Litchfield enquirer., 1872-04-11
THE OUTLAWS OF NORTH CARD.
 LIMA

The story of the ''Lowery Gang in Robeson county, North Carolina, forms ne.of the most remarkable episodes in the history of this country. A small com pany of men, reduced within the last few years to only seven, have defed the au- thority of the state and the United States, completely overawing all local officers, and keeping the inhabitants in state of constant alarm and excitement. Robeson county lies on the southern boundary of North Carolina, about one hundred miles due west from Beaufort, it's southern ex- tremity being within forty miles of the sea coast. Its length north and south is about forty miles, it's extreme width thir- ty; area about nine hundred square miles. The surface of the land is nearly level, and covered chiefly with pine forests. Lumber river fows&hrough the centre of the county, and in the northern part 8 swamp, about ten miles long and three the river. This is known as ''Black Swamp" Here and there in this morass are islands of from one to five acres in ex- tent; upon these islands are caves and dens in which the outlaws hide. Besides this swamp there are distributed all through that part of the state tracts of fifty, seventy-hve or a hundred acres of swamp land, covered with thick growth of bay trees.
 The voting population of this county is about three thousand, of which one-half are white men, and the other half almost equally divided between former slaves and free colored men, the latter known as 'mulattoes," but not having, apparently, much negro blood in their veins. This class seems to include both the descend ants of the Indians and those of early Spaniard and Portugese settlers, min gled, more or less, of course, with the negroes with whom they have associated. Before the revolution the ancestors of these people were wealthy and owned slaves. They were known during that war as robbers, taking neither side of the question at issue. There were, perhaps, dozen families, when the war closed, wMo had accumulated considerable prop erty, but after the declaration of peace they began to quarrel among themselves. Endless litigation followed. Their sub stance was wasted, and with habits of in- temperance and violence they gradually sunk until they became known as lawless men, distinguished from the negro race by superior cunning and skill, but asso- ciated with it socially and by the laws of the state, except in the matter of slavery. They retained their freedom, and, indeed, held slaves themselves until thirty years ago; but the suffrage was taken from | them.
 When the late rebellion began, these men were called upon to work for the con federacy on the Notifications at the mouth of the Cape Fear River. We can not see that they had any partiality as to | oI, ed to work of any kind in general, and to They opposed the authority of the gov ernment, refused to be drafted for duty, and ran away to their swamps and forests when they were impressed into service. They were declared to be deserters and outlaws. A bitter feud arose between them and the southern governments, state 1 and confederate, At the close of the war this feud had eliminated in many acts of violence on both sides, and the leading spirits of the class were outlaws, defying the authorities and hiding in the almost 1 impenetrable fastnesses of the Black Swamp or the neighboring 'fbays" and and pine forests. The leaders of the gang were the ssLowery family" the chief of which, Henry Berry Lowery, is described as thoroughly reckless man, an Indian In character, and probably also in blood. Stephen and Thomas Lowery are his brothers. 'sBoss" Strong, whose death is just reported, was brother-in-law of the leader, as is also Andrew Strong. George Applewhite is another of the gang. and there is one other, making six men in all now remaining of the little company which has deied the authority of the state and of the United States for so many years. s.s..
 Since the war many murders have been committed by this band. Their enemies are warned to leave the county under pen. 1 atty of death. This penalty comes sud.