Catherine Moore Barry (October 1752 – September 1823) was a heroine of 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 a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. She was the daughter of Charles and Mary Moore, and the eldest of ten children. She married Andrew Barry in 1767 at the age of 15 and lived on Walnut Grove Plantation in

Roebuck, South Carolina Roebuck is a census-designated place (CDP) in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,200 at the 2010 census. History The community was named for Revolutionary War Officer, Benjamin Roebuck. Roebuck is home to th ...

during the 18th century. She was instrumental in helping to warn the militia of the coming British before the

Battle of Cowpens The Battle of Cowpens was an engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought on January 17, 1781 near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina, between U.S. forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and British forces under Lieutenant Colo ...

in 1781. According to legend, she tied her toddler to the bedpost while she rode out to warn neighbors that the British were coming. Her warning helped to prepare the colonial forces to defeat the British governor,

Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

and his men and drive them north, out of the state of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. She is buried in the family cemetery 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 ...

, beside her husband, Andrew, who was one of the first elders of the Nazareth Presbyterian Church. She knew the Indian trails and shortcuts where almost no patriots lived. Barry was a spy and message bearer for the militia when the

was fought on January 17, 1781.Silcox-Garrett, Diane
''Kate Barry and the Battle of Cowpens''
Chapel Hill, NC: Green Angel Press, 1998. The Battle of Cowpens (January 17, 1781) was a decisive victory by Continental army forces under Brigadier General

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (1735–1736July 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 ...

, in the Southern campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was a turning point in the reconquest of South Carolina from the British. Kate Barry was an ancestor of the actress

Amanda Blake Amanda Blake (born Beverly Louise Neill, February 21, 1929 – August 16, 1989) was an American actress best known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Along with ...

(1929-1989), remembered for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the television western ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

''. Blake placed a cameo-sized portrait of Barry owned by her family in the

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...

local history museum, where it remains on display to this day.

References

External links

Margaret Barry at Find a Grave
note the portrait in the middle is that of Margaret Barry; the portrait on top is that of

Abigail Adams Abigail Adams ( ''née'' Smith; November 22, [ O.S. November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest advisor of John Adams, as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She was a founder of the United States, an ...

, wife of President John Adams

References

External links

Further reading