Bent County register., 1888-02-25
PASTRIES OF OUR FOREFATHERs
ANDREW por's FIGHT WITH INDIANS.

About the middle of July, 1852, seven
Wyandotts crossed tho 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
ncighborhood. Within few hours after
their retreat, eight men assembled from
different parts of the small settlement, and
pursued the enemy with great expedition.
Among the most active and efficient of the
party were two brothers, Andrew and AdaIv
Poe. Andrew was particularly popula.
In strength, action and hardihood he had
no equal, being finely formed, and Injured
to ali the perils of the woods. They had
not followed the trail far before they be-
came satisfied that the depredatOrs were
conducted by Big Foot, a renowned chief
If the Wyandott tribe, who derived his
name from the immense size of his feet.
His height considerably exceeded six
feet, and his strength was represented as
Herculean. He had also five brothers, but
little inferior to himself in size and cour-
lge, and as they generally went in company,
they were the terror of the whole country.
Andrew Poe was overjoyed at the idea OF
measuring his strength with that of co
Celebrated chief, and urged the pursuit
with keenness which quickly brought
hin, into the vicinity of the enemy. For
the last few miles, the trail had led them
up the southern bank of the Ohio, where
he footprints in the sand were deep and
obvious; but when within few hundred
Yards of the point at which the whites as
we'll as the Indians were in the habit of
crossing, it suddenly diverged from tho
stream and stretched along rocky ridge,
forming an obtuse angle with its former
direction.
Here Andrew halted for moment and
iirected his brother and the other young
men to follow the trail with proper caution,
while he himself still adhered to the river
path, which led through clusters of willows
directly to the point where he supposed the
enemy to lie. Having examined the prim-
ing of his gun, he crept cautiously through
the bushes, until he had view of the
point of embarkatiop. Here lay two Ca
noes, empty and apparently deserted. Be-
ing satisfied, however, that the indians
were close at hand, he relaxed nothing OF
his vigilance, and quickly gained q jutting
cliff, which hung Immediately over the ca
noes. Hearing low murmur below, he
peered cautiously over, and beheld the OBJ
iect of his search. The gigantic Big Foot
below him, in the shade of willow,
was talking in a low, deep tone to an
or warrior, who seemed mere pigmy
lis side.
a Andrew cautiously drew back and cock-
ed his gun. The mark was fair, the dis
tance did not exceed twenty feet, and his
aim was unerring. Raising his rifle slowly
and cautiously, he took steady aim al
Big Foot's breast and drew .he trigger.
His gun flashed. Both Indians sprang tc
their feet with a deep interjection of sur
prise, and for single second, all three
stared upon each other. This inactivity
however was soon over. Andrew was toe
much hampered by the bushes to retreat,
and, setting his life upon a cast of the die,
hs sprung over the bush which had shell
tered him, and, sunlmoning all his powers,
leaped boldly down the precipice and
sliyh.ed upon the breast of Big Foot with
q shock that bore him to the earth.
At the moment of contact, Andrew had
also thrown his right arm around the neck
Of the smaller Indian, SO that all three
came to the earth together. At that mo-
ment sharp firing was heard among t..::s
bushes above, announcing that the othoI
par lies were engaged but the trio were
too busy to attend to anything but them
selves. Big Foot was for an instant stun
ned by the violence of the shock. and An
drew was enabled to keep them both down.
But the 6xertion necessary for that pur-
pose was so great that he had no leisure to
use mis- knife. Big Foot quickly recovered,
his long arms around Andrews body, and
pressed him to his breast with the crushing
force of boa-constrictor. Andrew, as we
have already remarked, was powerful
man, and had seldom encountered his
equal; but never had he yet felt an em-
brace like that of Z Z. Foot.
He instantly relaxed his hold of the
small Indian, who sprang to his feet. Big
Foot then ordered him to run for his toma-
hawk, which lay within ten steps, and kill
the white man, while he held him in his
arms. Andrew, seeing his danger, strug-
gled manfllly to extricate himself from
the folds of the giant, but in vain. The
lesser Indian approached with his uplifted
tomahawk, hut Andrew watched him close
ly, and as he was about to strike, gave him
kick SO sudden and violent as to knock
the tomahawk from his hand, and send
him staggering back into the water Big
Foot uttered an exclamation in a tone of
deep contempt at the failure OF his COM
panion, and raising his voice to its highest
pitch, thundered out several words III the
Indian tongue, which Andrew could not
understand, but supposed to be direction
for second attack.
The lesser Indian now again approached,
carefully stunning Andrews heels, and
making many motions with his tomahawk,
in order to deceive him as to the point
where the blow would fi,ll. This lasted
for several seconds, until a laundering ex-
cIaimation from Big Foot compelled his
companion to strike. Such was Andrews s
dexterity aud vigilance, however, that he
managed to receive the tomahawk IN o
glanciny direction on his left wrist, wound-
ing him deeply, but not disabling him.
He now made sudden and desperate eff
fort to free himself from the arms of the
giant, and succeeded. Instantly snatchin:
up q rifle for the Indian could not venture
to shoot for fear of hurting his compan-
ion), he shot the lesser Indian through the
body.