The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-09

Major General Wade has just been notified to
take charge of the Department of the Philippines.
In place of General Davis, who retires on &C
count of age.
became restless. He very much regretted
that Grain duel all his life said Governor
Wells one day, while talking of Bowie.
But you must remember the time and the
conditions of things. Bowie could not have
acted in any other way than he did, and
stayed in the State. He would have in
evitably have been the target of every
cheap bully and fellow who wanted to eS-
tablish a reputation as a fighting man,
at some one else's expense. NO" said the
Governor in conclusion, Il don't see how
he could have avoided the fight or its con-
clusiOn-" In 1882 he became very much
interested in the colony of Americans who
were settling in Texas. A lot of Tennessee
ans were there. They knew Bowie and
liked him. So they enthusiastically insisted
on his becoming a member of the young
and fiourishlng colony. They obtained for
him a grant of land three leagues (nine
miles, by two (six miles) in width. So
Bowie rather sadly said goodbye TO his few
lifelong friends and with his twenty-five
negroes started for the land of promise
from New Orleans.
At Galveston Island. Travis, Harding,
Sam Houston, Ned Burleson, Albert Sidney
Johnston. then adjutant general Of the
colony, but commanding all the armed
forces, which meant every American above
eighteen years who was any kind of a
man, and the other kind did not go
there; Ben Davis and Deaf Smith, the
man whom the Speaker of the Texas House
of Representatives called out, and Deaf
Smith" killed him with a rifle at forty
PAGES, all these were on hand to welcome
Jim" Bowie to their homes and hearts:
II don't know when anything has touched
me more deeply" he said. than the well
come these gallant fellows had met to ex-
tend TO me. Some of them had travelled
three or four hundred miles over bad roads,
and in some instances over no road at all,
TO see me and tell me how glad they were
TO shake my hand once more" 1t touched
and softened Bowie very much. He at once
began to improve his estate, and was very
fortunate.
WAR WITH MEXICO.
But all at once the war between the COL
ony ard Mexico broke out, and in 1886 it
declared itself a republic. Meantime Mex
leo, under Gen. Santa Anna, was prepar-
ing with all her resources to put down
this rebellion" Sana Anna was president
of Mexico, and he meant at one blow to
squelch these Americans. At the begin
ming Of the war Bowie was made the
colonel of the First Texas Regiment of
Rifles. This command was mustered i'm by
General Johnston, as Numbering 40 men,
but one thing and another reduced it to
600 men in ranks. But under Bowie they
became a terror to the entire Mexican
border. They captured all the border towns
and levied tribute on them. Chihuahua paid
| Sl5O,0W in Mexican onzas to Texas as its
ransom, while MatamOras got off with $780,
600 in Mexican dollars. All this set Santa
Anna fairly wild. To have a miserable little
colony of insurrectos levy tribute and COL
lect 1t. too, on the great republic of Mexico,
was too much! Santa Anna at first threat
ened to hang all the authorities that paid
tribute.
'Drive those diablos Americans out
them was the reply. I'VE aren't anxious
to pay tribute to these insurrectionists."
1t tickled the fancy of Bowie and the
otherS-Ned BurlesOn, Travis, Fannin,
Deaf Smith, Ben Davis-to reflect that
they had made Santa Anna pay the ex-
penses of a war levied against himself.
But the siege Of the Alamo and the MUIR
der by Santa Anna of Bowie, Travis, Fam
min and 400 other Americans after they had
surrendered on honorable conditions to
Santa Anna at the Alamo shocked all
Europe, enraged the entire American ma
ton to a degree never before known and
made them resolve to conquer Mexico, take
all of her territory they wanted and make
her pay a money indemnity besides for each
man killed at the Alamo. 1t was an awfully
bitter dose, but the proud Mexican presf-
lent had it TO do. And with that irony of
fate that sometimes befalls the most
tured by one OF the very people he had so
reviled and condemned, Gen. Sam Houston,
Never in all history were the tables SO
turned.
IN OO1D oIOOD
Bowie was murdered in cold blood. He
was sick and badly wounded lying in bed.
He might nave got away. but neither he
nor any of the others ever dreamed of
such a tragedy as followed the surrender of
the Alamo. where is that American dog?
inquired the valiant Santa Anna of the
sentinel set over Colonel Bowie. at do not
know, excellenza." the frightened man re-
piled. He was a Mexican and a private
soldier, and he did not intend to be Access
sorry TO a bloody murder il he could avoid
it. But Bowie, hearing a voice, thought
some one was coming to call on him. and
so there was, but 1t was Death: When the
party entered the officer Immediately i'm
charge said: Shoot that mani" They came
UP to the bed. Bowie realized the situa-
ton perfectly. He quietly reached under
his pillow for his deadly knife. As the
commander inadvertently came nearer. i'll
as he was. Bowie sprang upon the captain
like a tiger: Just as the other fired his
room was still full of smoke Bowie had
driven his knife clean through his throat
until it touched the vertebrate and severed
the 1ugular vein. Why. a man thus stabbed
is dead before he has touched the floor,
But he could not quite reach the one he
wanted, Santa Anna himself. But as his
fearless. gallant soul went out to the shades
there went with IL the souls of seven of
his foes!
For a long time Bowie's famous knife
was kept at the Mexican War Office as a
trophy. Finally, through the influence of
Gen. Cassius NJ. Clay. of Kentucky. our
government demanded the weapon. and il
was returned TO the State of Texas. When
| last heard of it was among the Texas State
military relics az Austin. 1t should be
carefully preserved. for il was the weapon
Of one of the bravest men who ever bore
the name American.
This knife was made by a famous steel
worker OF New Orleans. known TO the
public as Pedro. the skilled cutler. Besides
fine Bowie knives he made the finest surgi-
cal instruments ever seen in America, and
superb hunting knives. For his Bowie and
hunting knives he had but two prices. For
| those Of the finest finish he charged 500.
for the second rate. SO. With either class
YOU could white an iron rod into shavings
as though il were a pine stick. This was
the kind OF q weapon our fathers had. and
thav were generally foempn worfhv NJ such