The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-12-28
A BATTLE WITH INDIANS.
How the Famous Bowie Brothers Whipped
a Hundred Savagea.

| n Hundred Savages.
| Col. John S. Moore, of New Orleans.
grand nephew of tho celebrated Jim
Bowie, the inventor of tho knife which
bears his name, and one of the Alamo
heroes, contributes the following to the
archives Of the Alamo Monument asso-
citation:
"In 1881 a small party of adventurous
spirits, eleven in number, consisting of
Rein p. and James Bowie, their two
servant boys, Messrs. Buchanan, Maca-
line, Stern, Cephas ualnm and three
other persons, left San Antonio to visit
the old San Saba silver Mines On the
morning of the third day of their Journey
they were visited by an Indian, who
claimed to be messenger from Chief
1saonia, and whose medal he exhibited
as his credentials, bearing them warn
ing from lsaonia that about 100 unfriend-
ly savaSes were on their trail. Rein
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. y position was chosen near
A'A'', "ANAS viz WuS COSeISu
with few trees and some thick under
brush, amidst which spring gushed
from the earth. Working all night, the
travellers finally completed breastwork
of sods around the thickct. They placed
the servants, horses and pack mules in a
covered situation at the spring, and
rested awhile to await events. About 6
in the morning, when the sun lit up the
hill i'll front of them, it revealed its sum-
init covered with Indians, who hoisted a
white flag. After consultation Rez
Bowie and Buchanan passed outside the
trench works to parlcy with them. AS
they approached tho hill tho savagcs
waved their flag and called out: How
dye do? How dye do:' and fired on them
at the same time. Several bullets passed
through Bowie's hunting blouse, leaving
him unscratched. Poor Buchanan was
not SO fortunate, for 1. bullet struck his
leg, breaking it. AS Buchanan fell,
Bowie caught him by tho arm, and lift
ing him by the shoulder, started to carry
him baclSto shelter. Eight Indians armed
with tomaliawks pursued Bowie, who,
thus heavily burdcncd, could ill have dc.
Tended himself, but his party fired from
their intrcnchmcnts on the advancing
foes, killing four of them, and tho re-.
manning four ran back to their shelter.
Firing now began in earnest between
the opposing forces, and fortunately tho
Indians could not discover what number
of men wcro concealed in tho bushes
back of tho little Notifications. Tho
small force, reduced by two-for in adj
| dition to Buchanan being wounded, Mas
calino was killed-fought increasingly
the entire day. Those engaged in tho
| light said that the contrast in the manner
OF the two Bowics was most striking
James passed from ono point to another,
giving orders, looking, and firing. At
| tho same timo Rein maintained an un-
broken silence, raised his gun with cool
ness and dcliberation, bringing down
rcdskin at each Shot During the night
| the Indians passed tho time mourning
their dead, and with the coming of day
vanished rs quietly as they had appeared.
The whites now mado preparations for
returning to San Antonio. Poor Masca-
line was buried and rocks piled over his
grave to secure it from depredations of
wolves. The great trouble was what to
do with Buchanan. Rein Bowie, ever
| prolific in cxpcdients, made strong de-
coction of oak bark by boiling the bark
in water. This he thickencd with corn
meal, and, spreading it on q cloth and
sprinkling it with gunpowdcr, he formed
u apoultco which he wrapped about Bu-
chanan's leg. Around this he tightly
sewed covering Of buckskin, and, pack
ing tho patient OH his horse, off tho
party started After several days travel
Bowie examined Buchanan's leg, and,
finding it in u fair way to recovery, re-
ncwed the same dressing, and under this
rough and singular treatment tho limb
recovered entirely. This party of men
never mado another attempt to reach
the San Saba mines. San Antonio Cor.
st. Louis Globc-Democrat.