Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-26

COLONEL JAMES BOWIE.
to settle in Maryland where still the
name is potent, claimed kinship with
Rob Roy. One slip of the stock went
southerly. Reason Bowie, father of
James, though but lad, fought gal
lantly under Marion and carried to his
grave the mark of n British saber
across his face. He got it at the battle
of Savannah. While he lay under
cure he was nursed by a pretty girl,
Elvira Ap Catesby Jones. When peace
had ''the Swamp Fox to dance at the
wedding since Marion was not only
his commander, but his friend.
Like ten-elevenths of patriotic folk,
Bowie was poor Wealth had been
very largely on the side of the crown.
But he did not mean to stay poor. \
typical American of the late eight
eenth century, he was sbrewdly ready
to take every chance of bettering him
self and his family prospects. Hence
he moved first from Georgia into Ten
nessee, thence to southern Kentucky
and from there TO the rich Louisiana
purchase, where he became a planter
and lived happily ever after.
Bowie fought, as lie did most things,
in a fashion wholly his own. He had
warm friends and enemies equally
ardent. Though his was by no means
an ascetic life, his temperate inclina-
tionS were felt as a rebuke by the
turbulence of Il turbulent time and re-
sented accordingly. Still it did not ell
ter into his mind that he would be TAX
en- at a disadvantage until he found
himself one day attacked when I'M
armed, stabbed and left for dead.
Naturally he resolved never again to
go unarmed. Guns were ill to carry,
pistols worse. He put his trust in q
'blade-a blade of perfect temper and
ruthless edge. Once it had been a
blacksmith's file. His brother, Reason
Bowie, had made the blacksmith,
certain white artificer, Jesse Cliffe
by name, change the file into a knife
Of his own designing. The blade was
nine inches long, two edged, family
curved and thick enough where it
joined the haft to knock in the skull
of a deer or bear. Reason Bowie
meant it for nothing more than
hunting knife. James added to it a
spring sheath, attached the sheath to a
belt and wore it whenever he stirred
abroad. 1t may be interesting to add
that the identical weapon, parent of all
bowie knives, was in the end given by
Reason Bowie to his friend Edwin
Forrest, among whose memorabilia it
may perhaps still remain.
Before that came about, however, the
knife had made Il history at a great
rate and taken to itself its masters
name. That happened at the famous
duel on the levee opposite Natchez.
The principals, Bowie and Colonel Nor
ris Wright, met there, accompanied
each by a dozen friends. with intent to
settle by gunpowder certain acute diff
ferences of opinion. Only three men
on each side We're to engage in COM
bat. The others We're to stand by and
see fair play unless death or disable
ment of the contestants made it right
for them to come in. But they had
their self control After
the first fire, which dropped one man
in his tracks, there was a general ell
gagement. By the time pistols were
empty seven lay stark dead Bowie
himself was down, apparently NOR
tally hurt. Wright stopped over him,
perhaps in kindness, perhaps in en-
NIFTY. Bowie could take no chances.
He gathered all his force and sent his
trusty knife crashing through his adj
versary's breastbone to find rest in
his heart.
Perhaps his wound was lucky. 1t
took three months to heal. and in that
space the wrath of the Wright men
had time to cool They had breathed
out fire and threa Jennings while he kent
his bed, but nothing came of them.
Bowie went safe and scathless through
the three years between the duel and
his emigration TO Texas. In those
three years, though his own fame
spread, it did not begin to keep pace
with the renown of his deadly blade.
Every man wanted one, especially ev.
cry man who had mind. to 20 to
Texas. Therein perhaps you see the
workings of fate. At San Jacinto,
where Texas won independence, "the
sound of the bowie knives crashing
through Mexican skulls was like the
noise of hail on glass" Houstons |
700 to man had the knives. Small |