Kate Barry Brings Warning
Updated 8/17/21
Kate Barry road to warn Daniel Morgan that The British were coming, helping to turn the war in the South.
Kate Barry
Catharine Moore Barry was a homemaker on the South Carolina frontier who played a small, yet extremely important, role in the Continental Army’s victory in the Revolutionary War.
Kate, as she was known to friends and family, was a homemaker in the back-country who ran the household while her husband went off to fight.
Mrs. Barry acted as a spy, coming across evidence that Lord Cornwallis was sending Banistre Tarleton out to attack the Patriots.
The British Are Coming
Kate set off on horseback to warn the Militia. Legend has it that Kate tied her toddler to a bed post to keep the child out of harm while she was away (though like most legends this story is hard to corroborate).
Barry, a longtime resident of the area, knew all the old Native American trails. She used this to her advantage, crisscrossing the countryside to alert the Militia.
Eventually, Kate’s hard riding helped bring word to Daniel Morgan, the man in charge of the soldiers in the vicinity.
Kate’s Cowpens
This one ride was all Kate Barry directly contributed to the Founding Period.
It is worth noting, however, just how significant her efforts were.
Kate’s timely information gave Daniel Morgan the opportunity to prepare for his approaching enemy. What followed was the Battle of Cowpens.
Cowpens turned into one of the most important engagements of the Revolutionary War. Morgan’s actions have been considered by military historians as one of the only strategically innovative maneuvers by the Continental Army. Additionally, this Battle largely turned the tide of the Southern Campaign in favor of the Americans and helped lead the nation to victory just a few months later.
If not for Kate Barry’s selfless ride, the Battle of Cowpens (and in turn the Revolution itself) may have had a significantly different outcome.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like reading about some of the other Founding Mothers we’ve cover, such as Deborah Sampson or Margaret Cochran Corbin.
Today’s book recommendation is going to be a bit different than usual. For the first time I will recommend a work of fiction. ‘Courageous Kate’ is an account of Kate Barry’s life with non-biographical elements. It is still a fun read and brings life to a Founder we know relatively little about. Pick up a copy through the affiliate link below.
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