady was killed by the Indians at Wolf run, above Muncy, April 11, 1779.” Meginness, in his History of the West Branch, says: "One of the saddest incidents of these troublesome times was the assassination of Capt. John Brady by a concealed foe on the 11th of April, 1779. He was living with his family at his fort, as it was termed, at Muncy, and was taking an active part against the Indians. On this fatal day he made a trip up the river to Wallis' for the purpose of procuring supplies. He took a wagon and guard with him, and, after securing a quan tity of provisions started to return in the afternoon. He was riding a fine mare and was some distance in the rear of the wagon. Peter Smith, the same unfortunate man who lost his family in the bloody massacre of the 10th of June, and on whose farm young James Brady was mortally wounded and scalped by the Indians on the 8th of August, was walking by his side. When within a short distance of his home, Brady suggested to Smith the propriety of his taking a different route from the one the wagon had gone, as it was shorter. They traveled together until they came to a small stream of water (Wolf run), where the other road came in. Brady observed: This would be a good place for Indians to hide; Smith replied in the affirmative, when three rifles cracked and Brady fell from his horse dead.” Meginness continued, “His body was brought to the fort and soon after interred in the Muncy burying ground, some four miles from the fort (now Hall's station, P. & E. R. R.) over Muncy creek." His grave is suitably marked at Hall's, while a cenotaph in the present Muncy cemetery of thirty feet high. Honorable John Blair Linn, at the dedication of the Brady monument in 1879, one hundred years after the death of John Brady, said: "To the valley his loss was well-nigh irreparable; death came to its defender, and 'Hell followed' hard after. In May, Buffalo Valley was overrun and the people left, on the 8th of July Smith's mills, at the mouth of the White Deer Creek were burned, and on the 17th Muncy Valley was swept with the besom of destruction. Starrett's mills and all the principal houses in Muncy Township burned, with Fort Muncy, Brady and Freeland, and Sunbury became the frontier." Captain Buckalew’s report contained details on fifteen or sixteen forts, in the North and West Branch areas in the Susquehanna Valley. *William Henry Egle (1830–1901) was a physician, author and historian who served as the State Librarian of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1887 to 1889