Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887, 1886-11-27
COLONEL BOWIE.
SLAVE TRADER, DUELIST AND
TEXAN REVOLUTIONIsT.
EventfuI Career OF the Man Who
Invented the Celebrated Hunt
ing Knife Named After Him
"A Life of Danger.


James Bowie was born in Logan Coun
ty, Kentucky, In the year 1885. Hi
parents were natives of Georgia, hi
father being woodsman and hunter, in
which craft James was brought up. The
family wandered from place to place,
usually seeking the remotest frontier,
and finally settled on the borders 81
louisiana and Texas. Here, in 1914,
James Bowie made d clearing for him
self, built log cabin, and lived princi-
pally by fishing and hunting. Many
were his deeds of daring and reckless
ness in his forest adventures, and many
stories have been preserved of his wild
exploits. He would catch and ride moi
only wild horses, but wild deer, and on
one occasion he caught, roped, and rode
an alligator.
He grew to be large and powerful
man, six feet in height and extremely
muscular. His temper is said to have
been good, but he was easily aroused to
anger, which was terrible and unap-
peasable, and led him into many trag-
ical encounter. He never fought reg,
ular duel, but was engaged in many
fights, most of which had bloody ter
mination. He was said to have been a
general fayorite among his friends and
neighbors, which goes to disprove that
he was not Of cruel or bloodthirsty dis
position.
Texas. at that time belonging to Mex
leo, was sort of promised land to the
adventures of the Southwest. One OF
tho Fret nvVNoAs@Snnn Snfn 1nA fwx
was under General James Long, of Ten
nessee, and Bowie accompanied it, This
was in 1919. The expedition resulted
disastrously, Long being captured and
killed by the Mexlcans, but Bowie re-
turned safely to his home.
al He now sold his land, and in company
with his brothers engaged in slave trad
ing with Laftte, the notorious pirate OF
the Gulf. Under the laws of the United
States at that time slaves were not al
lowed to be imported into the country,
but the brothers Rowie easily evaded
difficulty. Their plan of operations was
to go to Galveston and purchase from
Lafitte number Of negroes, for which
they paid at the rate of 81 pound, or
about $40 for each negro. These they
would bring into4the limits of the United
States, and then 60 to custom house Off
GERS and become infoFmers against them
selves. The law gave the informer half
the va.ue of the negroes, which were put
up and sold by the United States Mar
shall At the Marshals sale they would
themselves become the purchasers,
would receive half the purchase money
back and certificate of sale, which en-
titled them to dispose Of the negroes in
the United States. Bowie followed this
business until he made some $50, 900,
most of which he soon spent in riotous
living in New Orleans.
It was during these expeditions to
Galveston that his genius evolved the
hunting knife, with which his name will
always be associated. It was made for
him by blacksmith after design of
his own. It was made with heavy
ping as well as thrusting, thus fulfilling
the purpose Of Ratchet, for which he
used it in his woodsman life.
In the exciting political contests that
grew out of Jaekson's advent as a candi-
date Bowie took an active part. In
1926 he was residing at Ale andria, on
EeRel River, and during political cam
! paign he got into an alteration with
Norris Wright, Sheriff Of Rapfdes. raEs
ish. Bowie was unarmed, and Wright
drew pistol and shot him through the
| b5dy, but even then, if Wright had not
been rescued by his friends Bowie would
have killed him with his fists. This at
| tack so enraged him that he determined
thereafter never to 60 without his knife,
| and he had scabbard made for it, and
! said he would wear it as long as he lived.
/ Al year later this feud with Sheriff
4. 49,