Fort Brady, Pennsylvania

American Revolution

American Revolution

Fort Brady was a private stockade built by Captain John Brady at Muncy in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania.

Captain John Brady had been a captain in the Scotch-Irish and German forces west of the Alleghenies under Colonel Henry Bouquet in his expeditions during the French and Indian War and had received a grant of land with the other officers in payment for his services. He became one of the earliest settlers in Lycoming County. He built a large house for its day surrounded by a stockade of 12-foot-high logs. His new home was perilously close to the edge of the frontier, and the area was subject to Indian raids.

In the American Revolution, Brady was a captain in the 12th Pennsylvania Regiment and was wounded at the battle of the Brandywine. His son, John, a boy of 15 years, stood in the ranks with a rifle and was also wounded. Sam, his eldest son, was in another division. During this time, most of the men in the region were involved in the Revolutionary War, leaving the area vulnerable to Indian attacks. When a cry for help went up from the sparsely settled frontier, General George Washington mustered out several officers to organize a defense of the area.

Captain John Brady was one of the officers mustered out, and soon after the Battle of Brandywine, he came home in the fall of 1777. His stockade quickly became a place of refuge for the families within reach. On April 11, 1779, taking a wagon and a guard, he made a trip up the river to Wallis to procure supplies. On his return, he was killed by Indians. His body was retrieved, brought to the fort, and soon after interred in the Muncy burying ground, some four miles from his home.

Captain John Brady Historic Marker

Captain John Brady Historic Marker

By the next month, the area was overrun by Indians, and most of the people left. On July 8, 1779, Smith’s Mill, at the mouth of the White Deer Creek, was burned, and on the 17th, Muncy Valley was destroyed. Starrett’s Mills and all the principal houses in Muncy Township were also burned, along with Forts Muncy, Brady, Freeland, and Sunbury.

A roadside marker commemorates Captain Brady on State Road 2014, .8 mile north of Muncy.

Compiled by Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated January 2024.

Also See:

American Forts Photo Gallery

American Revolution

Forts & Presidios Across America

Pennsylvania Forts