Poe Brothers, The
Encyclopedia
The Poe brothers were six celebrated American football
players who played football at Princeton University
from 1882 until 1901. They were sons of John P. Poe, Sr., an 1854 Princeton graduate and the Attorney General of Maryland
from 1891 until 1895. They were also second cousins, twice removed (see below), of the celebrated poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe
, who died in 1849.
—the first such team selected. After Princeton beat Harvard, 41-15, a Harvard man reportedly asked a Princeton alumnus whether Poe was related to the great Edgar Allan Poe. According to the story, "the alumnus looked at him in astonishment and replied, 'He is the great Edgar Allan Poe.'"
John Prentiss Poe, Jr. made the varsity football team at halfback as a freshman, and finished the season tied for third in touchdowns scored for the team. However, he struggled academically and was asked to leave in the Spring term. He re-enrolled the following fall and started at quarterback, moving to halfback midway through the season. Poe played better in his sophomor year than in the previous season, finishing second on the team for touchdowns scored. However, he was once again forced to leave the university for academic reasons, this time permanently. Poe Field at Princeton was provided in his memory by classmates and friends.
Arthur was selected retroactively by the Helms Athletic Foundation
as the national college football player of the year for 1899, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1969. He was also named to Walter Camp
's All-American football second team in 1898 and first team in 1899. He made the plays that led to victories over Yale in both years. In 1898 he took the ball from a Yale runner's grasp and raced 100 yards for the game's only score. In 1899, with only 30 seconds to play Poe volunteered to attempt a game-winning field goal, despite never having before kicked in a game, because both of Princeton's kickers had been injured and left the game. His kick was good and delivered an 11-10 Princeton victory. Arthur's heroics in the biggest college football games of 1898 and 1899 inspired a book of comic heroic poetry entitled "Poe's Run and Other Poems." In 1914, a Pittsburgh Press
article declared the last-minute winning field goal "Football's Greatest Moment."
Gresham Poe almost rallied Princeton back from a 12-0 deficit against Yale in 1901.
during World War I
. Neilson served in the United States Army
infantry
as a lieutenant
. He was wounded in a battle in 1918, in which his commanding officer was killed. As a result, Neilson safely entrenched his men for 24 hours, while suffering a bullet wound to the stomach and several shrapnel wounds. He was later awarded the French War Cross
and the Distinguished Service Cross
. Meanwhile, Gresham also served in the U.S Army in a field artillery
unit. Johnny entered the war before America became involved. In 1914 he volunteered for the British Army
and was assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery
, in which he served in France for the remainder of 1914 and the first part of 1915. He then decided that artillery was too far behind the lines, and had himself transferred to the Black Watch
, a famous Scottish
infantry regiment, known to the Germans
as the "Ladies from Hell" for the kilts they wore and their ferocity. He was killed in the opening hours of the Battle of Loos
, on the morning of September 25, 1915. Meanwhile Edgar Allen's son, who was also a recent Princeton graduate, Edgar Allan Poe, Jr. His son, was severely wounded in the war while serving as a U.S. Marine Corps second lieutenant
in France, however according to an October 13, 1918 New York Times story, he fully recovered from his wounds winthin six days.
, the Poe Brothers' grandfather. Edgar Allan and Neilson were born in the same year, and their family connections were so close that they would have been perceived by many outside the family as brothers. The elder Edgar Allan married his own first cousin Virginia Clemm
, and the elder Neilson married Virginia's half-sister Josephine Emily Clemm. The six brothers' relationship to the author, through their grandfather Neilson, would be second cousins twice removed (though to one who had perceived the elder Neilson to be the elder Edgar Allan's brother, the assumption may have been made that the six Poe brothers were the author's grand-nephews). But if calculated though the relations of the brothers' grandmother, the brothers would be the grand half-nephews of the author, since their grandmother was the half-sister of the author's wife. Finally, if calculated through the relationship of their grandmother to Virginia Clemm as the author's first cousin rather than as the author's wife, the six brothers could be said to be first half-cousins, twice removed to the author.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
players who played football at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
from 1882 until 1901. They were sons of John P. Poe, Sr., an 1854 Princeton graduate and the Attorney General of Maryland
Attorney General of Maryland
The Attorney General of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits...
from 1891 until 1895. They were also second cousins, twice removed (see below), of the celebrated poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, who died in 1849.
The brothers
- Samuel Johnson PoeSamuel PoeSamuel Johnson Poe an American football halfback for the Princeton Tigers in 1882 and 1883. He graduated from Princeton in 1884, he was also earned All-American honors as a lacrosse player. Samuel was the eldest member of the Poe brothers, six celebrated American football players at Princeton...
, Class of 1884, who played halfbackHalfback (American football)A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
in 1882-83. - Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe (Maryland Attorney General)Edgar Allan Poe was Attorney General of the State of Maryland from 1911 to 1915. He was born in Baltimore, the son of former Maryland Attorney General John Prentiss Poe. He was named for his second cousin, twice removed, the celebrated author Edgar Allan Poe, who died in 1849.Poe attended...
, Class of 1891, who was an All-American quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
from 1887–90 and captained the team in his junior and senior years. - John Prentiss Poe, Jr.Johnny PoeJohn P. "Johnny" Poe, Jr. was an American college football player and coach, soldier, Marine, and soldier of fortune, whose exploits on the gridiron and the battlefield contributed to the lore and traditions of the Princeton Tigers football program.-Family:John Prentiss Poe, Jr., known as...
, Class of 1895, who played halfback in 1891-92, left school for academic reasons, and returned afterwards to coach. - Neilson (Net) PoeNeilson Poe (American football)Neilson Poe a.k.a. Net Poe was an football player for the Princeton Tigers. He played in the Princeton backfield in 1895 and 1896, and even later returned to coach football at the school. He was also one of the Poe brothers, six siblings who were celebrated football players at Princeton...
, Class of 1897, who played in the backfieldBackfieldThe backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The backfield or offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the quarterback, running back, and/or fullback.-Play...
in 1895-96 and later returned to coach. - Arthur PoeArt PoeArthur "Art" Poe was an American football player and businessman, and one of six celebrated Poe brothers - second cousins, twice removed of American author Edgar Allan Poe - to play football at Princeton in the late 19th and early 20th century...
, Class of 1900, who as an All-American end who made the decisive scores that beat rivial YaleYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in two successive years. - Gresham PoeGresham PoeGresham Hough Poe was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach of the University of Virginia football program from 1903 to 1903. Prior to that he played as a substitute quarterback for the Princeton Tigers...
, Class of 1902, who played as a substitute on the varsity in 1901.
Accomplishments at Yale
Edgar Allan was the quarterback of the 1889 team, which finished with a perfect 10-0 record. After that season, Poe was named the quarterback of the 1889 College Football All-America Team1889 College Football All-America Team
The 1889 College Football All-America team was the first College Football All-America Team. The team was selected by Casper Whitney and published in This Week's Sports....
—the first such team selected. After Princeton beat Harvard, 41-15, a Harvard man reportedly asked a Princeton alumnus whether Poe was related to the great Edgar Allan Poe. According to the story, "the alumnus looked at him in astonishment and replied, 'He is the great Edgar Allan Poe.'"
John Prentiss Poe, Jr. made the varsity football team at halfback as a freshman, and finished the season tied for third in touchdowns scored for the team. However, he struggled academically and was asked to leave in the Spring term. He re-enrolled the following fall and started at quarterback, moving to halfback midway through the season. Poe played better in his sophomor year than in the previous season, finishing second on the team for touchdowns scored. However, he was once again forced to leave the university for academic reasons, this time permanently. Poe Field at Princeton was provided in his memory by classmates and friends.
Arthur was selected retroactively by the Helms Athletic Foundation
Helms Athletic Foundation
The Helms Athletic Foundation was an athletic foundation based in Los Angeles, founded in 1936 by Bill Schroeder and Paul Helms. It put together a panel of experts to select National Champion teams and make All-America team selections in a number of college sports including football and basketball...
as the national college football player of the year for 1899, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1969. He was also named to Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
's All-American football second team in 1898 and first team in 1899. He made the plays that led to victories over Yale in both years. In 1898 he took the ball from a Yale runner's grasp and raced 100 yards for the game's only score. In 1899, with only 30 seconds to play Poe volunteered to attempt a game-winning field goal, despite never having before kicked in a game, because both of Princeton's kickers had been injured and left the game. His kick was good and delivered an 11-10 Princeton victory. Arthur's heroics in the biggest college football games of 1898 and 1899 inspired a book of comic heroic poetry entitled "Poe's Run and Other Poems." In 1914, a Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh Press
The Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
article declared the last-minute winning field goal "Football's Greatest Moment."
Gresham Poe almost rallied Princeton back from a 12-0 deficit against Yale in 1901.
World War I
Three of the Poe Brothers fought for the Allied PowersAllies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Neilson served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He was wounded in a battle in 1918, in which his commanding officer was killed. As a result, Neilson safely entrenched his men for 24 hours, while suffering a bullet wound to the stomach and several shrapnel wounds. He was later awarded the French War Cross
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
and the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
. Meanwhile, Gresham also served in the U.S Army in a field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
unit. Johnny entered the war before America became involved. In 1914 he volunteered for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and was assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, in which he served in France for the remainder of 1914 and the first part of 1915. He then decided that artillery was too far behind the lines, and had himself transferred to the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
, a famous Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
infantry regiment, known to the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
as the "Ladies from Hell" for the kilts they wore and their ferocity. He was killed in the opening hours of the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
, on the morning of September 25, 1915. Meanwhile Edgar Allen's son, who was also a recent Princeton graduate, Edgar Allan Poe, Jr. His son, was severely wounded in the war while serving as a U.S. Marine Corps second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in France, however according to an October 13, 1918 New York Times story, he fully recovered from his wounds winthin six days.
Relationship to author Edgar Allan Poe
Various sources report that the Poe Brothers of Princeton football fame were either first or second cousins or grand-nephews of the elder Edgar Allan Poe. Due to a bizarrely convoluted family tree, any or all of these descriptions may be said to be true. Through much of his adulthood, the author lived in close contact with his second cousin NeilsonNeilson Poe
Judge Neilson Poe was an American judge for the City of Baltimore's orphan's court, . He was initially appointed to the court by Maryland Governor John Lee Carroll in 1878 and elected to the position in November 1879...
, the Poe Brothers' grandfather. Edgar Allan and Neilson were born in the same year, and their family connections were so close that they would have been perceived by many outside the family as brothers. The elder Edgar Allan married his own first cousin Virginia Clemm
Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe
Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe was the wife of American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The couple were first cousins and married when Virginia Clemm was 13 and Poe was 27...
, and the elder Neilson married Virginia's half-sister Josephine Emily Clemm. The six brothers' relationship to the author, through their grandfather Neilson, would be second cousins twice removed (though to one who had perceived the elder Neilson to be the elder Edgar Allan's brother, the assumption may have been made that the six Poe brothers were the author's grand-nephews). But if calculated though the relations of the brothers' grandmother, the brothers would be the grand half-nephews of the author, since their grandmother was the half-sister of the author's wife. Finally, if calculated through the relationship of their grandmother to Virginia Clemm as the author's first cousin rather than as the author's wife, the six brothers could be said to be first half-cousins, twice removed to the author.