The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-15


have studied the history of the desper-
ate struggle that one Of the American
force, Frenchmnn named Moses
Rose, who had been one of the Grand
Army OF Napoleon and had made the
march to Moscow, escaped from the
fort few nights before the massacre
and made his way to the settlements
further east
There are three plazas in San Anto-
MO which are of especial interest be-
cause Of the things which have hap
pened on them. One is Alamo plaza;
another is Main plaza, where once be-
gan desperate battle between settlers
and comanches, and the third is Milan
Square, formerly an old Protestant
cemetery in whose centre is buried
Ben Milan, one of the heroes Of the
Texan war for independence. 1t is the
intention to mark each of these plaSas
with statues, and 1t is probable that on
Main plaza the statues Of both Davy
Crockett and James Bowie will stand.
The placing Of the Bowie statue on
Main plaza seems particularly fitting
to the people who have the monument
project in charge, for, although he died
in the Alamo and was hater OF Mex
leans. he was steady Indian fighter.
The mass Of the folks here, however,
are prepared to Insist that his statue
shall be placed on Alamo plaza in pre-
ference to that Of Crockett, Travis,
Burleson or any one else. for Bowie is
pre-eminently q San Antonio hero. He
lived In this city for years, was the in
innate guest of its leading families.
traded from here to the western posts.
Eambled away his money here and had
love affairs lnnumerable and not few
combats in consequence OF them. From
the San Antonio viewpoint Crockett
and the others were rank outsiders
compared with Bowie, brave enough
and patriotic enough, but lacking the
local favor. The proposition to build
monument to him and to set 1t within
the shadow of the squat dun building
wherein he died gets an added Interest
lust now from the facts that Nine.
Caudelaria, the Mexican woman who
was his nurse while he lay Ill of ty-
phoId fever in the Alamo. died not long
ago at the age Of one hundred years.
and that ]. Madison Wells, the last
witness of the celebrated San Bar
fight, in which Bowie was a principal.
died in Rapldes parish. Louisiana, last
April.
There are several men here who knew
Bowie we'll, and from them is obtain
able an authentic account of what he
looked like and what he was. There
has been mass of inaccurate stun
printed about this strange man. who
was a type of class which the south
produced in the early part of this CEN
tury He has been alternately pictur-
cd as nigel and demon. as fair Of form
and feature and as almost a physical
monster, as a total abstainer and ha-
bItual drunkard. as a person of churchly
feeling and as scoffer at reyealed re-
ugIon. It is some testimony to his
force Of character that in whatever
light he has been painted. his Inner
has always given him the strongest
tones. There was no milk and water
in Bowie. Not long ago an article about
Bowie was published which was notice
able mainly for the misstatements 1t
contained. 1t said among other things
that he owed his wonderful nerve to ar
averEIon to strong lIquors,but those who
entertained him at table here cannot
80 -I-I.,,, ,,.ng NC cbt,j