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From: "Faith Keahey" <>
Subject: Edgington Narrative #14
Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 12:13:54 -0600


The Poes

Their famous fight was October 31st 1782. Seven Wyandottes, and three of
the Half Kings sons. It was a very favorable fall - no frost. Two families
of the name Jackson and two other families left Burgett's Fort, built for
the protection of a mill, and went some three miles south. Philip Jackson
took his gun and went out to his cabin, a mile and a half distance from the
other families, and was captured and his cabin plundered. This was early in
the morning (Oct. 30) and he was to have been back by breakfast. Not
returning two men went to see what had become of him. They returned with
the intelligence of the plundered cabin.

Captain Andrew Poe, who commanded the militia, and his brother Adam raised a
party - 13 men altogether. Andrew was a very athletic man. It was now late
in the afternoon. Captain Poe said it would be useless to go to the cabin,
and advised that they go direct to the river and try to intercept the
Indians. All mounted and rode on. That night they came to a deserted cabin
and found a crib of corn, from which they fed their horses.

Fortunately that night there fell a very heavy frost, the first one to nip
vegetation. By day light Poe's party were again in pursuit and struck the
Indian trail, where they had gone that morning, as it was plainly visable in
the frost.

At the mouth of Tomlinson's Run the Indians were discovered making a raft
with which to cross the Ohio. One Indian was watching Jackson and keeping
sentry, but both keeper and prisoner were intently watching the raft makers,
and thus the whites rode up within 25 yards before they were observed. One
Indian now made a tomahawk blow at Jackson's head. He dodged and was cut on
the shoulder. Before the Indian had time to repeat the blow, one of Poe's
men shot him. The Indians now shot Thomas Cherry; then four broke - two ran
up the creek, two down the river, and two remained on the spot. These
fugitives were pursued by the men.

The two that stood their ground were the youngest of the Half King's sons.
Captain Poe, seeing them, jumped down the river bank some 15 feet at a
single leap, and struck between the two brothers seized them both. The
Indians were about the same size, 5' 10" and 160 lbs. Poe got them both down
but could not hold them down. One managed to slip out and aimed a tomahawk
blow at Poe's head, which he parried off with his left hand, and his wrist
was half severed - from this he never fully recovered. At this juncture,
while the Indian who had just struck Captain Poe was standing on the beach,
Adam Poe came running up with his gun empty likewise commenced loading, and
the Indian whose gun was also empty commenced loading, and the strife was
who should first get loaded - the Indian in haste dropped his ramrod, and
thus Adam got a slight advantage, and shot his antagonist dead.

Captain Poe and the Indian in their prostrate scuffle had, the while, rolled
into the river, and Andrew finally drowned him and he sunk. Before Andrew
got out of the water, two of his own men came dashing up, and mistaking him
for an Indian discharged their guns at him - one of the balls glancing the
water just before him, the other wounding him in the shoulder. Andrew
before the accident was nearly exhausted, and in swimming the water, and now
disabled in one of his shoulders. The timely aid of his brother Adam, who
swam in and brought him ashore, probably saved him.

The oldest of the Half King's sons was the commander of the Indian party -
his name was Scotash. He had taken down the river with another Indian, and
two others ran up the creek. All save Scotash was killed. He was badly
wounded in the hand, but swam across the river and found the dead body of
his brother, whom Adam Poe had shot on the shore, and buried him nearby
where a tree had upturned the earth. The Indian whom Andrew had killed was
not named Big Foot, nor was he a particularly large Indian. The track of an
Indian had been seen in the country which upon measurement was found to be
13 inches long - but he was not the victim of Captain Poe.

The Poes were then bachelors - stout, athletic Dutchmen - lived in a cabin
by themselves. Andrew was quite dark featured - dark hair and eyes - could
easily carry a quarter cut for four green rails a hundred yards. He was six
feet two inches, raw boned, and would weigh 225 lbs - in his old age
considerably exceeded 300 lbs. He died not many years since in Beavertown,
PA.

Adam Poe was of less size than his brother - 5' 10"- strong and heavy. He
is suppose to still be living (1845) near Burgettstown, Washington Co., PA.
cont

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