"An absorbing narrative. . . . An engrossing story that makes clear why the legend of the Lowry Band has given Lumbee Indians a strong sense of historical identification pride."—The Journal of Southern History
"A significant contribution. . . . An excellent example of how to evaluate and use local sources and weave them into an engrossing, well-documented narrative."—American History Review
Description
During the Civil War many young Lumbee Indians of North Carolina hid in the swamps to avoid conscription into Confederate labor battalions and carried on a running guerilla war. To Die Game is the story of Henry Berry Lowry, a Lumbee who was arrested for killing a Confederate official. While awaiting trial, he escaped and took to the swamps with a band of supporters. The Lowry band became as notorious as their contemporaries Jesse and Frank James, as they terrorized bush-whacked leaders of possses and military companies. For more than five years, with the support of local Indians and Negroes, they eluded capture. In 1872, Henry disappeared and some of his other followers were eventually hunted down and killed by bounty hunters.
About the Author
William McKee Evans, emeritus professor of history at California State Polytechnic University and the author of the prize-winning Ballots and Fence Rails: Reconstruction on the Lower Cape Fear.
Series: The Iroquois and Their Neighbors
5.5 x 8.5, 0 pages, 10 black and white illustrations, 1 maps
January 1996