Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1854-03-11
y UbriIIi!l9 5IietcI).
From '!Evcnts IN Indian History"
ADAM POE.

About the middle Of July, 1852, seven
Wyandots crossed the Ohio, few miles
above Wheeling, and committed great dep
relations upon the southern shore, killing
an old man whom they found alone in his
cabin, and spreading terror throughout the
neighborhood. Within a few hours after
their retreat, eight men assembled from
different parts of the settlement, and pur-
sued the enemy with great expedition.-
Among the most active and elficien! OF the
party, were two brothers, Adam and An
drew Poe. Adam was particularly popu-
lar. In strength, action and hardihood, he
had but few equals-being finely formed
and Injured to all the perils of the woods.
They had not followed the trail far, before
they became satisfied that the depredators
were conducted by Big Foot, renowned
chief Of the Wyandot tribe, who derived
his name from the immense size of bis feet.
His height considerably exceeded six feet,
and his strength was represented as Hercu-
lean. He had also five brothers, but little
interior TO himself in size and courage, and
as they generally went in company, they
were the terror Of the whole country
; Adam Poe was overjoyed at the idea o
!, measuring his strength with so celebrated
, chief, and urged the pursuit with keen
nees which quickly brought them into th
: vicinity of the enemy. For the last fey
: miles, the trail had led them up the south
. ern bank of the Ohio, where the footprint
} in the sand were deep and obvious bl
when within few hundred yards Of tn
= point at which the whites as well as th
Indians were in the habit of crossing,
suddenly diverged from the stream, an
stretched along rocky ridge, forming a
obtuse angle with lis former direction
If Here A dam halted for a moment, and d
rected his brother and the other young me
# to follow the trail with proper cautio
v while he himself still adhered 10 the riv'
path, which led through clusters of wi
&C lows directly TO the point where he supp
s sed the enemy 10 lie. Having examine
u = the priming of his gun, he crcpt cautious
through the bushes, until he had view
i. the point of embarkation. Here lay tw
|, canoes, empty and apparently deserted
Being satisfied however that the IndiaI
, d were close at hand, he relaxed nothing
=, ~ his vigilance, and quickly gained juttiI
cliff, which hung Immediately over the c
e. noes. Hearing low murmur below,
:. peered cautiously over, and beheld the o
, jec, of his search. The gigantic Big Fo
o' lay below him in the shade of a willo'
and was talking in deep low tone TO a
other warrior, who seemed a mere pign
- by his side. Adam cautiously drew ba
and cooked his gun. The mark was (;
nd the distance did not exceed twenty fe,
of and his aim was unerring. Raising
an rifle slowly and cautiously, he took stt
by dy aim at Big Foot'S breast, and drew
trigger. His gun flashed. Both India
sprang TO their feet with deep INTERCEPT
. of surprise, and for single second they
stared upon each other. This inactivit
however, was soon over Adam was
much hampered by the bushes TO retire
and setting his life upon the cast OF the
he sprung over the bush which had sh
rs, tered him, and summoning all his powe
leaped boldly down the precipice, a
allghted upon the breast oi Big Foot W
a shock that bore him to the earth.
- the moment Of contact, Adam had a
al thrown his arm around the neck OF
es, smaller Indian, SO that all three came
lth the earth together. At that moment
ID sharp firing was heard among the busl
- above, announcing that the other party v
ity engaged, but the two below were too b,
to attend to anything but themselves.
Foot was for an instant stunned by the '
,n. lence of the shock, and Adam was enab
10 keep them both down. But the ex
ton necessary for that purpose was
in. great, that he had no leisure to use
= knife. Big Foot quickly recovered, {
without attempting TO rise, wrapped
. long arms round Adams body and pres
him to his breast with the crushing fu
of boa constructor Adam, as we b
!. already remarked, was a powerful m
and had seldom encountered bis equal !;