Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-08

San Antonio are ever eager to relate
concerning the prowess and romantic
adventures Of the famous Col. Bowie
who fell in the Alamo, both extra
ordinary good fortune and a charm
ed life would have to be attributed tc
that most remarkable character, says
a Caldwell, Texas, letter. He came
to Texas in search Of silver mines
buried treasures and adventures. He
commep ced his career in the fine Ole
city making romantic marriage with
a beautifu, Spanish girl, who was the
daughter of a celebrated envoy from
one of the Central American repub-
lies. At that time his fortunes de-
pended upon his valor and an un-
fiinching ambition to carve out fol
himself an honorable position with
the people, whom he easily foresaW
would soon establish q great republic
north Of the Rio Grande. BY some
means he had got possession Of a lo'
of old maps Of Western Texas, and
upon many Of these marked places
that had been abandoned for a hun
dred years. There were notes point
ing out localities where the old Span
iards had marked rich gold and silver
mines and short sketches disclosing
secrets concerning vast sums OF
buried treasure. Two Of the m ost i'm
portant Of these maps, and evident
ly the ones that Col. Bowie consid-
cred of the greatest value, are In the
possession Of an old Mexican lady In
San Antonio. They were In his bos-
om when he was lying on his cot In
the Alamo watching the final assault
Of Santa Annals columns. One OF
them was made by st. Denis. who was
one Of the earliest explorers Of the
wild region between the Rio Grande
and Red Rivers. He established him
self under the authority Of France In
the country in TIA. He was we'll
educated, bright, energetic young
fellow, very eager, like his success
sor, Col. Bowie, to find gold mine
In order that he might return to his
native country and repair the for
tunes Of his house. 1t is believed
that he succeeded beyond his widest
dreams, for he showed that he had
vast sums Of both gold and silver at
his command. He founded the town
of Nacogdoches and built the famous
Quartet, a large stone building, which
is still standing, though its walls bear
a thousand marks Of arrows, shot,
shell and ball that have rained
against its sides in hundred bat
ties. He also laid off the great road
500 feet wide and 800 miles long con-
Meeting the French settlements In
Louisiana with the Spanish province
of Coahuila, in Mexico. He must
have spent fifteen or twenty years Of
his life surveying, exploring, trading
with the Indians and hunting silver
mines. Before settling at Nacog-
doches he built a strong house OF
great cedar logs and rough stone In
the Guadalupe Mountains, some eight
miles west Of the locality afterward
selected for the Alamo Mission. He
frequently visited this place, ostensi-
bly, to trade with the Comanches, and
here in these wild, rugged mountains.
in a lonely old house that is still
standing, he was finally murdered by
a rowing band Of Natchez Indians
whom he mistook for Comanches.
This famous old house in some way
played an important part in both the
good and bad fortunes Of this re-
markable young man. Here he con-
cealed his beautiful young bride,
Sonora Donna Maria Villesecas.
when he was pursued by the assas-
sins Of Gov Anazna, Of Coahuila,
who was 80 desperately enamored Of
the brilliant young lady that he or
dered his minions to butcher St.
Denis and bring Donna Maria to his
palace. st. Denis always took with
him a faithful guard Of young braves
when he went to this old house, and
when he returned from the place he
never failed to bring train Of ponies
packed with bullion and bar silver.
It is we'll known that his wife made
no secret Of her belief that her hus-
band had people employed in work.
ing a rich silver mine somewhere in
the mountains not far from this old
house. It is probable that st. Denis
was alone when surprised and muir
dered. His faithful band Of braves
followed the Natchez Indians for 200
miles to a crossing on the Brazos,
where they fell furiously upon the
assassins and slew them to a man.
Donna Maria returned to Mexico
with a long train Of pack mules
loaded with the largest amount of
bar silver that ever entered the gates
Of Monclava. Later on she visited
Spain, where she was celebrated for
her great beauty, her magnificent
Jewels and the Oriental splendor OF
her establishment in Madrid. 1t is
known that she married a. distin-
guished American envoy and that
one Of the proudest and most opulent
families in Baltimore are the direct
descendants of the extraordinary
woman who spent many days and
nights in this lone old log fortress
in the Guadalupe Mountains.
Old Nine. Candelario. who Is still
living, says that she has talked with
many old people who knew Donna
Maria very we'll. Talked with q
woman born in 16sS-just 200 years
ago! Who might Donna Maria have
talked with? Easily she might have
listened to an old woman who had
touched hands with the son of man
who had sailed with Columbus. II
does not take many old people tc
carry the news through the centuries
after all.
Possibly Col. Bowie secured his
old maps through his wife, who was
said to have been very intimate with
the Villesecas family, who settled
near the Alamo in very early times