Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-03
A BATTLE NTH INDIANS


. HunAyoa 00sa0ea.
Col. John 8. Moore, Of New Orleans.
grand nephew Of tho celebrased Jim
Bowie, the Inventor a the knife which
bears his nauns, and ono of the Alamo
heroes. contx1hutes the following % the
archives Of the Alamo Monument asso-
citation:
'sIn 1881 small party Of adventmoos
spirits, eleven in number, consisting OF
Rein P. and James Bowie, their two
servant boys, Messss. Buchanan, Maca-
lima, Stern, Oephas 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 journey
they were vislsed BY an Indian. who
claimed to be q messenger from Chief
Isaonia, and whose medal he exhibited
as his credentiak, bearing them warn
ing from Isaonia thasabout 100 unffiend-
" sevaees were on their troll. Rezin
Bowie, who spoke many Indian dialects,
conferred with the messenger IN bis
tongue, after which he advised his party
to select favorable spot and intrench
themselves. A position was chosen near
q hill, where the ground was covered
with few trees and some thick under
brush, anidss which spring gushed
from the earth. Working all night, the
travellers finally completed . breastwork
of sods around the thicket- They placed
the servants, horses and pack mules IN a
covered situation at the spring. and
rested awhile to await events. About
In the morning, when the sun bit up the
hill in front of them, it revealed its sum-
NIT covered with Indians, who hoisted a
white flag. After consultation Rec
Bowie and Buchanan passed outside the
trench works to parley with them As
they approached the hill the savages
waved their flag and called out: How
dye do? How dye dor and fred on them
at the same time. Several bullets passed
through Bowie's hunting blouse, leaving
him unscratched. Poor Buchanan was
not SO fortunate, for bullet struck his
leg. breaking it. As Buchanan fell,
Bowie caught him by the aTm, and lift
ing him by the shoulder, started TO carry
him back to shelter. Eight Indians armed
with tomahawks pursued Bowie. who,
thus heavily burdeDed, could Ill have de-
Tended himself, but his party fired from
their intrenchments on the advancing
foes, killing four of them, and the re-
manning four ran back to their shelter.
Firing now began in earnest between
the opposing forces, and fortunately the
T. l,oonvar x-l, At mum bpp
of men were concealed in the bushes
back of the little fortifcations. The
small force, reduced by two-for in ad
dition to Buchanan being wounded, Mas
caline was killed-fought increasingly
the entire day. Those engaged in TIN
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. A
the same time Rein maintained an un
broken silence, raised his gun with cool
ness and elaboration, bringing down
redskin at each shot. During the nigh
the Indians passed the time mourning
their dead, and with the coming of da,
vanished as quietly as they had appeared
The whites now made preparations TO
returning to San Antonio. Poor Masca
line was buried and rocks piled over hi
grave to secure it from depredations o
wolves. The great trouble was what Il
do with Buchanan. Rein Bowie, eve
prolific in expedients, made strong de
coction of oak bark by boiling the bari
in water. This he thickened with cor
meal, and, spreading it on cloth ant
sprinkling it with gunpowder, he forme'
a poultice which he wrapped about Blu
chanan's leg. Around this he Tight.
sewed covering of buckskin, and, pack
ing the patient on his horse, off tn
party started. After several days trave
Bowie examined Buchanan's leg, and
finding it in fair way to recovery, re
newed the same dressing, and under thi
rough and singular treatment the linn
recovered entirely. This party OF mel
never made another attempt tn reacl
the San Saba mines San Antonio Coz
St. Louis Globe Democrat.