The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-03-11

and piled it over the shoulders of
the master. This led to 8 shooting
| contest, in which Bowie wounded
his antagonist. Afterwards he sent
a friend TO the wounded man, paid
the doctors bill, purchased the
/ slave at double his value and gave
him his freedom. On another occa
sion he visited "Under the Hill," at
Nstchez, more famed for gambling
and desperate deeds than any simi
lar place on the face of the globe.
Here he found young man by the
name of baltimore, q son of DIR.
| William Lattimore, who had bsen
Governor of Mississippi when it
was territory. Young baltimore
had been sent by his father to the
! city of Natchez to sell his cotton
and draw from the bank a large
sum of money. He had been en-
ticed "Under the Hill," and lost the
entire amount at faro, the game be-
ing run by gambler named Stur-
devant, a noted desperate, who had
earned by his bloody deeds the So
briquet of Bloody Sturdevant."
Bowie was unknown to baltimore,
but knew his father, who was an
exemplary Christian and a man of
high literary attainments, for whom
he Bowie had conceived a strong
| liking. He looked on at the game,
and soon perceived that it was not
dealt "on the square" He told
young baltimore to stay with him,
remarking: "You don't know me,
but your father does," and himself
commenced betting against the
game. He soon exposed the trick
of the gambler, and sternly told him
not to repeat it. He bet heavily,
and in 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 a |
fight between Bowie and Sturde- |
want. The latter thinking to
"bluff'' Bowie, proposed to fight
with knives, the left hand of each
to be tied together, Bowie prompt
ly accepted, and at the first stroke
of his knife disabled the right arm
of his antagonist, but magnani-
mously forebore to take his life. |
Another of the deadly and desperate
ARRAYS in which James Bowie was
engaged gave origin to the "Bowie
In fo - vvhiah hao @hfoinn6 faorful
celebrity-somethlng its inventor
never designed or expected. The
circumstances were these. There
lived in Louisiana a Judge Crane. of
character as dauntless as that of
Bowie himself. who was, like the
latter, q land specu .ator. Their IN
ieresis clashed, and a dgsdly feud
exIsted between them. Each had
II following OF about sixty friends,
who were interested in the profits
arising from the sale of the lands.
Between q member of the Crane and
ana one of the Bowie parties diff
Guilty arose, which it was agreed |
they should settle by fighting a duel
on the sandbsr, nearly opposite |
Nstchez. According to the terms |
OF the fight it was stipulated that
neither Bowie nor Judge Crane |
should be present on the ground |
when the affair took place. Friends
from Natchez intervened, and |
brought about an amicable adjust
ment between the parties. AS Gus
tomary on such occasions, it was
concluded to cement the newly-
formed friendship by imbibing of
brandy and champagne. Accord
ingly a few baskets of each with
hoxes of cigars were sent for, and,
circling round a spring which
flowed near the bank underneath
some willows. the parties arranged
themselves. There 1ow of soul
and the cup was INDUCED in, when
Judge Crane very unexpectedly put
in an appearance and joined in the
conviviality. Bowie, doubling that
Judge Crane would keep his agree
ment, put spy upon his move
ments. While the generous fluid
operated upon the thermometer of
their convivial feeling, and sent it up
like the mercury nearly to fever
heat, and while all were gleeful and
happy, a rustling was heard among
the willow boughs which overhung
the path leading down the bank,
and the dreaded form of Jim Bowie
burst upon the astonished vision of
the spectators. His presence meant
fight, and that to the death. Like a
snowflake falling upon q heated
furnace, the previous good under
standing was dissolved, and the
friends of each of these leaders re-
spectively took sides and COM
firing. Upon the appear
ance of Bowie, Judge Crane rose
and shot him through the body. ,
As he fell, the Judge ran up and at !
to stab him with . sword
caae. Bowie skillfully psrried the
thrusts, and reaching up, caught the :
cravat of Judge Crane, which he .
were tied tightly around his neck,
as was the fashion of the day.
With this hold he drew the Judge .
closely down to him. and, grssping !,
the spear. succeeded in getting pos .
session OF it, and ran his antagonist
through the heart. The Judge
died upon the fainting form of his
Inveterste enemy. After all the
weapons were discharged, hostilities c
ceased. Six men were. killed out
right and fourteen were wounded t
Bowie was confined to his bed in
The city of Natchez for two months I
On account OF his wound. During
,he time, be Whitfield from n piece {
Df white pine, the model OF a hunt G
Ing-knife, and sent it to two broth
ers, ski.lful blscksmiths. by the c
name of Blackman, telling them TO q
spare no expense in it's manufac {
ture. This was the origin OF the {
'Bowie-knife."
The writer was boy at the time /
Of the fight, and, together with
crowd of citizens, stood on the bluff {
in the city of Natchez. which over I
looks the river, and witnessed the /
flash of the pistols.
He AYERS that the facts here set
forth are true in every particular.
al L. \ / .