Lumbee Legend - Henry Berry Lowrie
Lumbee Nation endured many hardships and injustices during the Civil War. We were not allowed to enlist in North Carolina regiments during the Civil War but along with slaves, many Lumbees were forced into enlistment to serve as laborers building fortifications at Fort Fisher that guarded the New Inlet channel into the port of Wilmington from Union naval forces and were treated horribly by the Home Guard.
One such incident led to the rise of perhaps the most famous figure in tribal history, Mr. Henry Berry Lowrie. Due to a series of thefts in the area among affluent neighbors many suspected the Lowrie men and demanded their capture. However, to take control of Lumbee land, one known tactic used by white farmers was to plant their possessions on the property of a Lumbee landowner, then accuse them of stealing in an effort to take control of the land or force indentured servanthood to pay the “debt”.
On March 03, 1865, the Home Guard searched the Lowrie property and found items that had previously been reported stolen. They immediately arrested those that were present during the time of the search. They were all taken to a nearby plantation and the Home Guard immediately held a mock trial and declared Mr. Allen and his son William guilty. Immediately afterwards, they were returned to the Lowrie property, bound, blindfolded and then executed. The Home Guard enforced their own form of justice upon the Lowrie family from which Mr. Henry Berry Lowrie observed from a distance.
While the Home Guard thought these executions would bring an end to their local problems, it only served as a catalyst for local tensions. Determined to hold those accountable, he and a triracial band of supporters then began an eight-year “war” to avenge the deaths of his father and brother and indirectly, other injustices suffered by the Lumbee people during the Civil War. As a result, Henry Berry Lowrie (often called the ‘Lumbee Robin Hood’) and The Lowrie Band, became outlaws and were pursued by local, state, federal militia, detectives, and bounty hunters alike as they intentionally directed their vengeance against the communities more affluent citizens.
The reward for Mr. Lowrie continued to rise, he escaped from pursuers many times and despite being arrested twice (from which he escaped both times), he was never tried. He disappeared mysteriously in 1872, and today he remains an important symbol of Lumbee pride and a source of strength to the Lumbee people.
Mr. Lowrie was regarded as a hero to the Indians, blacks and poor whites of the county in the years after the Civil War and from that day to the present, the Lowrie Gang has been celebrated as legendary heroes.
Mr. Lowrie is known for being a legendary Native American outlaw and resistance leader from the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina during the mid-19th century. He is remembered as a symbol of resistance, justice, and bravery, often seen as a folk hero who stood up against oppression, particularly for Lumbee people. A pioneer in the fight for civil rights, personal freedom, and tribal self-determination. Stories about him include acts of cleverness, daring escapes, and helping those in his community, which have become an important part of Lumbee oral history and culture.