The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-04-07

die, ana wa, aitoeeU1ef, VII pr30itive oor
Of weapon, not In tie least resembling tho,
formidable Instruments which Cutters hav,
since manufActuredin snch large quantitis,
| for the Southern market II belonged to III.
brother, Col. REIN BowrR, who had had Il
made by blacksmith living in the Parish o.
Rapides, for the purpose Of cutting cane.
Inc two duelists had exchanged couple Of
| snots without injury to either party-a re-
Cancellation had been effected by the seconds
they were sitting under tree, drinkinga ju.
lep-when MP from the river came one party,
headed by Col. CRANE, and down from the
woods came the other party, headed by JAMES
BOWIE They met on the spot where the duel
had inst been fought, and Col. Bowie said to
Col. CRANE, or Col. CRANE said to Col. BOWIE,
there are different versions of the story J
a. this 10 good a time to settle all our din.
culties rs any other" The reply, we presume.
signiaed assent; for COL CRANE Immediately
drew two pistols, and, holding one in each
hand, fired with the right upon JAMES BOWIE.
wounding him severely, and with the left
upon Gen. CUNEY-who was standing by
BowIE-striking him in the thigh, and cutting
the femoral artery, so that he bled to death
before the surgeon could get the turniquet on
him. BOWIE, though wounded, Immediately
made at CRANE. CRANE, being greatly infe-
rior in strength, and having no other weapon,
retreated. BOWIE pursued, swapping his pis-
tol at CRANE. until the latter suddenly wheel
ed about and threw one of his discharged
weapons at BOWIE, striking him in the FORE
head with such violence that he fell. Attempt
ing to rise, the sand being very deep, he sank
into 1t. and gave time TO one of the other party
to come up and shoot him through both thighs
before he could get to his feet. The fight hav-
ing, by this time, become general, he was shot
a third time, but had risen to sitting posture
when he saw DIR. WRIGHT approaching him
with swOrd-cane. AS WRIGHT was his
mortal enemy, and had attempted to kill him
once before, he very well unders TODD his object
now. He lay down, therefore. on his back,
and WRIGHT standing over him, endeavored
to run the sword through him. In this he did
not succeed, BOWIE drawing himself up so
that the weapon passed through his clothes,
and sunk deep into the sand without doing
him any farther injury than inflicting a mere
scratch on his side. As WRIGHT was stopping
in the act of driving the sword through BOWIE,
(as he hoped,s the latter seized him by the cob
lar, drew the knife we have described, and,
with the speed of lightning, plunged it into
'AiS AO0A y tuAHcu ~ cuLlTcIy AROUND In the
wound, and drew it out Tradition, in Alex.
andria, twenty years ago, said that the blow
was so violent as to cut several of the ribs en-.
tirely in two. The fight around BOWIE
whom it was the principal object Of the other
party to kill-continued for some time. and
several other persons were severely wounded
put Quincy and WRIGHT We're the only per-
sons killed dead on the spot. Two gentlemen
were pointed out to us, in Alexandria, twelve
years after the occurrence, as having been
in the great fight on the Sand Bar,
When we were in New Orleans, in the year
$40, there appeared in some New York paper
what purported to be a narrative of bloody |
luel fought by Col. BOWIE in Texas. with
hree Mexicans. Col. REIN BOWIE, happen |
ng to be in New Orleans at the tme resented |
t violently. He evidently thought that his |
lame had acquired an infamous notoriety. by |
Is association with the murderous instru.
nent to which it gives title He therefore pub |
ished card in the New Orleans Picayune. in
which he made the statement with regard to |
he knife used by his brother, which we pub
ish above. He said tiers had exerted their
ingenuity to invent a murderous weapon and
lad given his brothers name to it. He pro-
ounced the tales about his brother infamous
les, and said that the fight at the Sand Bar
vas the only private combat in which he had
yer been engaged. His brother had never. he
aid, invented any sort of knife for the pur.
ose of taking human life. He ended by de-
laring his intention to call to account any |
ditor or publisher who should give publica.
on to any more ISLANDERS of the kind no mat |
n in what part of the country he might re-.
de.
To make an end of our story, Col. BOWIE.
lot through in several places and wounded in
hers with dirks and swcrd-canes, was carried
Natchez, where he lay for some time at the
'int of death, and when he was recovering
as taken with violent spell of bilious fever. .
e survived, however, and removed to Texas.
here he was killed at the taking of the Alamo
April, 1876.