Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-01-10
WHERE BOWIE KNIFE
WAS CHR|STENED
IN RED GORE
THRILLING NARRATIVE
OF 1.-THE SANDBAR FIGHT
Historical Struggle Opposite
the City Of Natchez, MisSiS-
sippL Which Has Figured in.
Song and Story,

Probably the most famous of a
the innumerable hand to hand fight
which necked the forefront Of Ameri
can civilization with blood was TIA
which took place upon the sand bal
opposite the city of Natchez. Miss. i
when both grandfathers of the pres
ent Governor Blanchard. of Louisiana
Colonel James Bowie. the inventor q
the bowie, and nine others were parti
cipants.
And so numerous and varied hav
been the accounts of that noted due
to the death that there exists toda-
a great deal of misinformation eon
corning IL, avs a writer in the Ney
Orleans Times-Democrat The specta
Gle OF sinewy men, desperate and in
turiated, struggling at close ouarter
Tor their lives, is one toward whicl
the attention of men of all classe
nstinctively turns with a thrill o
sympathetl interest. which proves
now slightly removed from the primi
tive conditions of life we are. after all
And 1t Is fitting that the facts con.
corning this bloody battle shall be
gathered from indisputable sources
ana placed in orderly array before
tney nave become lost in the changes
wrought mot by time, but in time"
'hth III NhG It2IlI.
one very generally credited story OF
me SAND bar fight gives the number
of as fifteen, and the killed
as SIX; whereas, the fact is that only
twelve men We're actually upon the
sand bar at the time the fight took
place, and of them but two were
killed and two We're wounded. And
this is the evidence not of those who
merely heard about the conflict. but
OF eyeWltnesses and participants them
selves.
The battle was fought on September
Is, 1871 1t grew out of a duel be-
tween DIR. Thomas H. Maddox and
Samuel |. Wells. 1t came as an unex-
pected incident upon the heels OF the
bioodless and satisfactory
ment of the differences between the
principals after they had twice faced
each other upon the field of honor
n twice emptied their pistols at each
other at short range.
Among those who accompanied the
principals and econds to the scene of
the encounter were Richard Quincy
and Colonel Norris Wright. Quincy
was on unfriendly terms with Colonel
Grain, who was the second of DR..
MADDOX, and after the adjustment of
me trouble between Maddox and
Wells, cursed Grain, and advancing
with his pistol drawn, declared that
lhls was a good time to settle their
misunderstanding.
This act precipitated the general
z h which ensued. When it was all
over Quincy and Wright were dead
and Colonel Jim" Bowie and Alfred
Blanchard were wounded.
me affair gave rise to much talk
at the time, and many unfortunate
n unfounded rumors nose out OF il. ,
IT was natural that the affair should
be exaggerated, and it has developed
Int0 "a GfnrN thaf beapr hut for- -
marks of the original. The following
statement of the fight was written by
DIR. Thomas Fl. Maddox, one of the
principals in the duel which led to
the trouble. 1t was written in 1880,
ntteen years before the old doctor
died, at the age of ninety-six years.
DIR. Maddox was. as, indeed. all of
the participants of the light were, a
prominent citizen of Rapide parish.
La He was a man OF
strength of body and mind, and one OF
the most unqucstioncd courage. I'm
III almost the day of his death he pc
sisted in leading an active life. horse
back riding being his favorite pastime.
even after he had passed more than
ten.
Il am the only survivor of the
Twelve persons engaging in the Sand
Bar fight. and having seen lately
''@'hN nv louH accounts OF Mfldl Q
they call the Bowie Sand Bar Fight
and there being little truth in them
! am induced to give a true statement
OF the affair. as far as | saw 1t.
Some difficulty occurring between
myself and General Montfort Wells, or
from some other cause, which ! do
recollect at his time. induced
L. Wells to send me a very
offensive carte blanche which / ac-
cepted as a challenge and 1t was agreed
second; Norris Wright, Alfred
mat we should meet at Natchez and
settle the matter. each party leaving
Alexandria September 81, 1927.
of my party were r. A. Grain,
my %sencond; Norris Wright. Alfred
md Carey Blanchard, and myself. be-
hVe OF us in number. The oppos- 4
.ng party were Samuel l.. Wells. Nc e
w horter, his second; James Bowie, /
tichard Quincy. jefferson Wells and i
Quincy. making six of them in
lumber. Having arrived at Natchez,
called on DR.. Denny to be my sur
seon, who made number six of my
PARTY and making six of each party. Z
no more.
Terms of Duel. !
Having accepted the carte blanche 4
IS a challenge. | directed Colonel
ram, my second. to cal on Mr..
Wells and state my terms and mode
y combat, which were: To stand :
'lght PAGES right side to right side.
'lstols down, to be raised at the 4
Words Are YOU ready? Fire. one. 4
three the usual way in which
indicated their honor.
Mr.. Wells objected 10 my terms, +
stunned that he was the challenged
arty and had the right to name the
rms, as | was informed by my sec
Colonel Grain. WhereupOn I =
ild Colonel Grain to go back and get n
rs terms. as / waived my right. B
hich he did. They were: To stand q
~ side TO left side. pistols down,
no at word PREPARED we were 10
ilse our pistols i'm an opposite direc-
on from each other. and AT the word
liei We were to fire as we chose.
lired across my breast. q he
'eu | do not know. Two rounds Wefc
without effect. and the AFFAIR was
zen settled by AIR. S. l. Wells With
'awing all offensive language We
.ook hands and We're proceeding %
y friends Ia the edge ~ the woods
take a glass Of wine as "a cement,
Dr Denny and myself were e few
ICES ahead of the other members ~
q paftN when General Quincy
mes hoWie aud Jem CuneF came
NhluE down on us. frnffal Quincy
flnf in Colonel Grain thar fnIs NHa
5000 time o. settle fnrlr n~IfNNuluNH
unef ana James hNHlf drawing
qlonfl ffain eaH Hf "a F|anCf hlH
INtf Stood tINfHIIFI Dr. HINI fNN NNf
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