Louisiana capitolian., 1880-04-03
JAMES BOWIE.
RECOLLECTIONs OF A FAMOUS SOUTH.
WESTERN CHARACTER.

Some fifty years ago two brothers,
James and Resin Bowie, emigrated to
the State Of Mississippi, one locating
at the city Of Natchez, and the other
in Concordia parish, La, just across
the Mississippi river from Natchez.
They were natives of the State Of
Maryland, and came from highly
respected family, into which the great
lawyer and statesman, Reverdy john
son, married. They were both fine
specimens Of physical manhood, good
looking, with restlessness and deter
mination unmistakably stamped on
their visages. They were literally
educated, and their address that Of
gentlemen. Both were skilled in the
games of faro and bmg, the popular
games of that day with the sporting
fraternity, which then included every
class of society. They were not pro-
fcssional gamblers, but played liber-
ally, The two brothers were specula-
tors in the rich cotton lands Of the two
States of Mississippi and Louisiana,
in which they realized large sums
Of money. As society was organized
at that day, difficulties were usually
settled before the muzzles of pistols,
and men had to be circumspect in
their conduct in order to avoid
coming in contact with bravos who
subscribed to the saltpetie code.
James Bowie, an his department,
exhibited none of the circumspectioD,
and he soon became involved in sew
eral desperate encounters and two
or three duels. The GOODNESS and
courage he exhibited in all these gave
him the character Of a duelist who
was absolutely fearless. He seemed
to delight in exhibiting his prowess in
behalf of the weak and defenceless.
On one occasion he was riding along
u road which led pasta cotton planta-
tion, where the brutal owner was
lasling one Of his slaves. Bowie dis
mounted, rested the whip from his
hands, and piled it over the shoulders
OF the master. This led to shooting
contest, in which Bowie wounded his
antagonist. Afterward he sent a
friend to the wounded man, paid the
doctors bill, purchased the slave at
his value and gave him his freedom.
On another occasion he visited Gun
der the Hill," at Natchez, more famed
for gambling and desperate deeds
than any similar place Of the globe.
Here he found u young man by the
name of baltimore, q son Of DR.. VIM.
baltimore, who had been Gov
ernor of Mississippi when a Territory.
Young baltimore had been sent by
his cotton and draw from the bank
u large sum of money. He had been
enticed "Under the Hill," and lost
the entire amount at faro, the game
being run by Il gambler named Stur-
dcvant, a noted desperate, who had
earned by his bloody deeds the SOU
briquet "bloody Sturdevant." Bowie
was unknown to baltimore, but lie
knew his father, who was an exem-
plary Christian, and man Of high
literary attainments, for whom he
(Bowie) adconccived Il strong liking.
He looked on at the game and soon
perceived that it was not dealt con
the square" He told young Latti-
more to stay with him, remarking
"You don't know me, but your father
does" and himself commenced bet
ting against the game. He soon ex-
posed the trick of the gambler, and
stcrnly told him not to repeat it. He
bet heavily, and in a few hours won
back all the money that had been
tricked from young baltimore. He
gave the young man the full amount
he had lost and sent him home with
his (Bowie's) regards to his father,
telling him never again to play at
faro. This circumstance led to fight
between Bowie and Sturdevant The
latter, thinking to "blutf'' Bowie,
proposed to fight with knives, the left
hand of each to be tied together.
Bowie promptly accepted, and at the
first stroke of his knife disabled the
right arm of his antagonist, but mag
unanimously forebore to take his life.
Another of the deall y and desperate
affrays in which James Bowie was en-
gagged gave origin tothe Bowie knife,
which has obtained q fearful celebrity
something it's inventor never de-
signedo or expected. The circumstan-
ces were: There lived in Louisiana /.
Judge Crane, of character as dauntless
as that of Bowie himself, who was,
like the latter, Il land speculator.
Their interests clashcd, and q deadly
ftud existed between them. Each had
a following of about sixty friends,
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