The King of Saddletree

I own the house in which my father was born in the Saddletree community of Robeson County, North Carolina. The house sits on ten acres of the family farm from which my ancestors derived their living, going back before the federal census of 1850. The church my family attended in Saddletree was Mount Olive Baptist Church.  On a recent visit, I walked through the church cemetery and found a grave marker which read, “The King of Saddletree.” Interestingly, I can’t find anyone who knew there was a king of Saddletree. 

Uncle John

My grandparents got the farm from “Uncle John.”  John W. Dial was the uncle of my maternal great grandmother, Mary Della Dial. I remember meeting her when I was eight. I mostly remember that she was an old Native American woman, emphasis on the word “old.”  Uncle John told my grandfather and grandmother, if they took care of him, he would give them the farm when he died.  He was true to his word and, when he died in 1936, he gave them the farm.

My dad was Uncle John’s favorite. Though my dad was only five years old when he died. My dad had fond memories of Uncle John. He remembers sitting with Uncle John on the porch of that house cracking pecans. There was a “knot hole” in the railing going around the porch and Uncle John would put pecans in the hole, crack them, and feed the nuts to my father. Uncle John would give my father money to buy candy at the store, even when my grandfather said “No.” It is fair to say that my father idolized Uncle John.  Listening to him talk about Uncle John, I often wondered how he could have such strong memories about a man who died when my father was such a young age. After I had grandkids, I didn’t wonder any longer. My grandson, Shiloh, is five and I spoil him every chance I get. I’m confident that we are making memories that he will never forget.

Henry Berry Lowry

No, Uncle John was not The King of Saddletree, but he was a local hero as one of nine notable members of the Henry Berry Lowry Gang.  Henry Berry Lowry was the most famous member of the Lumbee Indian Tribe. We celebrated him annually during the Lumbee Tribal Homecoming. My grandmother’s maiden name was Lowry and Henry Berry was the half-brother of my great, great grandfather. 

Henry Berry lived during the American Civil War. During the war, the Home Guard hunted Native Americans down and forced them to work with other dark-skinned people in slave labor camps, building forts for the Confederacy. So, Henry Berry and many other young Native Americans started hiding out in the swamps in which they were familiar, having lived around the swamps their entire lives. Henry Berry’s father, Allen, was a community leader who spoke out against the Home Guard. As a young man, Henry Berry hid in the bushes and watched helplessly as the Home Guard forced his father and brother William to dig their own graves. They then shot and killed both of them. Henry Berry made a vow that he would avenge their deaths.  

Wanted, Dead or Alive

The exploits of the Lowry Gang are a great source of pride among members of the Lumbee Tribe. Even the youngest children can recite these stories in detail. Such as the time Henry Berry’s wife, Rhoda, baked a gun in a cake which she delivered to the jail in Lumberton, allowing Henry Berry to escape. After the Civil War, Federal troops offered a reward of $12,000 for the capture of Henry Berry, dead or alive. He had become so famous that the outlaw Jesse James started telling people in Missouri that he robbed that they had been robbed by Henry Berry Lowry. Other members of the Lowry Gang had “dead or alive” bounties on their heads as well. Slowly members of the gang were killed, went to jail, or left the area. Uncle John actually served time in prison. My father said he studied law while in prison and was a practicing attorney upon his release. I have no record of this. 

As a final act of insult to the sheriff, members of the gang went to Lumberton, stole the safe from the sheriff’s office, and robbed the bank. In total, they escaped with $22,000 from the bank and $6,000 from the sheriff’s safe. The last time Henry Berry was seen was on February 21, 1872 standing in the doorway of his cabin.  He then disappeared. No trace was ever found of Henry Berry Lowry or the $28,000. Uncle John would have been 21 years old.

Buried Treasure

Over the years, many have searched Uncle John’s property for buried Lowry Gang treasure. My father would laugh and tell of people coming with metal detectors asking for permission to search. Rumors abound about where the gang buried the money, in the horse barn, under the pecan tree, in the well. I often asked my dad where he would search. Each time, he would tell me with certainty where it was buried, but his stories changed each time, often pointing to a different location.  

Uncle John may not have been the king of Saddletree. Still, it is an honor to own his house and a tribute to the bond between my father and Uncle John. It is true that the $28,000 could be worth a lot if it were gold or silver coins, or it could be worth nothing if it were Confederate currency. Either way, it is a good reminder of the words of Jesus: 

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6: 19-21).

Who do you want to be the king of your life? The King of Saddletree or Jesus? Everyone gets a choice and I choose Jesus.

Copyright © 2020 Chuck Locklear

Also, see What Is Your Legacy?