Year: 1860

/
tc the parties Rowie's partisan was named


Wells, the name of the other re not recollect


As there might be some danger Of interrap-


ton if they attempted to hight in the State,


they resolved to transfer the decision of the
matter to Mississippi and selected the famous
Sand Bar near Natches as the locality: Of


course the fghting .aen Of beth parties felt 6
deep interest in the decision, and to the num-
her Of about twenty on each side, they deter.


mined to go down and see it. 1t does not ap-


pear that they had any intention Cf engaging
IL general set-tO when they went indeed,


He hare heard that the reverse was the


fact, and that before starting they agreed that
neither COL Bowie nor Col. Crane were to be


of the party. We have heard, moreover, that


Col. Crane cut across the country in a single


chair and arrifed at Matches before the duel


lists, while Col Bowie took the rext boat after


that which had carried them, and falling in


with another boat going up the Mississippi got


on board OF it. The weapons with which the


latter was armed, were hint-lockpd pocket


pistol and knife eleven inches long in the


blade and three quarters of an inch wide. 1t


had one edge, sharp point, and wooden


handle handle, and was, altogether, a very


prlmitime sort Of weapon, not in the least re-


Sembling those formidable instruments which


cutlerS have since manufactured in such large


quantities for the Southern market 1t be-


onged to his brother, Col Rein Bowie who


had it made by blacksmith living in the Par


ISL OF RapideS, for the purpose Of cutting


cane.


The two daelists had exchanged couple of


shots without injury to either partY-a recon


all l,.I y Il.


they were sitting under 4 tree, drinking 4
julcp-when up from the river came one par


", headed by Col Crane, and down from the


woods came the other party, headed by James


Bowie. They met on the spot where the duel


had lust been fnnuht anA Col Re,-;O said a


Col. Crane, or Col. Crane said TO Col. Bowie,
(lhere are different versions Of the story.
This is as good q time TO settle all our diff
cultes az any other The reply, we presume,
sgnfed assent for Gel Crane Immediately
drew two pistols. and holding one in each hand.
fired with The right upon James Bowie, wound
ing him severely, and with the left upon Gen.
Cunev--whC was standing tv BCwia-strkine
him in the thigh, and cutting the femoral ar
tery so that he bled TO death before the sur
gcou could get the toarniquet on him Bowie,
though wounded, Immediately made at Crane
Crane, being greatly inferior in strength, and
having no other weapon, retreated. Bowie
pursued, swapping his pistol at Crane, until
the latter suddenly wheeled about aud threw
one af his discharged weapons at Bowie, Strjk-
ing him in the forehead with such violence
that that he fell. Attempting to rise, the
sand being very deep, he sank into it, and
gave time 10 one of the other party to come
up and shoot him through both thighs before
he could get to his feet The fight having,
by this time, become general, he was shot a
third time but had risen to 4 sitting posture,
when he saw nr. Wright approaching him
with q SwOrd-CaGe. As Wright was bis mortal
enemy, and had attempted to kill him once
before. he very well understood his object now
He lay down, therefore, on his back, and
Wright standing over him, endeavored 70 run
the swOvd through him In this be did not
succeed, Bowie drawing himself up so that the
weapon passed through his clothes, and sunk
deep into the sand, without doing him any
farther injury than i-djcting q mere scratch on
his side. AS Wright was STOPPING in the act
of driving the sword through Bowie, iaS be
hoped, the latter seized him by the collar,
drew the knife we have described, and, with
the speed Of lightning, plunged it into his
heart, turned it entirely around in the wound,
aud drew it cut. Tradition, in Alexandria, f.
twenty years ago, said that the blow was SO
violeut as TO cut several Of the ribs entirely !
in two. The fight around Bowie-whom it /
was the principal object of the other party TO
for some time. and several 9TH
er persons were severely wounded but CuneY .
lnd Wright were the only persons killed dead .
on the spot.


Two gentlemen were pointed ont to rs, in /
twelve years after the occurrence, /
as having been wounded in the great fight on |
the Sand Bar.


When we were in New Orleans in the rear .
1910, there appeared 10 some New York pa
per what purported to be a narrative of a .
bloody duel fought by Col Bowie in Texas
with three Mexicans. Gel Rein Bowie hap
Dened to be in New Orleans at the time, re-
sented it violently He evidently thought
that his name had acquired an infamous noto-
-ietv, bY its association with the muFderous ia.
strument to which it gives title He there
fore published card in the New Orleans Pic
zvuRs, in which be made the statement with .
regard to the knife used by his brother, which
be made the statement with regard TO the
knife used by his brother, which we publish /.
above He said cutters had exerted their in
genuity to invent murderous weapon, and
bad given his brothers name to it. He pro-
nouCced the tales about his brother infamous
lies, and said that the fight at the Sand Bar
was the only private combat in which be had
ever been engaged His brother had never,
be said, invented any sort of knife for the ppr.
pose of taking human life. He ended By de-
,laring his intention to call to account any /
editor or publisher who should give publiea- /
ton to any more ISLANDERS of the kind, no mat
ter in what part of the country be might re-
side


To make an end Of our story, Col. Bowie