Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-18
Adnm Poe.s Great Fieht.

Adam POe's Great Fight.
The celebrated fight between Adam Poe
/ and the Shawnee Chief, Black Feather,
/ has been spoken OF in the histories Of
| Kentucky, but | believe the particulars
/ Of that combat have never been given
/ correctly to the public.
/ The hight was remarkable, not only on
account of the well-knOWn prOwess of
/ the parties engaged, but for the exceed
{ ing stubbOrnness with which il was con-
I Quoted, and the many different phases
/ il assumed before brought TO an end
They literally fought on the earth, i'm
/ the air, and under the water.
Adam Poe, one Of the first settlers Of
[ Kentucky had often expressed a desire
: TO meet the chief of the Shawnees in
hand-tO-haRd combat, and these boast
| ings having reached the ears OF Black
[ Feather, he declaredliis intention Of seek
ing out the daring Waite man.
Inls, Tor two reasons, he actually did,
LIZ eiregllslstai1ces combined ~ keen tham
siliift Tor t.iilr tlllo. ,llsIfiy however the
opportunity came.
Adam Poe and his brother had been
ont hunting, and were returning, to-
ward sundown, bearinga buck upon u
pole between them.
When passing a small thicker q shot
was fired ut them, the bali lodging in the
head of the deer, which hung next TO
Adam.
To drop their burden and run for the
ambush was but the work Of a second
Adam taking the right, and his brother
the left hand side.
The thickeC proving much larger than
either thought, they became more widely
separated than was intended, and Adam
was upon the point of returning TO where
the deer had been left, when at the dis
tance of 4 hundred yards or so he discov-
cred the gigantic form of the Shawnee
chief, who was just in the act of firing
upon him.
Adam had time 10 reach cover before
the shot was made, and then began a Sc
ries OF antics, such rs were rarely wit
messed in those wilds, for two of the most
noted warriors OF the day were each stri-
wing to gain an advantage over the other.
Foot by foot they drew near each 9TH
er, leaping from tree 10 tree, from stump
to stump, or rock to rock rs the ease
might be.
Impercepnbly TO each other, perhaps,
they gradually worked around, until
both stood upon the verge of high bluff
bank overlooking the river, facing each
other but some twenty PAGES apart.
Here, from behind separate trees, the
willy foeman stood TO obtain n shot; and
at last Adam thinking he saw his chance
fired at the exposed hip of the chief.
He missed his aim, and, like an uncag-
ed lion, the gigantic Indian rushed from
his cover, and bore down upon the in no
wise daunted white man.
Half way they met, the Indian WELD
ing his toInahaWk, having east aside his
rifle, while Adam laid his hopes and pros
poets upon the keen blade of his hunting
knife.
With shock they met midway, and
then began struggle such rs is rarely
witnessed between TWO of the human
kind.
Poe was not quite so tall as the Shaw
nee, but was fully as strong, and much
more active; and so the fight was about
upon an equal footing
For many minutes they struggled back
and forth upon the grassy levee, now clO-
sing, in the attempt TO throw each other:
and failing IN this, again reSOrting to
blows, dealt with tOmahawk or knife.
BY this time both were wounded in sew
eral places, the chief probable the more
severely of the two
At length, in making 4 savage stroke
with his weapon, the grasp of the red
skin slipped and the light axe went whir-
ling out into the river.
Ia an instant the Indian grappled, and
Il struggle fiercer than any that had vet
taken place ensues-each putting forth
every effort. until, approaching too near
the verge of the precipice, they missed
stream, locked in a deadly embrace,
At the point where they fell the stream
was very deep, and the current swift and
strong.
The advantage now lay with Adam
He was a practiced swimmer, while he
quickly discovered that his opponent
could not swim at al.
The Indian, aware of this, strOYe to re-
gain the shore, but was thwarted at eve
~ point by Poe, who would jerk him
back into deep water, and then both would
go under together.
Finally, falling further out than here
tofore the combatants were caught up by
the current and quickly borne some dis
tance from the land
The fight was now all in the white
mans favor, and would have been quick
ly ended, but for an unlocked for and un-
fortunate circumstance. Adams brother
suddenly appeared upon the scene, and,
taking i'll his brothers peril, as he thOt',
at a glance, ventured upon the hazardous
experiment of finishing the chief by
shot.
The ball sped but not truly, for it struck
Adam in the shoulder, almost paralyzing
the left arm.
His situation now became desperate in
deed.
He could force the Indian beneath the
current, but could not hold him there,
and seeing that his own strength was rap
idly departing, he determined 10 try and
outwind the enemy.
With this object in view he suddenly
threw his arm about the savage's neck
and together they disappeared beneath
the surface.
adams brother, standing upon the
bank, unconscious of the harm that he
had done, witnessed this disappearance
in dismay.
Long he waited for the reappearance of
one or the other, until at length, bee0m-
ing thoroughly alarmed, he leaped into
the stream and swan Tor the spot.
He reached il not q moment too soon.
Adam had outwinded the Indian, and
in so doing he had nearly drowned him
self
He came very feebiy TO the surface,
and would have sank again, but for lis
brothers. aid.
They both reached the shore in safety,
but Adam Poe never fully recovered from
the terrible exertiOu Of that fight.