Last Updated on March 20, 2024
When John Adams left Boston to meet with other delegates to fight for independence from Great Britain and build the framework of (what would become) the United States, his wife Abigail urged him and other members of the Continental Congress to “remember the ladies.”
Abigail Adams advocated for women’s rights, especially education, property ownership, and divorce, at a time when women had few rights. She lived long before women won the right to vote and never stopped fighting for women.
Other women defied tradition during the American Revolution.
Deborah Sampson, Molly Pitcher and Margaret Corbin fought alongside men in the Continental Army. Lydia Darragh eavesdropped on conversations held by high-ranking British officers quartered in her home and delivered the information to General Washington. Anna Smith Strong was a member of the Culper Spy Ring operated by Major Benjamin Tallmadge. She developed an ingenious way to deliver information to the Continental Army using laundry on her clothesline.
Revolutionary War buffs may recognize these names, but may not be familiar with lesser-known heroines like Betsy Dowdy.
Who Was Betsy Dowdy?
Most people are familiar with Paul Revere, the Boston patriot whose midnight ride warned colonists of an impending British attack in April 1775; few have heard of Betsy Dowdy, a teenager who saved North Carolina from the Redcoats.
In December 1775, Lord Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, decided to send troops south to secure the Great Bridge that spanned the Elizabeth River. Controlling the bridge would cut off eastern North Carolina from the only port available to sell and transport goods and supplies and give the British access to a strategic harbor.
Sixteen-year-old Betsy lived on a farm near the Currituck Banks Reserve 10 miles south of the Virginia border near what is now Corolla, North Carolina. She loved the banker horses that still roam the Outer Banks, and her pride and joy was Black Bess, her own banker horse.
Banker Horses in the Outer Banks
The Banker horses are descendants of Spanish mustangs. There are several theories on how they came to the Outer Banks.
Many believe they swam ashore from wrecked Spanish galleons. Around eight shipwrecks discovered off the North Carolina coast were Spanish ships, and the wrecks were close enough to land for the horses to have swum ashore.
Others think when merchant ships ran aground during storms, the crew would leave behind any horses they were transporting to float the ship again.
Some surmise the horses are descendants of 89 horses brought to the New World by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón, a Spanish explorer who wanted to colonize Georgia and South Carolina. When the colony failed, the survivors went to Hispaniola and probably left the horses behind.
Betsy Dowdy’s Midnight Ride
In early December 1775, a family friend stopped by on his way back from Virginia. He told Betsy’s father that Lord Dunmore had ordered his troops to destroy North Carolina farms and livestock so residents couldn’t support and resupply the local militia. This meant the banker horses and Black Bess were in danger.
General William Skinner led the only local militia with the strength and numbers to thwart Dunsmore’s plans. However, his camp was 50 miles away in Hertford, North Carolina. So, Betsy’s father and the visiting friend decided it was too late to warn him.
Betsy overheard the conversation and disagreed. She was determined to save her family’s farm and livestock, including her beloved horse.
After her parents were asleep, she snuck out to the stable, mounted Black Bess and swam across Currituck Sound to the mainland. Then she rode 50 miles through marshes, forests and the Great Dismal Swamp with nothing, but a knife for protection.
After convincing a ferry operator to take her across the Pasquotank River, she reached General Skinner’s camp by morning.
Lord Dunsmore’s Troops Retreat
Because of Betsy’s warning, General Skinner’s militia had time to mobilize and advance toward the Virginia border. The Battle of Great Bridge was a decisive victory for the colonists and showed the British that the Continental Army was a force to be reckoned with.
Although Skinner’s militia arrived too late to join the battle, his troops and the strength of the Virginia militia forces convinced Lord Dunmore to retreat. The colonists’ victory denied the British control of one of the most strategic harbors on the Eastern Seaboard and prevented the Redcoats from controlling northeastern North Carolina.
Paul Revere and Betsy Dowdy
Paul Revere and Betsy Dowdy were patriots who risked their lives to warn colonial militia of a looming attack. However, there are several reasons why Betsy’s courageous ride is even more remarkable than Revere’s.
Paul Revere had a strong support network and access to weapons and other resources because he was part of the Sons of Liberty, an underground group advocating for independence from Great Britain. Betsy Dowdy did not.
She also lived at a time when young ladies stayed home and learned to cook, sew and keep house. Fighting wars was strictly men’s business.
When Paul Revere embarked on his famous ride, he had help from William Dawes and one other person by some accounts. Their ride was 16 miles long on dry land in mid-April Boston weather. Betsy Dowdy rode Black Bess alone for 50 miles on a frigid December night and braved the icy waters of Currituck Sound.
Betsy Dowdy’s Legacy
While Paul Revere’s ride is part of Revolutionary War history, there’s no written record about Betsy Dowdy’s. Substantial evidence proves it occurred because General Skinner somehow received word about the British forces at Great Bridge and moved his troops north.
According to local legend, Betsy received a commendation from General George Washington for her commitment to the American fight for freedom. She’s also received local and national attention.
The William J. Pomeroy Foundation, which supports the preservation of community history, awarded Currituck County a grant for a roadside marker to recognize Betsy Dowdy as the Outer Bank’s own “Paul Revere.” Southbound travelers on Highway 158 see it as they pass through Barco, North Carolina.
Where to Spot the Banker Horses
Around 100 of Black Bess’s descendants remain, and you can see them by driving on the 4-wheel drive beach or booking a tour with one of several companies that offer group excursions.
If you own or rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle with the proper off-road ground clearance, drive up the beach from Corolla where Highway 12 ends at the horse fence. Do not try to drive on the beach if your vehicle doesn’t meet these requirements. I learned the hard way!
The Banker Horses Today
The Banker Horses ran wild until the 1950s and are now protected and cared for by the National Park Service and local non-profit groups.
In 1998, President Clinton signed the Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act. The act amends a 1966 law that created the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and directed the National Park Service to partner with the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Inc., a local non-profit, to manage the herd.
The Corolla Wild Horse Fund, a non-profit group that supports the horses, established a 31-acre sanctuary in Grandy, North Carolina for injured and sick horses who can no longer survive as part of the herd. They named it the Betsy Dowdy Equine Center in honor of the courageous farm girl and her faithful banker horse who saved the Outer Banks from what would have been a devastating British attack.
