the coffin in its bed, and then allowed the stream to flow again. Demise of the Lowry Gang From Henry Berry's disappearance on, the Lowry War was characterized by bounty hunters tracking down straggler members of the gang. In early March 1872, bounty hunter James McQueen set about killing the Strong brothers. On March 7, he staked out Andrew Strong's cabin in Back Swamp. The two brothers arrived and ate dinner inside with their family. McQueen fired a shot through a hole in the door at Boss' head, causing him to collapse. He waited outside for Andrew to exit, but when this did not occur, he left for Shoe Heel. Wishart arrived with a posse the next day to recover the body, and found Flora and Rhoda Strong cleaning blood off of the floor. The women told the men that Andrew and Steve Lowry had taken Boss away. The lack of a body made the General Assembly reluctant to award McQueen the $6,000 bounty, though the legislature eventually gave him the money the following year. Boss Strong's body was never located. By May, the only active Lowry Gang members were Andrew Strong and Tom and Steve Lowry, the rest having either died or disappeared. On May 2, Wishart agreed to meet Steve and Andrew in attempt to broker a compromise involving the outlaws' departure from the area. According to historians Adolph L. Dial and David K. Eliades, the meeting ended with both parties agreeing to meet again near Lebanon Presbyterian Church several days later, and Wishart was shot dead then. According to Evans, Wishart was killed at the meeting on May 2. Lumbee oral history maintains that Wishart was killed by Andrew after he attempted to shoot Steve, but the actual circumstances of his death remain unclear. Wishart's death led to renewed efforts to suppress the outlaws. On May 13, Governor Caldwell requested another detachment of federal troops be sent to Robeson to combat the gang. Major Morgan belatedly responded on July 5 by sending a company of the 4th Regiment U.S. Artillery from Fort Johnston. During their stay the troops were not called upon by the local authorities to help them, and they withdrew at the end of the month. Morgan concluded that federal intervention was unhelpful and federal forces were never sent again to suppress the gang. Meanwhile, Aladon Strong Wishart and Robert Evander Wishart—the late colonel's respective