The record-union., 1893-11-30

History of brave peoples weapons is
always interesting, says the Washington
Post. It illustrates their character. The
nation which shortens its W eapons length
ems its boundaries" said great author.
Though everyone has heard of the Bowie
knife, little is known Of its origin or his
tory. Yet its fame is as wide as that
of the oid-time twenty -two-inch Roman
sword.
Two States claim the birthplace of
James Bowie-Tennessee and Maryland
and the question has never been quite
definitely settled. But he gave the name
TO weapon as deadly as any that has
ever been forged.
When Louisiana became a State Of the
Union, it was admitted under some pc
culiar conditions. The one bearing upon
this article was that all Spanish and
French grants of land should be recog-
nized by the United States as valid where
ever they could be established by the old
colonial records of Spain and France.
This peculiar feature created the Bowie
knife and gave its originator 4 national
TenOwn.
Shortly after Louisiana became a State
the old Spanish and French records Gre
ated great deal of trouble. II frequently
happened that q planter who had taken
up large tract of land and fairly opened
II out as q plantation, would learn that 1t
was claimed by someone under an old
colonial grant. James Bowie was very
frequent claimant under these old laws.
Several capitalists of the time had sent
him to Havana, where the older papers
OF the Spanish colony of Louisiana were
kept, and caused careful transcripts Of
them TO be made. They appointed as
their agent to put them in possession OF
these properties James Bowie. In these
early days it did not at any time take
much prOVocation to bring on personal
encounter" as a fight to the death was
euphoniously entitled. A man who had
been to the trouble of opening up an es-
tate only to find it claimed by lot OF
people he did not know, was generally
pretty ready to fight for it, whether
fight would settle the question or not
The consequence of this state of things
was that James Bowie and his two
brothers, Stephen and Rein Bowie, had
on hand almost constantly some sort of
difficulty" that had TO be fought out
with deadly weapons. This was before
the days when the percussion cap was in
general use, and the smaller pistols OF
the period were flint locks, inconvenient
to carry and not very reliable. So the
knife had to be used when one wanted
really trusty weapon. Mr.. Bowie worked
out with pOcket-knife and shingle his
idea of weapon that would be about the
proper thing for the business he had in
hand. and it was made by the local
blacksmith at Shreveport, La, after this
model, which he carried for several years.
About 1880, however, he heard of a New
Orleans cutler. a Spaniard named Pedro,
who was making some knives of Won
derful kind and temper. They could be
driven through q silver dollar without
damage to point or edge, Mr.. Bowie at
once ayailed himself of the professional
services of this artist, who made him a
knife which was a marvel Of tomper and
beauty. The blade was nine inches long,
and blade and handle together measured
fifteen inches.
This weapon was used by him in nine
teen encounters, and it was the one that
was in his stiftening hand when, with six
dead MeXlcanS about him, showing the
evidence OF his fatal skill, he was found
dead at the Alamo.
Bowie's method Of using the knife was
one peculiar to himself. He did not hold
it in his hand with the long point down
ward, but grasped the handle as a swords
man would grasp the hilt Of his sword.
He always struck the neck of his man,
and aimed for the jugular, and seldom
missed his coup. In the most famous Of
his battles, the one fought on Natchez
Island AN island in the Mississippi River
almost opposite the city of Natchez), he
cut two mems heads almost Off, giving
each only single sweeping blow.
In this fight there were seven men en-
gagged. Among them was James Madison
Wells, VINO a few years ago was so well
known throughout the country as the
President of the Louisiana Returning
Board of lS76-77. Bowie himself was very
dangerously wounded, but managed to
recover, thanks to q marvellous COnstitu-
ton and careful nursing. While down
on the ground, with an antagonist on top
of him who weighed thirty pounds more
than Bowie did, the indoinitable fighter
managed to get his left arm around his
enemy'S neck. Then, with a sudden
right-hand cut, he severed the other
mans jugular with an, awful slash. and
was almost smothered by the terrible
outgush of blood that poured from the
wound.
Bowie only weighed 40 pounds when
at his prime. He was quiet, soft-voiced
man, who never drank nor dissipated in
any way. He possessed enormous physi-
cal strength for his size, and was as quick
and 1.-the as a wildcat and as game. He
was terror to all the hard cases'' from
Louisville to New Orleans.
I'm 1867 said General B. G. Hum
phries, talking of Bowie at Mississippi
''the Methodists about Church Hill,
Miss, were holding their annual meeting.
They had been a good deal disturbed by
the crews OF rough tiatboatmen, large
number of whose boats were lying in the
river below the town. One morning after
service was ended number of gentle
men held q meeting to decide upon some
measure to abate this trouble. Among
them the parson, who was a new conner,
noticed q small man, whose only peculi-
arity was a pair of steely, blue -ringed
eyes-eyes like cat. L will attend the
services tonight, gentlemen said he, in
a low, gentle voice, and Will help you TO
settle any difficulty that may occur
This seemed very satisfactory to those
present, but the clergymen forgot to ask
his name.
1.-The evening service had begun. Just
as the preacher was about to give out the
second hymn big Kentucky fiatboatman
staggered up IN front OF the pulpit and
gave Choctaw warwhoop. In a second
the little man had him by the collar with
his left hand, and in his right had knife
with its point against the boatman's
brawny throat. If you say another word
or make the slightest noise. by God I'll
drive this knife through your neck from
ear to ear The big man trembled like a
leaf and silently took a seat while the
other, putting his knife out of sight,
Joined with great 1ervOr in the singing Of
the hymn. There was never a quieter
meeting held than that was thereafter.
who was that gentleman who so speedily
settled the difficulty to-night?' asked the
minister when. the service was ended.
Don't you know?' his friend replied.
THAT was James Bowie"
Next to the bowie-knife. the most ceIe-
brated of Southern small deadly weapons
in the old times was the Deringer pistol,
equally called 'the Deringer." From
1910 TO 1865 a part OF every Southern gen
tleman's personal equipment was a pair
=