American Tuscarora criminal Henry Berry Lowry (c. 1845 – unknown after 1872) headed the Lowry Gang in North Carolina during and after the Civil War. Lowry, a Robin Hood-like character in Robeson County, fought for the poor and challenged the wealthy and established.
Early Life and Background
Henry Berry Lowry was one of twelve children born to Allen and Mary Lowry in Robeson County, North Carolina, circa 1845. His family, like many in the region, suffered much during and after the Civil War. Lowry’s Native American and Scottish background helped explain his communal role and criminal status.
As a Lumbee, Lowry had many obstacles at this time, stuck between the Civil War and the harsh post-war South. The Confederacy ordered Lumbees, including Lowry’s family, to build Fort Fisher in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Henry Delaware Lowery, Berry’s Son
Henry Delaware Lowery, son of outlaw Henry Berry Lowry, was born in Robeson County, North Carolina, on July 11, 1904. His son, Henry Delaware Lowery, lived a different life from his father, Henry Berry Lowry, who led the Lowry Gang in their struggle against Robeson County’s powerful. Born decades after his father’s disappearance, Henry Delaware’s life was affected by his father’s rebellion and Lumbee conflicts. Born into a revered and controversial Lowry family, he watched Native Americans’ struggles in the South but did not join his father’s violent fight.
Henry Delaware Lowery led a peaceful existence compared to his father. He died at 79 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on April 26, 1984. Delaware Lowery, albeit not as rebellious as Henry Berry Lowry, reflected the Lumbee community’s 20th-century struggles. His death ended the Lowry family’s era, but his father’s legacy shaped Lumbee history and culture. Henry Delaware Lowery’s life, like his father’s, symbolizes Lumbee perseverance and enduring spirit.
The Lowry Gang and Robin Hood
Henry Berry Lowry led the Native American, white, and black Lowry Gang, which is best known. Mostly in Robeson County, Lowry and his crew robbed affluent landowners and government officials. Many compared him to Robin Hood because he purportedly targeted the affluent and powerful to help the poor and disadvantaged.
Lowry’s thievery and resistance of the Lumbee and other oppressed tribes’ harsh system were perceived as simultaneous. He fiercely opposed white rule and the Reconstruction-era Southern social order.
Fugitive and Legend
Lowry was repeatedly arrested due to his outlaw status. Lowry escaped each time he was arrested, solidifying his image as a fugitive. His escape through jail bars was one of his most renowned legends, adding to his mystique.
Legend has it that Lowry single-handedly defeated 18 militiamen along the Lumber River in a violent shootout. Like many of Lowry’s life events, this one showed his bravery and resiliency, cementing his folk hero status.
The Lowry War
The “Lowry War” in the late 1860s and early 1870s was caused by Henry Berry Lowry and his gang. This war entailed fights between Lowry’s followers and local militia. The conflict was Lowry’s peak as an outlaw and a turning point in post-Civil conflict Native American resistance.
Both sides lost soldiers in the Lowry War’s deadly battles. The militia soldiers, mostly white Southerners, were to capture Lowry and his gang while they battled Reconstruction to safeguard their people and territory.
Henry Berry Lowry’s Absence
Henry Berry Lowry vanished after the Lowry War. Some believe he was slain in a last fight, while others believe he escaped and lived in secret. Even though his death is unknown, Lowry’s reputation as an outlaw, hero to the oppressed, and symbol of rebellion against injustice remains on.
Lowry’s narrative has shaped North Carolina’s history through Lumbee generations. Many honor him for resisting systemic oppression of Native Americans and other oppressed groups in the post-Civil War South.
Conclusion
Henry Berry Lowry’s tale combines courage, rebellion, and myth. Lowry’s life and legacy are essential to North Carolina’s history, whether as an outlaw or a folk hero. He fought enormous powers that oppressed his people, and his bravery won him a place in American folklore.
