This made Bowie a hero to those Texans who favored independence, although it is not necessarily what Bowie intended, as he had a Mexican wife and a lot of money in land in Mexican Texas. The Bowies had two children during their brief marriage; Marie, born in 1832, and James, born in 1833. San Antonio was a city of about 2,500 residents, most of them Mexican. [99] Santa Anna and his army began a siege of the Alamo on February 24. Early British rock'n'roll star Wee Willie Harris died yesterday (27) at the age . ThoughtCo, May. [40], Newspapers picked up the story and named it the Sandbar Fight, describing in detail Bowie's fighting prowess and his unusual knife. In the antebellum South, two commodities could lead to wealth and respectability land and slaves. She would soon die tragically of cholera, along with her parents. The Mexicans encouraged American settlement in part to help quell the raids of the Indians in the vast territory. Bowie was a born leader, never needlessly spending a bullet or imperiling a life. Thus, Bowie had allied himself to one of the most powerful families in Texas and with the Tejano community. James "Jim" Bowie (pronounced BOO-ee; April 1796 - March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer. Bowies prowess with the knife at the brawl became a backcountry legend quickly, and blacksmiths and armorers began marketing knives which they claimed were the style Bowie used at the Sandbar fight. Spanish was the language of the residents and the citys administration. Athena Hessong, Texas Hill Country. Santa Anna later rescinded the parole, and most of the Mexican troops returned to San Antonio later in the winter. Why James Bowie chose to ignore the orders of General Houston and remain at the Alamo is another mystery which has long been disputed. Bowie raced to join them. During his absences, Ursula lived in the Monclova mansion owned by her father. In late October 1835, they laid siege to San Antonio, where Bowie's contacts among the population proved extremely beneficial. [100], Bowie and Travis began sending out couriers with pleas for provisions and assistance. Bowie appeared to be a man of wealth, though he frequently had little money for expenses. The following year he returned to land speculation and was appointed a land commissioner tasked with promoting settlement. On February 17, 1836, the Mexican Army under Santa Anna entered Texas. According to the reporter's version of Rose's account, when Travis realized that the Mexican army would likely prevail, he drew a line in the sand and asked those willing to die for the cause to cross the line. This militia group would later become known as the Texas Rangers. Spears (2000), p.184. Bowie heard the tales of wealth to be had for the digging and was intrigued. Before long he had acquired title to thousands of acres throughout Louisiana and Arkansas Territory. The latter was the alcade of San Antonio, equivalent to a Mayor with virtually unlimited powers regarding administration of the city. After fighting off a vicious Tawakoni attack while searching for a silver mine, Bowie won even more fame as a tough frontiersman. [29] On August 2, 1832, he joined a group of other Texans and marched into Nacogdoches to "present their demands" to Piedras. William Barrett Travis (1809 - 1836) - Genealogy During the war, Pierre was arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed in New Orleans for various illegal activities. . His officers rejected the idea by vote and Austin resigned from command. In 1899, Walter Worthington Bowie published a book called The Bowies and Their Kindred which states the following on page 259: Bowie fought in several skirmishes, including the interception of a column which became known as the Grass Fight. [114] Alcalde Ruiz said that Bowie was found "dead in his bed. In 1829, he became engaged to Cecilia Wells, but she died in Alexandria on September 29, two weeks before they were to be married. Sally Reeves, New Orleans French Quarter. At Bowie's request, Crockett and several others carried his cot over the line, leaving Rose alone on the other side. "[117] Although Bowie's name and knife were well known during his lifetime, his legend grew after October 1852, when DeBow's Review published an article written by his brother, John Jones Bowie, called, "Early Life in the SouthwestThe Bowies." "[72], The following year, the Mexican government passed new laws allowing sale of land in Texas, and Bowie returned to land speculation. James Black (blacksmith) The presence of a silver-rich vein of ore was the subject of discussion in San Antonio and the other Texas settlements as early as 1753. His voice is still ringing in my old deaf ears as he repeatedly admonished us. Bowie and his brothers bought enslaved people who had been smuggled, declared that they had "found" them, and kept the money when they were sold at auction. [84] In early January 1836, Bowie went to San Felipe and asked the council to allow him to recruit a regiment. Bowie joined lawyer William B. Travis, who had done legal work for him in the past, in a group of Americans who called themselves the War Party. [56] With his citizenship assured, Bowie had the right to buy up to 11leagues of public land. In late October 1835, an army of men led by Stephen F. Austin and James Fannin, which included Bowie, marched on San Antonio, where Bowies contacts among the population proved extremely helpful. Maria Ursala Bowie (de Veramendi) (1811 - 1833) - Genealogy Two children were born to this union. But the Indians suffered more losses, reportedly 40 dead and 30 wounded, and soon fled the area. The etch may have been done by Doris Welsh of Sheffield, who was an etcher at Wade & Butcher, if I remember correctly. In Mexico, political factions were divided over the issues of a centralist government or localized control in the various states. When the principles exchanged shots, neither hit the other, but all hell broke loose. Others have since claimed Crockett was captured or surrendered, only to be executed on the order of Santa Anna. Bowie joined his force there, appointed to Austins staff as a Colonel of Volunteers. (future wife of James Bowie). [97][98] Bowie had been ill, and twodoctors, including the fort surgeon, were unable to diagnose his illness. [109] After first ordering that Bowie be buried, as he was too brave a man to be burned like a dog,[110] Santa Anna later had Bowie's body placed with those of the other Texians on the funeral pyre. On February 8 Colonel David Crockett of Tennessee arrived with another dozen men. Bowies award of Mexican citizenship was contingent upon him building textile mills to process wool and cotton in Texas, and the partners established a mill in Saltillo. Relying on his old skills, Bowie speculated in Texas lands. The knife he left us, which bears his name, ranks with the Kentucky rifle and the Colt Peacemaker as an iconic. ThoughtCo. Bowie and Lafitte worked out a profitable scam regarding the importation of slaves at New Orleans. Wee Willie Harris - Photo: Derek Berwin/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. Library of Congress. He would not find out about the deaths until November. The situation then descended into the Battle of Nacogdoches, often called the first shot of the Texas Revolution. Texas rushed to create an Army to repel Santa Annas invasion in 1836. [89] Travis became the sole commander of the forces when Bowie was confined to bed. Best Known For: Jim Bowie was a fighter in Texas Revolution who died during the defense of the Alamo. Hopewell (1994), p. 119. Contrary to popular belief, he did not invent the knife which bears his name. [29][79] He distinguished himself again in the Grass Fight on November 26. [10] His father was wounded while fighting in the American Revolutionary War, and in 1782 he married Elve, the young woman who nursed him back to health. [51] For the next 18 months, Bowie traveled through Louisiana and Mississippi. What began as a duel between two other men deteriorated into a mle in which Bowie, having been shot and stabbed, killed the sheriff of Rapides Parish with a large knife. Wikimedia. Long was imprisoned by the Spanish after the failure of the second expedition; eventually, he was shot and killed by a guard. Slavery was then essential to the operation of large plantations and their labor-intensive crops. He also searched for a lost silver mine thought to be located near the ruins of an old Spanish mission, Santa Cruz de San Sba. James was born in Logan County,Kentucky, on April 10, 1796, to Rezin Bowie, Sr., and Elve Catesby Jones Bowie. It has been generally accepted lore for over a century that James Bowie's wife was Jeanne Mirabeau, to the extent that history books have it and there is a Find-a-Grave virtual grave set up for her with James Bowie. Bowie, as a Mexican citizen, had the right to apply for land grants on his own, but they were limited to eleven leagues per individual (the Spanish league was used as a measurement of area, approximately 4,400 acres). James and Ursula were married in 1831. Lacking the capital required to buy large tracts,[25] in 1818 they entered into a partnership with pirate Jean Lafitte. [12][20] In June 1819, he joined the Long Expedition, an effort to liberate Texas from Spanish rule. In 1829 he proposed marriage to Cecilia Wells of Alexandria, Louisiana. "[89], On February 3, Davy Crockett appeared with thirtyTennesseans. Bowie's older brother John recorded his birth date as March 10, 1796. In the ensuing fighting, the Texians suffered only a few casualties, including Milam, while the Mexican army lost many troops to death and desertion. He enlisted to fight in the War of 1812but joined too late to see any action. There, he discovered that a Mexican law of 1828 offered its citizens 11 league grants (a league was 4,428.4 acres) in Texas for $100 to $250 each. For years historians have puzzled over the exact nature of his illness, most agreeing that it was some form of pneumonia. [49] The 1824 Constitution of Mexico banned religions other than Roman Catholicism and gave preference to Mexican citizens in receiving land. He became an American folk hero and the "Bowie Knife" is named after him. By 1830 Bowie had moved to Texas, staying one step ahead of his creditors back in Louisiana. Bowie then moved on to San Antonio after taking an oath of allegiance to the Mexican government. On October 28, the Battle of Concepcin, which occurred on the grounds of Mission Concepcin, two miles south of San Antonio, was fought. But he also gave $2m (1.6m) to his personal assistant Corinne "Coco" Schwab. The slaves, rendered legal property by the purchase from customs, were then sold upriver to plantations in Mississippi, where they received a considerably higher price than in New Orleans. James Rezin Bowie (1796 - 1836) - Genealogy A newspaper article claimed that a Mexican soldier saw Bowie carried from his room on his cot, alive, after the conclusion of the battle. Iman, 67, looks as youthful as ever while attending the Gucci launch at In January 1836, Jim Bowie was in charge of the group of volunteers at the garrison of the Alamo. Bowie engaged Mexican patrols during his mission, driving them back. Wikimedia. It was his prowess with the knife which forever linked his name to it, though there is considerable evidence that his skill, and his penchant for using it, were greatly exaggerated. Although Bowie had never been a teetotaler, following the death of his family he drank far more heavily. by Refugio de la Garza, parish priest of the city. A prominent Ottawa lawyer who was accused late last year of sexual misconduct is now facing criminal charges. Bowie, on business in Natchez, did not hear of his family's deaths until November. At about this same time, Texians began agitating for war against President Santa Anna, with Bowie and William B. Travis among the agitators. James Bowie was born in Kentucky in 1796 and was raised in present-day Missouri and Louisiana. Most Tejanos were Catholic, spoke Spanish, and were opposed to slavery. Keep undercover, boys, and reserve your fire; we havent a man to spare., Noah Smithwick, volunteer soldier in the Battle of Concepcin. He married Veramendi in 1831 and took up residence in San Antonio. Maria Ursula Veramendi Bowie (1811-1833) - Find a James took an oath of allegiance to Mexico on February 20 and then proceeded to San Antonio, Texas, where he once again presented his letter of introduction towealthy and influential Mexicans. [68][69] Although much of the military supported the administration of President Anastasio Bustamante, Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna led an insurrection against him in 1832. [36][37] Other members of the groups, who had various reasons for disliking each other, began fighting. He was granted permission, but the government refused to fund the expedition. His death on March 6, 1836, however, ensured his place in history as one of Texas' most interesting figures. Historians disagree about what illness he suffered from. From 1956 to 1958, Bowie was the subject of a CBS television series, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, which was primarily set in 1830s Louisiana, although later episodes ventured into the Mexican province of Texas. He left Saltillo with about 15 of these grants. Saskatchewan judge orders release of sisters jailed for 30 years for a murder they say they didn't. Nerissa and Odelia Quewezance's conviction is currently under review by the federal Minister of Justice for a possible miscarriage of justice. One of Bowies men Tom McCaslin was killed, and two were wounded. "Biography of James 'Jim' Bowie." He then partnered with Juan Martn de Veramendi to build cotton and wool mills in Saltillo. In November 1831, James and Rezin Bowie led a party of nine other men to the Indian country to the west. [48], In 1828, after recovering from the wounds he received in the Sandbar Fight, Bowie decided to move to Coahuila y Texas, at that time a state in the Mexican federation. In the late 1820s, Bowie and his brother John were involved in a major Arkansas court case over land speculation. The Veramendi household was particularly hard-hit. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Bowie was once again hailed a hero. This, and other stories of Bowie's prowess with a knife, led to the widespread popularity of the Bowie knife. 72,182. films have depicted the events of the Battle of the Alamo, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Bowie&oldid=1144426869, This page was last edited on 13 March 2023, at 18:23. [75] One of the men under Bowie's command during the battle later praised him "as a born leader, never needlessly spending a bullet or imperiling a life, who repeatedly admonished Keep under cover boys, and reserve your fire; we haven't a man to spare. Alamo.com. How many children did James Bowie have? - Answers James Long was a Virginia-born adventurer who resided in Natchez in 1819. He played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. Tragically, his wife, children and in-laws all died in a cholera epidemic in 1833. Bowie had supported Wright's opponent in the race for sheriff, and Wright, a bank director, had been instrumental in turning down a Bowie loan application. University of Texas. 6970. In the meantime, the Bowie brothers sold the Arcadia sugar plantation, other landholdings, and 82 slaves for $90,000 in March 1831. The Mexican troops eventually rebelled against their commander and surrendered to the Texans. Unknown to Long was that Lafitte was at the time a spy in the employ of the Spanish authorities. Santa Anna ordered the shelling of the Alamo, but the Texans refused to surrender. Wiki User. The Mexican government finally passed laws in 1834 and 1835 that stopped much land speculation. The Bowie Knife, as it came to be called, gained its reputation the following year in the hands of James near Natchez in an incident known as the Sand Bar Fight. Santa Anna responded to the rumblings by ordering large numbers of Mexican troops to Texas. [122], Rock star David Bowie, who was born David Robert Jones, adopted the folk legend's surname. $1,800 came from his business partner (and new father-in-law) and another $750 was provided by the brides grandmother. [86] They found a force of 104men with a few weapons and a few cannons, but not many supplies and little gunpowder. James Bowie's death at the Battle of the Alamo is legendary in American history. On November 19 they camped about six miles east of the San Saba River, where war parties attacked them. Conclusion If one wishes to remember Bowie as a tragic hero falling from a parapet and contracting tuberculosis, there is a very slight chance that this occurred. The Long Expedition managed to seize some territory in Texas including Nacogdoches before Spanish troops from Mexico drove them out. Online, Texian Iliad A Military History of the Texas Revolution. He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. Rezin Bowie, brother of James, left the first documented account of his brother using a knife similar to the modern Bowie knife. Confined to his cot, Bowie was not actively involved for the rest of the siege, other than to die in the final assault on March 6, 1836. Eventually, the stories had the mine at several locations, including on the San Saba River. [72], Several months later, a cholera epidemic struck Texas. Harris Gaylord Warren, Texas State Historical Association. November 1, 2017, Jim Bowie. In 1817 Jean was sent to Galveston Island, then part of Spanish Texas. [18] After mustering out of the militia, Bowie settled in Rapides Parish. The Mexican Army, commanded by Mexican General Santa Anna, showed up in late February. [29], The Anglos in Texas began agitating for war against Santa Anna, and Bowie worked with William B. Travis, the leader of the War Party, to gain support. Wright shot at and missed the prone Bowie, who returned fire and possibly hit Wright. After capturing Nacogdoches, the group encountered little resistance and declared Texas an independent republic. Bowie led an expedition to find the lost San Saba mine, during which his small party repelled an attack by a large Native American raiding party. James Bowie Bowie traveled throughout Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi during the ensuing two years, engaging in land speculation and enhancing his reputation as a rugged and daring man of the frontier. On September 19, 1827, Bowie was involved in the legendary Sandbar Fight in Natchez, Mississippi. Disheartened, the Mexicans fled back to San Antonio. [55], Bowie renounced his American citizenship and became a Mexican citizen on September 30, 1830, after promising to establish textile mills in the state of Coahuila y Tejas. It was in country inhabited, and jealously guarded, by Indians. The battle lasted until March 6, 1836, when all the remaining 188 defenders, including James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and William Travis, were killed. His home in San Antonio, which had been built on land given him by his father-in-law, was empty. Ron Soodalter, Kentucky Monthly. They moved a couple of more times before finally settling in southeastern Louisiana. The joint command was unworkable from the start. The ashes were interred at the Cathedral of San Fernando. The remaining Mexican troops were marched under guard, commanded by Bowie, to San Antonio, where they were released and sent home. Had he followed orders, the post would have been destroyed and the men who fought there, as well as those who were massacred at Goliad, would have joined Houstons main force to the north. The title of Indian fighter only added to his reputation. Bowie renounced his American citizenship and became a Mexican citizen on September 30, 1830. [65] He set out again the following month, with a larger force, but returned home empty-handed after .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}2+12 months of searching. In the meantime, a party of friendly Comanche rode into San Antonio, bringing word of the attack, and citizens believed the members of the Bowie expedition must have perished. The Battle of Concepcin and the Capture of San Antonio. James Bowie had two children, by his wife Ursula. When Wright attempted to retrieve his blade by placing his foot on Bowie's chest and tugging, Bowie pulled him down and disemboweled Wright with his large knife.