Christian Fast (1762-1841) was born in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, the youngest son of German immigrants, Johann Nicklaus Fast and Cadarina Dörner, who were from Göcklingen, Germany (Nicklaus) and Ilbesheim, Germany (Cadarina), although he spent much of his youth in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He joined the Virginia Militia in 1780, as a substitute for his brother Jacob, and helped man a local fort for a short while. In mid-1781 he joined the Pennsylvania Militia, soon becoming part of an expedition headed by General

George Rogers Clark George Rogers Clark (November 19, 1752 – February 13, 1818) was an American surveyor, soldier, and militia officer from Virginia who became the highest-ranking American patriot military officer on the northwestern frontier during the Ame ...

(the older brother of

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

, of Lewis & Clark fame), under the direct command of Colonel Archibald Lochry. The purpose of the expedition was to capture Fort Detroit, while subduing some of the intervening Native American tribes who had sided with the British. Christian, however, along with many of his fellows, was very soon captured by the

Delaware Indians The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

in an engagement usually referred to as "

Lochry's Defeat Lochry's Defeat, also known as the Lochry massacre, was a battle fought on August 24, 1781, near present-day Aurora, Indiana, in the United States. The battle was part of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), which began as a conflict b ...

". Large numbers of the prisoners were killed after capture, but Christian, who was wounded during the fight, was given the personal protection of a

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

warrior of some fame, Tom Lyons, who admired the young Fast's courage. Lyons was especially entertained by his ability to walk on his hands, something he had not seen before. In fact, Christian was adopted into the

tribe, complete with appropriate grooming and attire. As an "Indian" he met some notable historical individuals: the

chief,

Captain Pipe Captain Pipe (c. 1725? – c. 1818?) ( Lenape), called Konieschquanoheel and also known as Hopocan in Lenape, was an 18th-century Head Peace chief of the Algonquian-speaking Lenape (Delaware) and War Chief 1778+. He succeeded his maternal u ...

, as well as

Simon Girty Simon Girty (November 14, 1741 – February 18, 1818) was an American-born frontiersman, soldier and interpreter from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who served as a liaison between the British and their Indian allies during the American Revolution. H ...

, a much-hated American who now sided with the Indians and the British,. Christian Fast's life as a

lasted about a year, but when it became clear that his own home area was about to fall under their attack, he escaped and returned in time to warn his relatives and others in the vicinity. He eventually lived out his relatively long life in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

among some of the same Lenape he had known during the war. The story of Christian Fast has proven to be sufficiently exciting as to have been the subject of an adventure book written for young teens.Oakley, Don. 1989.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fast, Christian 1762 births 1841 deaths American Revolutionary War prisoners of war People from Richland County, Ohio American pioneers American people of German descent