The Dragon vs. the “Devil” of Carolina
Episode Intro: Did you hear about that time a Native American tribe defeated the Ku Klux Klan at the height of the Klan’s power in 1958? I didn’t think so. Today’s episode is about how a tribe and their allies came together to stand up and send a message against hate.
Let’s get cracklin’, shall we?
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I first heard about this event from my grandfather, who knew a friend who knew a friend who knew a friend involved. My grandfather was a World War II veteran and a police officer, who talked about people— notable, famous and infamous—he had arrested during his tenure in North Carolina. He often remarked, “It ain’t nothing compared to the time the Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon showed up down near Lumberton, NC, to try to scare off the Lumbee tribe. Lord—the Lumbee ran ’em out so quick. Most of the Klan fled and spent the night in the swamp, but the Lumbee ended up givin’ ’em a ride out of town because their cars all got stuck in the mud! They messed with the wrong people that day, and that Grand Dragon ended up going to jail.”
I didn’t think much about this story until many, many years later, when I was looking for an inspirational event in history. I thought, “I wonder if my grandfather’s story about the Lumbee triumphing over the Ku Klux Klan was reported anywhere?” My research revealed that this event was even more triumphant than how my grandfather told it. The story was highlighted on a national level through coverage in the January 27, 1958, issue of Life Magazine.
Sources for today’s story are: so many; please check our show notes on our website at www.talesfromthehearth.com for all of the links to photos, songs, and videos about this event in history. You can also refer to many of the photos located on my Pinterest board titled “Lumbee” under Tales from the Hearth (and there’s the link in the show notes). https://www.pinterest.com/TalesfromtheHearth/lumbee-battle-1181958/
A great resource is the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources website: https://www.ncdcr.gov/blog/2019/01/09/battle-maxton-field. This site also features two renditions of an AMAZING folk ballad song about the event, titled “The Battle of Maxton Field”—one version recorded by songwriter Malvina Reynolds and one by Pete Seeger. I highly recommend checking these out and giving them a listen.
Some great resources about the Lumbee Tribe, history, and culture (are from the tribe themselves at the Appalachian State University Library website):
https://www.lumbeetribe.com/history–culture
http://lumbee.library.appstate.edu/
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s Museum of the Southeast American Indian features videos of eyewitness accounts of the event located on Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/showcase/5817198.
Their Main Museum website link: https://www.uncp.edu/resources/museum-southeast-american-indian
The ONE takeaway I hope you get from this story is: Be firm, yet kind.
I hope you enjoy today’s story, “The Dragon vs. the ‘Devil’ of Carolina.”
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The Ku Klux Klan (referred to as the KKK, or the Klan) was founded by Confederate veterans in 1865 in Pulaski, Tennessee. The organization dedicated itself to a campaign of terror and violence to reverse post-Civil War Reconstruction policies and restore white supremacy in the South.
Unfortunately, after temporarily disbanding in 1944, the KKK revived during the emergence of the Civil Rights movement in the racially segregated “Jim Crow” era. The Klan identified North Carolina specifically for expansion of their terror-filled activities towards minorities.
Targeted minorities included anyone non-white or Protestant—including Native American tribes such as the Lumbee. The Lumbee Tribe is the ninth largest tribe in the nation, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River, and the largest tribe in North Carolina.
The Lumbee are comprised of the Siouan, Algonquian, and Iroquoian tribes that have been documented as living in the area of the Lumber (or Lumbee, per the tribe) River in North Carolina as early as 1725. The Lumbee name is derived from the nearby Lumber/Lumbee River in Robeson County. Many people claim the Lumbee originated from the union of Native Americans with Sir Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony of Roanoke, although this is not substantiated.
Today, there are approximately 55,000 Lumbee tribe members located predominantly in the North Carolina counties of Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland. The cities of Prospect, Union Chapel, Fairgrove, Magnolia, and Pembroke are major community hubs for the tribe, with Pembroke identified as the formal tribal seat. Pembroke is located approximately 44 miles southwest of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and 32 miles northeast of Dillon, South Carolina, along Interstate 95.
Formal recognition of the tribe has been many years in the making, and is an ongoing federal issue today. The United States Congress passed a bill in 1956 that registered the tribe as Native American, yet withheld full federal recognition. The Lumbee are still seeking this legal status through legislation. However, the state of North Carolina first legally recognized the tribe in 1885. And in 1887, the state chartered the Croatan Normal Indian School, which is known as the University of North Carolina at Pembroke today.
Back to our story.
In 1957, James W. Cole, known as “Catfish,” identified himself as a Grand Dragon of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in both North and South Carolina. He received the nickname “Catfish” during his time driving a taxi in Kinston, NC. Although no one knows exactly what occurred, we do know that he called newspaper reporters to ask them to stop referring to him by his nickname.
Catfish served in Europe in World War II, then co-founded (along with his wife) the Southern Bible College in Marion, South Carolina, in 1953. Catfish became an ordained minister and aired his beliefs through a weekly radio program, gaining even more exposure for his traveling “ministry” throughout the Carolinas. He soon became a popular member of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, attracting large crowds to his rallies and elevating his rank to Grand Dragon in both Carolina states.
Catfish and his Klansmen crew were run out of Monroe, North Carolina, however, after a failed attempt of violence against Dr. Albert E. Perry, a local black doctor and NAACP funder. Catfish thought he’d recover his power by starting a hate campaign against the Lumbee Native American tribe just over the border on the Robeson County side of Maxton, North Carolina. Little did Catfish know that this would be the beginning of an ugly downward spiral.
“There’s about 30,000 half-breeds in Robeson County and we are going to have a cross burning and scare them up.” The “Dragon” Catfish Cole announced his plans for a Klan rally on January 18, 1958, near the small town of Maxton, NC intended “to put the Indians in their place, to end race mixing.”
Well…little did he know that the “Devil” was listening.
As a leader of the Lumbee tribe, Simeon Oxendine had been called many things before, “devil” being one of them. Coincidentally, he had served in the “Hell’s Angels” bomb squad in World War II on the “Satan’s Workshop” B-17 bomber.
When informed of Cole’s plans to remind the Lumbee of “their place in the racial order,” Oxendine remarked, “He said that, did he? We’ll just wait and see.”
Shortly after Catfish Cole’s announcement, on January 13, 1958, Klansmen burned a cross on the lawn of a Lumbee woman as “a warning” because she was dating a white man. A second cross was burned on the lawn of a Lumbee family who had moved into a white neighborhood. A third cross was burned at a tavern frequented by the Lumbee.
Little did they know, the Klan was picking a fight with the wrong people.
Catfish Cole was warned by local law enforcement officials that his public speeches and demonstrations would provoke a strong reaction from the Lumbee and to stay away. In her book, The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle by Malinda Maynor Lowery, Robeson County Sheriff Malcolm McLeod implored Cole to cancel the rally, stating that law enforcement would not offer Klan escorts and protection as they had in the failed attempt of violence in Monroe, NC. Sheriff McLeod also warned that the Lumbee planned to kill Cole if he proceeded with addressing this rally. The Maxton police chief also advised against the Klansmen’s planned rally.
But all of these warnings fell on deaf ears. Catfish didn’t heed any of this advice.
On the night of the rally, only 50-100 Klansmen showed up at the location near Hayes Pond in Maxton, presumably due to the many warnings to stay away. The “Dragon”, Catfish Cole, began to set up the rally under the illumination of a single light bulb. Before Cole could finish the arrangements, however, somewhere between 500 and 1000 armed Lumbee, Tuscarora, other Native American tribe members, and various allies (men and women) appeared and encircled the assembled Klansmen.
Lumbee leaders Sanford Locklear and his brother-in-law Neill Lowry approached Catfish Cole, asking his purpose for the rally. When Catfish replied, “We come to talk to these people,” a volley of “No, You’re Not,” and, “Yes, I am,” sprang up between the two factions. It wasn’t long before pushing and shoving began, quickly escalating to guns being drawn. A cool head prevailed when Neill Lowry shot out the only light, darkening the field and panicking the Klansmen.
When the light went out, the Lumbee began yelling, firing shots into the air as warnings. Klansmen briefly returned fire before hurriedly fleeing the scene, some leaving their own family members and their KKK paraphernalia behind. Cole reportedly left his own wife and three children behind while he escaped through a nearby swamp. According to the Lumbee who were there that night, Cole’s wife, Carolyn, had driven into a ditch and had to be helped out by the Lumbee.
A total of four Klansmen received minor injuries from gunshots, but there were no fatalities during this confrontation. Afterward, the Lumbee celebrated by burning Catfish Cole in effigy, as well as most of the KKK items left behind in a bonfire.
Simeon Oxendine refused, however, to burn the KKK banner, claiming, “This Ku Klux banner is mine. And I’m going to walk into the lobby of the Charlotte Hotel wearing it like a scarf.” Charlie Warriax and Simeon Oxendine traveled to Charlotte, where they were photographed wrapped in the KKK flag and “cheekily” winking for the camera. This photo appeared alongside an article of the event in the January 27, 1958, issue of Life Magazine. You can view these photos and the Life Magazine issue online in Google Books (link to specific pages in the episode show notes).
Gov. Luther Hodges of North Carolina quickly responded, “I want my position to be clearly understood. The responsibility for the Maxton incident rests squarely on the irresponsible and misguided men who call themselves leaders of the KKK.” This statement may have temporarily created backlash support for the Klan in other parts of North Carolina, but not anywhere near Robeson County or a place of Lumbee influence.
News of the event spread across the nation, and its popularity continued for many years thereafter. West coast folk singer Malvina Reynolds (probably most known for her song, “Little Boxes,” featured in the Showtime television show “Weeds”) commemorated the event in her song, “The Battle of Maxton Field.” You can listen to this song and view its comical, tongue-in-cheek lyrics on the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources website. In 1932 the KKK had attempted to kidnap Malvina and her family, so she took special joy and pride in detailing this triumphant event.
James W. “Catfish” Cole was arrested and served a prison sentence until 1960 for inciting a riot due to his role in the confrontation. He later relocated to Portsmouth, Virginia, and worked as an unlicensed private detective until returning to Kinston, North Carolina, in 1962. He returned to his previous Klan activities by operating a print shop, founding the Helping Hands C.B. Club (a health club) in Greensboro, NC, and becoming involved with the Committee for Better Government in Kinston. Cole attempted an unsuccessful takeover of the Klan organization through a move to Greensboro, NC, in 1966, and was banished from the KKK as a result. Catfish was arrested for intimidating a black minister in July 1967, but died shortly thereafter of injuries received in a car accident.
Simeon Oxendine went on to become chief of the Pembroke Veterans of Foreign Wars, a Pembroke Town Council member, and a Robeson County Board of Education member. He passed away in 1988.
The Ku Klux Klan remained active in North Carolina into the 1960s, but never again in Robeson County.
January 18th is celebrated as a holiday by the Lumbee tribe in honor of defeating the Klan that night in the skirmish now known as the “Battle of Hayes Pond.”
The Battle of Hayes Pond symbolizes a turning point for public support of minorities targeted by hate groups such as the Klan. Robeson County citizens, Southerners, and U.S. citizens in general would no longer tolerate the armed aggression against peaceful people, and this resonated locally in Robeson County, NC, as well as throughout the nation. In a pivotal sign of the changing times, an entirely all white male jury took only forty-three minutes to convict Catfish Cole for inciting a riot at Hayes Pond. A judge followed up by giving him the maximum sentence of 18-24 months on a chain gang.
I chose the takeaway message of “Be firm, yet kind” because of the Lumbee leadership and plan to stand up against hate and send a firm message to the Klan, yet had the restraint to keep this event from escalating to violence and catastrophe. I believe that this restraint, also practiced by Dr. Martin Luther King during this time, aided the civil rights movement and the public opinion and support of the minorities who were targeted by the Klan—especially the Lumbee.
The Lumbee Native American tribe showed that taking action against prejudice and aggression by joining together and allying with others to fight for justice could drive out hate and terror. Their resolve and success would inspire an entire community—and the nation—to stand up against hate as well. Their actions showed us that sometimes it takes a “devil” to defeat a dragon.
I hope you liked today’s episode, “The Dragon vs. the ‘Devil’ of Carolina.” Please refer to the shownotes at www.talesfromthehearth.com for references and links to photos, as well as my Pinterest board (you can find me at Tales from the Hearth).
