Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-11-29
THE BOWIE BROTHERS.
Extracts from Paper by Colonel
 John S. Moore.
An Indian Fight in Which a Hundred Were Whipped by the Far-Famed Knife Inventor and His Friends-An
 Unparalleled Adventure.

Colonel John $. Moore, of New Or leans, grand nephew of the celebrated Jim Bowie, the inventor of the knife which bears his name, and one of the Alamo heroes, contributes the following to the archives of the Alamo Monument Association:
 ''In 1881 small party of adventurous spirits, eleven in number, consisting of ReZin F. and James Bowie, their two servant boys, Messrs. Buchanan, Mas caline, Stern, Cephas Hamm and three other persons left San Antonio to visit the old San Saba silver mines. On the morning of the third day of their jour ney they were visited by an Indian, who claimed to be a messenger from Chief Isaonia, and whose medal he ex- hibited as his credentials, bearing them a warning from Isaonia that about one hundred unfriendly savages were on their trail. ReZin Bowie, who spoke many Indian dialects, conferred with the messenger in his tongue, after which he advised his party to select favorable spot and intrench themselves. A position was chosen near hill, where the ground was covered with few trees and some thick under brush, amidst which spring gushed from the earth. Working all night, the travellers finally completed a breastwork of sods around the thicket. They placed the servants, horses and pack mules in covered situation at the spring, and rested awhile to await events. About six in the morning, when the sun lit up the hill in front of them, it revealed its summit covered with Indians who hoist ed white flag. After consultation Reg, Bowie and. Buchanan passed out side the trench works to barley with them. As they approached the hill the savages waved their flag and called out: 'How dye do? How dye do?" and fired !. Il them al the same time. Several bull lets passed through Bowie's bucksin hunting blouse, leaving him un- scratched. Poor Buchanan was not so fortunate, for bullet struck his leg, breaking it. As Buchanan fell, Bowie caught him by the arm, and, lifting him by the shoulder, started to carry him back to shelter. Eight Indians armed with tomahawkS pursued Bowie, who, thus heavily burdened, could ill have defended himself, but his party fired | from their intrenchments on the ad vancing foes, killing four of them, and l the remainder ran back to their shelter. Firing now began in earnest between | the opposing forces, and fortunately the Indians could not discover what num- | Der of men were concealed in the bushes l back of the little Notifications. The l small force, reduced by two-for, in ad- dition to Buchanan being wounded, l Masculine was killed-fought unceas- l irr rrl ho dow FThnco ir
 the fight said that the contrast in the
 manner of the two Bowies was most
 striking. James passed from one point
 to another giving orders, looking and firing. At the same time Rezin main tained an unbroken silence, raised his gun with coolness and deliberation,
 bringing down redsllin at each shot. | During the night the Indians passed the
 time mourning their dead, and with the
 coming of day vanished as quietly as
 they had appeared. The whites now
 made preparations for returning to San | Antonio. Poor Mascalino was buried
 and rocks piled over his grave to secure
 it from depredations of wolves. The
 great trouble was what to do with Bu-
 chanan. Rezin Bowie, ever prolific in | expedients, made strong decoction
 of oak bark by boiling the bark in water. | This he thickcneu with corn meal,
 and spreading it on cloth and
 sprinkling thichly with gunpowder, he
 formed a poultite. which he wrapped | about Buchanans leg. Around this he
 tightly sewed a covering of buckslin,
 and, packing the patient on his horse,
 off the party started. After several
 days travel Bowie Nami1ed Buchanan s
 leg, and, finding 1t in a fair way to re-
 cover, renewed the same dressing, and
 under this rough and singular treatment
 the limb recovered entirely. This party
 of men never made another attempt tc
 reach tn San Saba mineS."