At the time of the Revolutionary War the Catawba Indians were a small tribe that lived along the Catawba River in York and Lancaster counties. The Catawba tribe had a history of warfare with other tribes in the area, but they had established peaceful relations with early European settlers.

The Catawba tribe allied with the colonists against the Cherokees and British when the war moved into South Carolina. The number of warriors engaged in the war varied from 60 to 200 at any given time. They joined Rutherford’s army on the march to Ramsour’s Mill, retreated with Gate’s army after Camden, and fought with Lee’s Legion at the Battle of Alamance.