I doubt that even the most radical of the white supremacists would have been stupid enough to try to shoot it out with the 101st. Now, a battle between the Klan and the Black Panthers would have been interesting.
The Klan tends to sh*t their pants and run when faced with people who actually fight back.
LUMBEE NEWS
Lumbee Tribe celebrates 50 years of Klan routing
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and the Indian Honor Association celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the routing of the Ku Klux Klan from Maxton on January 18, 2008. The festivities were held at the Indian Resource Center in Pembroke.
“This is just fantastic,” said
Tribal Chairman, Jimmy Goins, “to be able to honor our elders for their contributions and actions, while educating our youth on this historic battle”.
The Lumbee Tribe and the Indian Honor Association began recognizing verified participants four years ago. The Lumbee Tribe held its first honoring ceremony on the steps of old main and recognized the Honorable Judge Lacy Maynor. Judge Maynor was the Lumbee judge in Maxton who convicted Klansman James Martin of drunkenness and carrying a concealed weapon.
“Tonight we celebrate again all our Lumbee Warriors who participated in the battle,” states the Indian Honor Association chairman, Garth Locklear. “But we also gather to say thank you for the first time, to several in law enforcement and the court system that played a vital role following that night.”
Mr. Garth was referring to eight inductees who were also presented medallions and proclamations proclaiming their reasons for induction into the 1958 Lumbee Warriors. Honored were Solicitor Maurice Braswell, who brought remarks by video; Solicitor Luther Britt, Sr.; Dr. Walter J. Gale, past President of Pembroke State University; Highway Patrolman Frank Johnson, Assistant Solicitor Charles McLean; Sheriff Malcolm McLeod; photographer Bill Shaw, who was injured, and reporter Pat Reese.
“We honored these individuals tonight because of their actions,” said Garth Locklear. “They made the choice to arrest not tribal members that had gathered with guns, but the bigots that had gathered to spread hate. Without these individuals’ actions, and the telling of our story, the battle we remember tonight would have been very different.”
On a bitter cold January 18th evening in 1958, about 350 Lumbee tribal members gathered at Hayes Pond in Maxton to stop a Ku Klux Klan rally that had been called by John “Catfish” Cole. Only 50 of the predicted 5,000 Klansman showed for the rally whom Cole said would attend to put the Lumbee back in their place.
The Klan set up a generator to power a sound system and a single light bulb. When Cole stood to speak, it wasn’t long before tribal members, many armed, swarmed in, shooting out the light. With bullets flying, the Klansman ran, leaving vehicles, women and children behind.
Catfish Cole and James Martin were later indicted and arrested on charges. Cole was charged and convicted of inciting a riot and Martin was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and drunkenness.
Along with honoring the Lumbee Warriors who routed the Klan, and the honorees for their contributions, the Lumbee Tribe also had on display the sound system from that historic night.
Tribal member Faye Smith has loaned the sound system, with tapes and a microphone to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. It will continue to be on display at the Tribal Office Complex in Pembroke.
Children from the
Lumbee Boys & Girls Clubs were at the ceremony to learn of their elder’s contribution and commitment to the Lumbee community. The children, in honor of their Lumbee elders sang Willie Lowery’s “Proud to be a Lumbee”, as the entertainment for the historic evening.
Also on hand was national recognized drum group, Southern Sun, who sang and drummed honor songs for the Lumbee Warriors, the honorees, and ending the evening with a victory song.