The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-08
THE LOWERY OUTLAWS.
An AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OFTHEFOR.
NATION OF THE GANG.

In AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT OFTHEFOR-
NATION OF THE GANG.
"A Bloody Catalogue Of Crtmes-hoW the
People Of Robeson County IN. C.l Be-
hayed Towards the Outlaws-Inter-
estinx and Trustworthy Details.
So much that ID fanclful or exaggerated
has been written and said, North and South,
of the famous or Infamous band of half-breed
outlaws, who, under the lead of Henry Berry
Lowery, have for years been terror to the
people of Robeson County, North Carolina, that
the following letter from Mr.. Alex. MacRae,
respectable resident of that county, giving
connected account of the formation and afro
cities of the gang, and Of the antecedents OF
its chief, will be read with eager interest:
The mulattoes of Scufletown are undoubt-
.edly descendants OF the aborigines, probably
Tuscaroras or Cherokees; many Of them,
direct descendants of their Indian forefathers,
bear decided Indian features and characters
tics. There are among them goodly number
of half-breeds crossed with the whtes-rarely
ever with the negroes, and they never have
been slaves, but always free: Many OF the
grShdfathers or great-grandfathers of the
present stock owned large bodies of land, and
In some instances slaves, and were generally
respected BY the better class Of white farmers
In The county. Such was especially the case
with the Lowerys. The grandfather of Allen
Lowery owned both land and slaves, and 10
said to have been educated to the extent that
Lowery, the father Of Henry Berry LoWery,
had ten sons, George, Patrick, William,
Purdy, Sinclair, Murdock, Calvin. Stephen,
Tom and Henry Berry. The, latter the
youngest. Several Of them moved OF to other
States as they grew up. Allen has twice
married, or rather once married, and getting
into some difficulties about land suits, or
lawsuits OF some kind, moved 10 South Caro-
lima, where he remained about two years,
during which time his gife married some
other man, and he, on his return, married
another woman. Marriage, IN those DAYS
not considered very binding obligation.
The above named sons, think, are the pro-
geny of the second wife or woman. Among
These, and with old Allen himself, lawsuits,
taxes, &C., despoiled them of most OF their
lands; and they, like Indians generally, De.
clearly recognize the rights of the courts TO
sell their lands, and claimed that they had
been deirauded Of them. Probably In some
cases they were Outwitted or defrauded Dy
sharper Men-such has been the fate OF the
Indian ever since this country was first settled
by whites What Is here stated Of the Low.
erys may well apply to most all OF the inhaoi-
tants of Scufi1etown who were formerly large
land owners, and though nearly every family
now hold small homesteads, they do not own
lands to the extent they did in former years.
4 am disposed to think, from what nave
generated rapidly In the last twenty-five
or thirty years. Previous to about that time
they were allowed to vote, were required to
beak arms and muster, and were more gene
rally mixed with the w.ites on terms of equal
ity. Being found useful as voters they were
tolerated by the whites. In 1885 the conVen,
tion withdrew the right of suffrage nom all
free men of color, and also the right TO bear
arms; and being no longer useful to the
whites as voters, aud no longer allowed to
mix with them as militlamen, they were gen.
orally degraded to the level OF negro slaves;
or, In facr, in many instances, came TO
be looked down upon BY the slaves as oenealn
they began to look upon the wines as as
their enemies, and taught their chlidren 20
despise them; and though policy, dictated
apparently good will, many OF them being ae-
: Incident upon the whites for employment,
they were generally ready 70 aio WIN u auS
carise that afforded Them safe chance ol re-
faliatipg on their white neighbors. Other
causes they had, too, 10 increase their EMMY.
During the war they were made sno)ect 10
detail, and as slaves, were MADE 10 Worh on
the Notifications. and from all can gamer
they were hunted and prosecuted o7 some Oh
glad to be able to say that the majority OF tne
home puard officers were humane, and nao
due regard to the condition Of these men and
their families In making their details., Tne
opposite cases were exceptional; SILL tne
whole system only served 10 incense them tne
more, and hence they were fonnd ready anu
willing tools in the hands OF Gen. Shermans 8
soldiers, In their passage through tnls county
as pilots In their raids upon the white settlers.
And hence, also, when the right to vote was ac-
corded to them after The war, they were found
by the leaders Of the Republican party, as tne
freedmen were, ready and Wiling 10 Joln
them In anything that would strike at tne ln-
terests or standing OF their whlte ne'gnIorTsn Is,
SELLING upon the hue and cry OF reoel, hu'
Elnx. &c. to incite their leaders to more
strineent measures to injure them, and, unfor-
:. funately, finding some few degenerate Wnite
natives who were ready and Wiling 10 JAKE
mn the cudgel with them, to infitct injury on
their former neighbOrs and friends. Inese
are principally the reasons for tne Vsnom ~ y, y
white people of the county, and the reasons
vhy the balance of the population OF scnhe-
fown ar. IN sympathy with him and his gang.
II remains now for me to trace, as lar Ar as am
able. the eary career Of LoWSrv anu us SanS'
promising that the members Ct his oand are
nearly related to him by blood or mo. Iiose'
Some time In the fal or winter Of 1863 Henry
Berry Lowery or one OF his brothers, William,
] think, fed to the swamps to escape detail to
the forts at the mouth of the Cape Fear River,
and while hiding out were joined by come
three or four escaped Federal prisoners from
Florence, s. G. They established camp IN
the back swamp near the plantation OF James
P. Barnes and committed various depredallons
on stock, killing some Of Barness hogs and
sheep. Some time In January or February,
1884. the exact date i do not recollect, james
P. Barnes, while out turkey-hunttng IN the
swamp, came upon their camp and charged
them with the killing Of his stock, threatening
to inform the home guard officers OF their
whereabouts If they did not leave MS neign.
borhood. Shortly afterwards Barnes was snot
from an ambush on the SIDE OF the ROAD oy tne
two Lowerys while he was passing on his way
home from the postoffice, reading q news,
paper. Barnes feBesthough not Killed, and
q. B. Lowery and bis brother William ano
one Of the escaped prisoners came out OF t1e
ambush and walked up to Barnes. ana d. b;
I,oWrey, finding that he was not dead, kicked
him and cursed him for threatening to set the
home guard officers after them, and afteWards
placed the muzzle OF his gun to his face and
Aired. tearing nearly one half OF one side OF
his face of. They then left, and strange To
say. Barnes lived until his brother, Dr.. Jonn
Barnes, who was attracted by the firing, came
to his relief and got him home, sendlng lor
.napistrate at bis request, before whom ne de-
kLa.o f,.de 'rhta the firSt mlrQeI