Brady was born in Middlesex County, Massachussetts on February 22, 1822. As a young man he first found employment at an East Haddam, Connecticut cotton mill, part of the growing textile industry in pre-war Connecticut. In 1842, Brady married Lucinda Chandler and by July of 1843 the couple had their first child, a son, followed soon after by a daughter. In 1845 Brady moved to Wolcottville (now Torrington), Connecticut where he became superintendent of another mill. Brady proved efficient in this line of work, and assisted in the set up of another mill in nearby Litchfield. Brady worked his way through several positions there, and ultimately purchased the mill. As the years passed, Brady became more involved with the manufacture of clothing, owning a manufactory in Wolcottville and starting a second in Georgetown. In time he opened a clothing store in New York City.

During those years, Brady found time to join the Connecticut militia. The militia of the pre-Civil War was more of a social function than a military one, and no doubt Brady found it an appropriate manner in which to keep his contacts in the community. Apparently militia service agreed with Brady, as he rose from the rank of 1st Lieutenant in February 1851 to Colonel of the 4th Regiment Connecticut Militia by 1857.

At the onset of war in 1861, in response to Abraham Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers for three months service, many more Connecticut citizens volunteered than the quota called for. As a result, three regiments were organized and accepted for service. Allen Brady was appointed by Governor Buckingham as Lieutenant Colonel of the 3rd Regiment Connecticut Volunteers, and was mustered into U.S. service on May 14, 1861.

With Colonel John Arnold in command, Brady and the 3rd Connecticut left the state for Washington, D.C. on May 23, 1861. Upon arrival at the capitol, the regiment saw duty in the defenses of Washington, D.C. On May 27, 1861, the 3 Connecticut regiments were organized into a brigade commanded by Brigadier General Daniel Tyler. There seem to have been problems with discipline in the regiment, and on May 29th Colonel Arnold resigned, "not having proved very efficient", and returned home. From letters written by General Tyler the following week, it appears that he felt Brady was also part of the problem. On May 31st, Governor Buckingham appointed Lieutenant Colonel John Chatfield of the 1st Connecticut, known as a strict disciplinarian, as Colonel of the 3rd Connecticut.

Brady, furious over the promotion of Chatfield over himself, and believing it to be a clear violation of the militia regulations of the state, would not acknowledge Chatfield's position. On June 1st General Tyler placed Brady under arrest for "mutinous conduct", and ordered him confined to his tent. Tyler then left camp with the 1st Connecticut, leaving command of the 2nd and 3rd Connecticut to Colonel (later Major General) Alfred Terry, and advising General J.F.K. Mansfield on June 4th that he would prefer charges at the "first moment I can spare". Tyler told Mansfield that under Chatfield he believed the 3rd Connecticut would "make amends for its previous misbehavior", behavior which Tyler felt certain was due to "the influence and example" of Brady.

Not one to sit back and wait for something to happen, Brady wrote to General Mansfield on June 3rd that he had "been confined to my tent since Saturday and not allowed to go out of it to my meals". Brady stated he did not know what he was charged with and that, in his opinion, he had been "ill treated". Brady requested that he either be discharged from service or released from arrest.

It is obvious that Brady's complaint reached General Mansfield first, as on June 4th Mansfield sent a letter to Tyler ordering the release of Brady. Tyler, by now obviously irritated wrote back and informed Mansfield that Brady, "by his conduct since he came on with the Regt., has satisfied me that he is unfit for the service". Tyler told Mansfield that he believed that the good of the regiment could only be secured by removing it from Brady's "bad influences". Furthering his case against Brady, Tyler wrote that Brady had "broken his arrest and seems not to have the slightest regard for orders coming from anybody but himself", and that he had so informed Governor Buckingham. Tyler repeated his earlier belief that Colonel Chatfield could put the regiment "back in order" if let alone. Tyler won his case, and Brady remained under arrest in camp.

Brady was not willing to let the matter rest, and on June 12th General Tyler wrote General Mansfield yet again. Brady was now "making addresses to the men...calculated to produce further insubordination and to further paralyze the efforts of Colonel Chatfield to improve the discipline of the Regiment." Tyler requested that Brady be ordered back to Washington to await trial, both for "convenience" and more importantly to get him away from the regiment.

The advance by the Federal army into Virginia, and subsequent battle at Bull Run, proved more important than the court-martial of a three months officer. The 3rd Connecticut distinguished itself as well as any other regiment at Bull Run, apparently without the help of it's Lieutenant Colonel (who failed to make reference to the battle except to state that "my regiment" saw action). On July 29th, 1861 Brady was ordered released from arrest and directed to report to New Haven for muster out. On August 12th Brady ended his service, such as it was, for the United States.

Brady spent the next year engaged in various business pursuits. In late spring of 1862, recruitment offices in the North closed after victories in the west and anticipated victory in the east raised hopes of an early end to the war. By the end of June, however, with George McClellan's Peninsular campaign a shambles and Union forces in retreat the atmosphere had changed from hopeful to despair.

Urgent calls were put out for additional three year volunteers throughout the North. In Connecticut, rallies were held around the state to drum up support for the war effort and encourage volunteering. In July 1862 William H. Noble, a Bridgeport lawyer, politician and former business partner of P.T. Barnum was authorized by Governor Buckingham to raise a regiment in Fairfield County, the Seventeenth Connecticut. Doing business in Stamford at that time, Allen Brady received the authority to raise a company in that town.

Recruiting started on July 18th, and by August 11th 109 men had been enrolled into what would become Company B of the Seventeenth Connecticut. In a letter to the editor of the Advocate, a list of the volunteers was published, along with the following remarks:

"...Much gratitude is due from Stamford to the chief agent in gathering so quickly a company. Few men could have succeeded in enrolling them so soon, and fewer still in organizing and so effectively drilling them. All honor to Colonel Brady, who consented to put himself at their head."

On August 13th, a huge crowd gathered in front of Seely's Hall for the farewell ceremonies. After the good-byes were said and benedictions given Brady, appointed Captain, brought his company to Camp Aiken (now Seaside Park) in Bridgeport, and joined the Seventeenth there. On August 28th Brady was mustered into service one more time, and on August 29th he was promoted to the rank of Major.

On September 3rd the Seventeenth left Bridgeport, fully expecting to join Major-General Franz Sigel's corps. By this time, however, General Lee had begun his Maryland campaign and the soldiers of the Seventeenth found themselves held in Baltimore to serve in the defenses of that city. While the Fourteenth and Sixteenth Connecticut Regiments were battered and bloodied at Antietam, the Seventeenth spent the next month at Fort Marshall. By early November the regiment reached Sigels' XI Corps, it's home for the next 9 months.

The winter passed in relative quiet for Brady. On December 10th Brady was injured by a kick from his horse, and subsequently received thirty days sick leave from December 22nd. The regiment did not fight at Fredericksburg (the second bloody battle they missed since entering service), and although participants in the "Mud March" did not real fighting all winter.

Brady returned to the regiment at a time when low morale and poor conditions were taking their toll on the Union Army. The Seventeenth was no exception -- on February 27th Brady, along with nearly every field officer in the regiment, was placed under arrest by Colonel Noble. A letter had been sent to brigade commander Nathaniel C. McLean by the officers of the regiment complaining of Noble's failure to drill the regiment. Colonel Noble was infuriated (and quite probably embarrassed) by this action, especially when McLean's response was to order Noble to drill his regiment. Although Brady's name does not appear on the list of officers who signed the letter, the record shows that he was in fact arrested. In a letter home, Pvt. Justus Silliman of Company H also stated that Brady was also arrested as a result of the letter.

For some time the companies of the regiment were led by their non-commissioned officers, with Colonel Noble at their head. Letters written at the time indicate that the results were comical as the Colonel tried to lead the regiment through battalion drill for the first few times. As time passed, and it became apparent that McLean was not going to permit the court-martial of every officer in the regiment, Noble began to release all but the most obstinate from arrest. Whether or not Brady was one of those more obstinate officers is not shown by the record, but by the end of April and the beginning of the Chancellorsville campaign all officers were free.

On April 27, 1863 the Army of the Potomac moved out to start it's spring campaign, now led by Major General Joseph Hooker. Major General Oliver O. Howard now led the XI Corps. After a spectacular start, the XI Corps took their position at the extreme right of the Chancellorsville lines. On May 2nd the regiment was split into two wings. Lt. Colonel Charles Walter commanded the right wing. Major Brady commanded the left wing. Major Brady's wing was faced south along the old Turnpike and in support of four guns of Captain Julius Dieckman's 13th New York Independent Battery.

In the late afternoon Confederates under the command of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson attacked the Union right flank. The regiments of the 1st Division disintegrated under the weight and shock of Jackson's assault. As the attack neared the position of the Seventeenth, the guns of Dieckman's Battery limbered up and went off the field. For Major Brady this posed a dilemma. His orders were to support the guns, which had gone off. The right wing of the regiment, with his superior officers with it, was 75 yards to his front on the other side of the Talley house. As the Confederate assault rolled nearer, Brady's men were quickly being enveloped on three sides. Unable to fire because of the retreating Union soldiers, and unable to change front to meet the attack, Brady's leadership began to be questioned by his subordinate officers. When the Seventeenth was threatened with being overrun and captured, Brady and Captain James Moore argued over what to do. Brady pointed out that he had no orders to retreat, and had no right to give such an order. Moore made it clear that if Brady would not, then he would. Finally, Brady ordered the companies under his command to make for the woods.

Brady and his command retreated through the woods to the clearing near the Wilderness Church, joining up once more with the right wing of the regiment. During the retreat towards Dowdall's Tavern, Colonel Noble was wounded and Brady was in command of the regiment -- or at least what remained of it. In his report on the battle, Brady stated that the regiment remained there until driven out "at the point of the bayonet". Brady remained in command of the regiment throughout the rest of the battle, until the regiment returned to it's old winter camp at Brooke's Station.

On May 16th Brady traveled to Washington, DC for five days, leaving the regiment in the care of Captain Moore. Expecting a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel during this time period, Brady was undoubtedly disappointed to learn that Captain Douglas Fowler of Company A had been promoted over him to that rank. A little wiser than he had been in the past, Brady did not repeat his insubordinate behavior of two years earlier. During this time period Brady served as Inspector General on the staff of General Francis Barlow, the newly appointed commander of the 1st Division.

When the regiment marched along with the rest of the Army of the Potomac northward in pursuit of Lee's army, Brady resumed his place as with the Seventeenth. Colonel Noble was still in Connecticut due to the injury received at Chancellorsville, and Lt. Colonel Fowler was in command. On July 1st the two forces clashed again at Gettysburg. Brady volunteered to lead four companies of the regiment to an advanced position north of Rock Creek, where they fought stubbornly against overwhelming odds yet again. As the Confederates advanced in force upon the Eleventh Corps lines north of the town, Lt. Colonel Fowler was struck by a shell and killed instantly. The regiment fell back into town, where the four detached companies somehow found them. For the second time in as many battles, Brady was in command of the regiment.

The regiment held it's position on East Cemetery Hill for the remainder of the day and evening before being moved with it's brigade to the far slope of East Cemetery Hill. There, at dusk on July 2nd, the regiment once more saw heavy fighting. In the confusion that marked the fight for East Cemetery Hill, the men of the Seventeenth found themselves in a hand to hand fight with the Confederates desperately trying to take the Union position on the hill. After a pitched battle, the Confederates were beaten back. Among the casualties in the Seventeenth was Brady himself. During the battle a shell fragment struck Brady in the right shoulder, most likely from Union artillery posted at the rear of the regiment. Brady remained on the field throughout the rest of the battle, commanding the regiment until he was sent home to recuperate on July 8th.

On July 11th Brady arrived at his Wolcottville home, where he would remained under a doctor's care throughout the summer and fall. On October 21st Brady was discharged from the service on account of his Gettysburg wound, which left him with limited mobility of his right arm. Soon thereafter, Brady sought an appointment to the newly formed Invalid Corps (later to be known as the Veteran Reserve Corps). In November Brady received an appointment as Major in the 20th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps and was ordered to report once more to Baltimore, Maryland.

Officers of Point Lookout - Major Brady is 3rd from right

After his arrival at Baltimore's Camp Lafayette, Brady was assigned several administrative duties. He assumed command of the Depot Camp for the Veteran Reserve Corps in Baltimore, as well as the General Rendevous and Conscript Camp for the states of Maryland and Delaware. In April 1864 Brady and his regiment were sent to Alexandria, Virginia where they remained until May, at which time they were sent to Point Lookout, Maryland. Point Lookout was the site of the north's largest prison camp. All Confederate prisoners were sent to Point Lookout until they were re-assigned to any of the several camps scattered throughout the north. By June Brady was named the Provost Marshal of the St. Mary's District of Maryland, as well as the prison camp.

Private Olmenhaussen's drawing of Major Brady

Conditions at Point Lookout were no better than any other prison camp during the civil war. As was typical of the time, prisoners had varied recollections of Brady during his tenure as Provost Marshal. One story related how Brady allowed his horse to trample one unfortunate prisoner who could not get out of the way fast enough, but no proof could ever be found that the incident ever occurred. More common were the stories that Brady amassed a small fortune as a result of all valuables being handled through his office. These reports notwithstanding, many letters to home commented favorably on Brady's abilities. Brady obviously felt that he had to uphold and enforce all regulations to the letter and especially prevent any escapes -- an example of same is his continued practice of taking the trousers from newly arrived prisoners if they were of Federal blue issue, and the rejection of replacements sent by Washington for the same reason.

After the war ended Brady remained at Point Lookout, where he stayed until the last prisoner was released and all the paperwork for the camp closed out. In October 1865 Brady returned to Baltimore, and in early December was sent home once more. Brady continued to report by letter, until April 1866 when he was ordered to report to his former Eleventh Corps commander General O.O. Howard for duty in the Freedmen's Bureau. Brady was assigned as Superintendent - Central District, North Carolina, a duty he would perform until his discharge from volunteer service in December 1866. Brady returned home for a short time in January 1867 before accepting an appointment as 1st Lieutenant in the 43rd Regiment, US Army. Brady passed his examining board in that month, and was subsequently sent to Fort Gratiot, Michigan. Brady soon began to worry about his commission, as other officers appointed at the same time had been confirmed by the Senate but not his own. Unbeknownst to Brady, Major General Howard had written that Brady was "unworthy" of his appointment. The nature of the complaint made against Brady is not given in Brady's service record, but it's validity was confirmed by Howard's Inspector General. In response to this report, the Senate refused to act on Brady's commission and the appointment expired.