The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-08-20
BOWIE AND HIS KNIFE
MADE OF AN OLD FILE, HE KILLED
SIXTEEN MEN WITH 1T.
Ono OF Group OF Heroes That Arc
Worthy OF the Highest Place In Song
and Story-The Thrilling Fight I'm the
Alamo with the Mexitans.

Alamo with the Mexisans.
There are men who seem esneciallv
created TO fill a certain place In the
aHars or their time. This has been
particularly true in American history.
The man that in the storm and stress
OF the period was most needed has
always come to the fore at the SUI
preme moment. If ever this was
demonstrated by circumstances it was
IN the early history OF the Texas Re
publlc-that storm-born State evoked
from the local revolution of 1896.
In his remarks concerning the early
history of Texas that President Nc.
hinley made in his recent tour he re
terred most felicitously, though brief
~ TO the four men who, under Provi-
dence. had been most prominent I'm
the early days. when tho greatest
State in the Union. In the matter of
territory, was n young and struggling
Republic-Houston. Travis. Crockett
nnd Bowie. He spoke on classic
ground, too, for IL was at the Alamo.
where he then stood. that three of the
four crowned with their lives their
devotion TO the young State, whose
foundation they had laid deep and
wide, and sanctiied its cornerstone
with the seal of their blood.
OF this group Of heroes. as worthy
of place in song and story as any who
so gallanuy died under shield before
Troy, the least known OF them all.
and yet in many respects the greatest.
was James Bowie, famous only by rea
son of the world-renowned knife called
by his name. A few words touching
his ancestry may not be out of place.
He was not from Maryland. as has
been stated, but was born I'm Burke
county Ga, in 1890. In 1902 his
father emigrated to Louisiana.
That country was then still under
French domination. There had been
large tracts Of land granted by the
French Crown in the territory named
for Louis XIV. and one of these. in
the parish of Catahoula. was acquired
by the elder Bowie. He was n man
OF substance, owning nearly 100 slaves.
He soon had his estate we'll opened
out and was growing superb crops of
cotton and corn. His son James he
sent first TO n famous private school
Mt Natchez, Miss, and afterward 10
the Jesuit College, then located in New
Orleans.
James Bowie, IN 1927. was chal-
lenged to duel with Norris Wright
The pocket pistols of that CAV were
uncertain. 1t was long before the per
cussion cap had been brought into
common use, and the fintlock arm
was the only frearm known. Ii was
liable TO miss fire just when it ought
not to. Bowie determined to rely upon
knife he had caused to be made for
just such contingency. He had tax
en- fourteen-inch long file. such rs
was then used TO sharpen cross-cut
saws and the upright saws used for
turning out planks from logs. He had
the file marks carefully ground off the
ME and the smooth piece of steel skill
fully reduced by the grindstone until
vt was about the thickness and weight
he desired. Then he took IL to n Span
Ard in New Orlcano, known as "Pe-
uro' the skilled cutler" a man who
had learned his trade in Toledo. where
the finest sword blades in all Spain
were forged. He tempered and finished
the knife, fitted it with a cross niece
and haft. When It was done James
Bowie had q weapon fit to fight for
a mans life with" as he said TO Gov
ernor Wells. 1t was beautifully hal
anced, and the artist had hollow
ground it like a razor. with a double
edge for three or four inches from the
point.
The knife was fitted with n wooden
scabbard, covered with leather and
was sharp enough to shave the hair
of the back Of ones hand. This was
the original bowie knife, though il WAS
somewhat modified subsequently, I'm
shape. Bowie, while a student in New
Orleans, had studied other things he.
sides the humanities, as the dead Ian
guagcs of Greece and Rome were then
called. BY accident he found i'm his
fencing master a man who could nor
only use the sword but was q master.
In the use of the cuchillo. the Spanish
hghting knife. weapon not unlike the
bowie. Our young student entered en-
thusiastically into The training and
Ccicnce Of old Spain in that uation's
once national weapon. And so he
was much better equipped for the
deadly fight that was SO near at hand
Natchez Island, whore the fight was
70 be- was midway between the Louis.
lana and Mississippi shores OF the
great Father OF Waterg. Therefore #
was q fayoritc meeting place for gen
tlemen who had TO adjust affairs that
might have fatal ending. as The au-
thorities Of neither State could inter.
ferc. II stayed all night with James
Bowie said friend Of his who died
over twenty year3 ago i'm his ninctietb
year. "On the night before the fight
was to take place ! novcr saw man
sleep norc eoundly than he did nor
eat a Letter Breakfast the next morn
ing
II was Understood that each Of the
Principals should have but one friend
and certainly not more than two ON
the ground. But Mr. Wright had FIVE
or six present The fight began with
pistols One OF Bowic's missed fire
while both Of Yrighrs bullets took Of.
feet upon his antagonist
Thinking he had Bowie al his mercy
Norris Wright sprauc upon him In
q moment Bowie had drawn Ills dead
Isl snife and though two OF three OF
/ ANrfuIffc frtnrtTe ........ .t .