Margaret Catherine Moore Berry (November 29, 1752 – September 29, 1823) operated as a scout and guide for Brigadier General

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (c. 1736 – July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Morgan learned that General

Charles Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading Britis ...

was preparing for a battle against the American patriots. With 600 soldiers, the patriots would be outnumbered by 1,000 British and loyalist soldiers. Morgan sent Barry on a mission to assemble more patriot soldiers. She rode through the South Carolina backcountry to rally the militia, recruits, and South Carolina Rangers that brought the American forces to 1,600 men. She was named "heroine of Cowpens" for significantly increasing the number of soldiers that led to the victory of the

Battle of Cowpens The Battle of Cowpens was a military engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought on January 17, 1781, near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina. American Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot forces, estimated at 2,000 militia and reg ...

(January 17, 1781). Her husband, Andrew Barry, and her brother, Thomas Moore, served with distinction during the battle.

Personal life

Margaret Catherine Moore, born in

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

, Ireland, on November 29, 1752, was the eldest child of Charles and Mary Moore. She had nine younger siblings. The Moores immigrated to the American colonies in 1763, after which King

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

awarded Charles and Mary a land grant that year. Over time, their property grew to the 3,600-acre Walnut Grove Plantation in

Spartanburg County, South Carolina Spartanburg County is a county located on the northwestern border of the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 327,997, making it the fifth-most populous county in South Carolina. Its county seat is Spartan ...

. Crops were planted and harvested by family members and enslaved laborers. They were slaveholders to a dozen people. Catherine, known as Kate, married Andrew Barry (ca. 1744 – 1811) in 1767 at the age of 15, becoming Catherine Moore Barry. The Barrys, who had eleven children, lived at the Walnut Grove Plantation, in the

Backcountry In geography, a backcountry, back country or backwater is a geographical area that is remote, undeveloped, isolated, or difficult to access. These areas are typically rural or mountainous and sparsely populated. Terminology Backcountry ...

of South Carolina. The Barrys settled in the South Carolina frontier and were subject to periodic conflicts with

Native people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

who had lived in the area for centuries. Sometimes families were killed. If there was news of an imminent attack, Barry and an enslaved man at her plantation warned women and children to seek shelter at Fort Prince or Fort Nicholas, or Nichol's Fort.

Revolutionary War

During the Revolutionary War, she guided

patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...

soldiers through the Piedmont area of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. She knew backcountry trails and shortcuts.

prepared for a battle of his 1,100 British soldiers to fight against the American patriots with just 600 soldiers. Brigadier General

kept ahead of the British and loyalist soldiers while Barry mustered more men for the fight. Barry, a scout for Morgan, was sent to assemble men for the militia and soldiers who had fought and lost at the Battles of Camden (August 16, 1780) and

Waxhaws The Waxhaws is a geographical area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina, United States. It encompasses the areas of Lancaster County, South Carolina and Union and Mecklenburg counties in North Carolina. The name is deriv ...

(May 29, 1780) in preparation for the

(January 17, 1781). She brought the South Carolina Rangers to Morgan, which helped ensure victory. Barry rode horseback to sound the alarm of the coming battle to her neighbors. By the day of the battle, Barry increased the ranks from 600 to 1,600 patriot soldiers. She was instrumental in warning the militia of the coming British before the battle. The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory for General Morgan. She was given the name "heroine of Cowpens" for her dangerous mission. Her husband Andrew, captain of the South Carolina Partisan Rangers, and her brother Thomas Moore fought with distinction in the battle. Andrew was wounded the previous year at the

Battle of Musgrove Mill The Battle of Musgrove Mill, August 19, 1780, occurred near a ford of the Enoree River, near the present-day border between Spartanburg, Laurens and Union Counties in South Carolina. During the course of the battle, 200 Patriot militiamen def ...

(August 19, 1780). It was a turning point in the reconquest of South Carolina from the British. Her warning helped to prepare the colonial forces to defeat the British commander,

Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading Britis ...

and his men and drive them north, out of the state of South Carolina. Barry rode from the plantation to warn others about the presence of local

Tories A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The T ...

in the area when they captured her. They tried to get her to tell them her husband's located. Andrew served under Major Henry White and Colonel John Thomas, Jr. as a captain in the militia. Reportedly, she was tied up to a tree and struck with a lash three times when she would not provide the information.

Death and legacy

She died on September 29, 1823, and is buried in Walnut Grove Plantation cemetery beside her husband, Andrew, who was one of the elders of the

Nazareth Presbyterian Church Nazareth is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and commercial center for the Arab citizens of Is ...

. The Kate Barry chapter of South Carolina of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

was established in her name. A historical marker was installed at the intersection of State Highway 196 and U.S. 221 in

Moore, South Carolina Moore is an unincorporated community in Spartanburg County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Geography Moore is located in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Moore is located south of Spartanburg on U.S. Route 221 and is one mile west o ...

, in 1968 by the Battle of Cowpens Chapter, NS Daughters of the American Revolution, which states, Barry was called "a prototype of those who fought for the Cause of Liberty" in the poem "Kate Barry's Famous Ride" by H. R. Wilkins.

Notes

References

External links