According to his older brother, John, James Bowie was born in Logan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1796. [87] Houston knew that there were not enough men to hold the fort in an attack, and he gave Bowie authority to remove the artillery and blow up the fortification. [99] Santa Anna and his army began a siege of the Alamo on February 24. The Mexican army raised a red flag to warn the defenders that no quarter would be given. [21][16] [83] Bowie celebrated his appointment by getting very drunk and causing havoc in San Antonio, releasing all prisoners in the local jails and harassing citizens. Just a little information for thought. At the time of Bowie's birth, his father owned eight enslaved African Americans, eleven head of cattle, seven horses, and one stud horse. The citizens of San Antonio believed the members of the Bowie expedition must have perished, and Ursula Bowie began wearing widow's weeds. [5], Upon the death of his father in 1821, James and his brothers, John and Rezin Jr., bought and sold slaves illegally through pirated slave ships in the Caribbean, in partnership with the notorious pirate and war hero, Jean Laffite. BORN IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. [16] From the marriage notice: "D[on] Santiago Buy con D[o]a Ursula de Veramendi. Bowie, on business in Natchez, did not hear of his family's deaths until November. Davy Crockett Surrendered?! Jim Bowie, a Slave Trader?! Sam Houston, a Bexar County Martha Bowie Sterret (1791 - 1845)* Alan Ladd plays Bowie in The Iron Mistress, a 1952 film that begins near Bayou Sara in 1825 and ends with his marriage to Ursula Veramendi (Phyllis Kirk) and therefore never shows the Battle of the Alamo. After the carnage was over and the heroes of this modern Thermopylae had all been slain, their corpses were burned by the savage Santa Ana, who lost in the eight days fight against one hundred and eighty-five men, more than two thousand of his best troops. Later he reportedly engaged in the slave trade with his brothers John and Rezin. Six miles (10km) from their goal, the group stopped to negotiate with a large raiding partyreportedly more than 120 Tawakoni and Waco, plus another 40 Caddo. [28][35][63] In the meantime, a party of friendly Comanche rode into San Antonio bringing word of the raiding party, which outnumbered the Bowie expedition by 14 to 1. [53] The couple had two children, Marie Elve, born March 20, 1832, and James Veramendi, born July 18, 1833. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. The Texians returned fire and, after the cavalry retreated, initiated a siege of the garrison. [64], The following year the Mexican government passed new laws allowing land sale in Texas, and Bowie returned to land speculation. In disposition he is represented as cool, determined and enterprising. Marie Elve Bowie (1832 - 1833)* We will remember him forever. as his name became a terror throughout the Southwest to threaten reckless class of law-breakers who infest a new country. [74] The Mexican troops quickened their pace in the hopes of reaching the safety of the city, but Bowie and his cavalry chased them. He spent most of his life in Louisiana, where he was raised and where he later worked as a land speculator. [70] Two days later, Bowie resigned from Austin's army because he did not have an official commission in the army, and he disliked the "minor tasks of scouting and spying". [29], Shortly after his marriage, Bowie became fascinated with the story of the "lost" Los Almagres Mine (also known as the lost San Saba Mine and the lost Bowie Mine), said to be northwest of San Antonio, near the ruin of the Spanish Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba. James Bowie became proficient with pistol, rifle, and knife,Hopewell (1994), p. 7 . WIKITREE PROTECTS MOST SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT ONLY TO THE EXTENT STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICY. Dr. James Bowie, Family Medicine | Westminster, CO | WebMD IMPORTANT LINKS. Erected by The City of Opelousas and the Opelousas Historic . [42] In a letter to The Planter's Advocate, his brother Rezin claimed to have designed the knife. Logan County James Resin Bowie (1796-1836) FamilySearch Already confined to his cot by illness, Bowie was killed with the other defenders when the Alamo finally fell to numerically superior Mexican forces. [13], Bowie and his brother John were involved in a major court case in the late 1820s over their land speculation. All contemporaries of this noted man agree that not withstanding his reputation as a duelist, he never provoked a quarrel in his life, but on the contrary, prevented man. Prior to James' birth, Rezin had moved the family from Tennessee, where he had operated a gristmill. [12][20][29] The plantation became known as a model operation, but on February 12, 1831, they sold it and 65slaves for $90,000. Witness accounts agreed that Bowie did not attack first, and the other combatants had focused their attack on Bowie because "they considered him the most dangerous man among their opposition. "[106] One year after the battle, Juan Seguin returned to the Alamo and gathered the remaining ashes from the funeral pyre. Bowie is a Scottish and Irish surname.The name can be derived from the Gaelic nickname buidhe, meaning "yellow", "fair-haired".The surname can also be an Anglicised form of the Irish surname Buadhaigh; [better source needed] this surname means "descendant of Buadhach" and is also rendered as Bogue and Boyce. [86] They found a force of 104men with a few weapons and a few cannons, but not many supplies and little gunpowder. Bowie commanded a group of volunteers. [63], After hearing that the Mexican army commander in Nacogdoches, Jos de las Piedras, had demanded that all residents in his area surrender their arms, Bowie cut short a visit to Natchez in July 1832 to return to Texas. He married Margaret Frances Neville on 15 September 1814, in Louisiana, United States. [101] After first ordering that Bowie be buried, as he was too brave a man to be burned like a dog,[102] Santa Anna later had Bowie's body placed with those of the other Texians on the funeral pyre. An unyielding adversary he pursued unrelentingly, but was ever ready to forgive when properly approached. James Bowie was born near Terrapin Creek (now Spring Creek) where it crosses Bowie's Mill Road (Turnertown Road), nine miles northwest of Franklin, Logan County (now Simpson County), Kentucky, probably on April 10, 1796.He was the son of Reason (or Rezin) and Elve Ap-Catesby Jones (or Johns) Bowie. The Bowies first settled in Georgia and then moved to Kentucky. Crain killed Cuney and shot Bowie through the hip. Bowie visited several Native American villages in East Texas in an attempt to persuade the reluctant tribes to fight against the Mexican government. He took him to pop concerts and bought Bowie a . Half brother of James Bowie, (Free Man of Color). James Bowie | The Alamo Other areas assembled similar volunteer militias, and Bowie commanded a group of the volunteers. He convinced fourteen or fifteen other citizens to apply for land in order to turn it over to him, giving him 700,000 acres (280,000 ha) for speculation. [38], After the Sandbar Fight and subsequent battles in which Bowie successfully used his knife to defend himself, the Bowie knife became very popular. Jim grew up in Ware Shoals, SC. James Bowie, byname Jim Bowie, (born 1796?, Logan County, Ky., U.S.died March 6, 1836, San Antonio, Texas), popular hero of the Texas Revolution (183536) who is mainly remembered for his part in the Battle of the Alamo (FebruaryMarch 1836). James Bowie - The Wild West [49] The 1824 Constitution of Mexico banned religions other than Roman Catholicism and gave preference to Mexican citizens in receiving land. Despite conflicting accounts of the manner of his death, the "most popular, and probably the most accurate"[1] accounts maintain that he died in his bed after emptying his pistols into several Mexican soldiers. THIS IS AN ERROR. Groce's farm on the Brazos River was near Hempstead, Texas, which is a 2 hour & 38 minute drive by car & over 150 miles away as the crow flies from Nacogdoches. [42] The 1824 Constitution of Mexico banned religions other than Roman Catholicism and gave preference to Mexican citizens in receiving land. StephenF. Austin formed an army of 500men to march on the Mexican forces in San Antonio with the cannon that had precipitated the fight. Or at least I found them in Texas doing land speculation. I. The below builds outline which skill books and equipment refines you should use depending on your requirements. 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. [13] Louisiana's population was growing rapidly, and the brothers hoped to take advantage of its rising land prices through speculation. [2] Historian Raymond Thorp gave his birth date as April 10, but Thorp did not provide any documentation for that date. [21][22] The group encountered little resistance and, after capturing Nacogdoches, declared Texas an independent republic. In 1827, he was in a brawl in Mississippi which resulted in his being wounded and several men killed. On February 2, Bowie wrote the Governor, urging that Bexar be held. Anne Henderson 1772 - 1855. James Bowie (A), 59 Public Records - Memphis Tennessee James married Margaret Belle Bowie (born Laughlin) on month day 1916, at age 34 at marriage place. After learning that Santa Anna had 4,500 troops and was heading for the city,[80] Bowie wrote several letters to the provisional government asking for help in defending the Alamo, especially "men, money, rifles, and cannon powder". This provider currently accepts 31 insurance plans including Medicare and Medicaid. The Arkansas Superior Court received 126 claims in late 1827 from residents who claimed to have purchased land in former Spanish grants from the Bowie brothers. The latter, clubbing his empty pistol , dealt such a terrific blow upon Bowie's head as to bring him to his knees and break the weapon. Margaret was born on July 27 1892, in Paris, Texas, Lamar County. Cs had sent approximately 187men to cut grass for his horses. [68] Before the group reached the building housing the town officials, they were attacked by a force of 100Mexican cavalry. Children. It will help your ground troops get to the enemy quicker and give them . Stories of him as a fighter and frontiersman, both real and fictitious, have made him a legendary figure in Texas history and a folk hero of American culture. [60] Before the group reached the building housing the town officials, they were attacked by a force of 100 Mexican cavalry. [108] His larger legacy is his position as "one of the legendary characters of the American frontier". In 1827, Bowie was embroiled in the so called Sandbar Fight which marked his first notable use of the heavy bladed knife that would be named for him; he gained a reputation as a formidable knife fighter. [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. Stephen BOWIE was born in 1797 in Elliott Springs, Tennessee. [62] Anglo colonists in Texas supported Santa Anna and General Jos Antonio Mexa, who led soldiers into Texas to oust commanders loyal to Bustamante. "[46] Bowie's fame, and that of his knife, spread to Great Britain, and by the early 1830s, many British manufacturers were producing Bowie knives for shipment to the United States. There he hunted, fished, rode wild horses, and rode alligators. [13] After Lafitte captured slaves from ships in his pirating activities out in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bowies bought them at times from Lafitte. [50] Bowie was baptized into the Roman Catholic faith in San Antonio on April 28, 1828, sponsored by the alcalde (chief administrator) of the town, Juan Martn de Veramendi, and his wife, Josefa Navarro. A number of films have depicted the events of the Battle of the Alamo,[120] and Bowie has appeared as a character in each. Jim Bowie Research Paper. Site of Bowie Residence Historical Marker - hmdb.org James is 17 degrees from Jennifer Aniston, 20 degrees from Drew Barrymore, 20 degrees from Candice Bergen, 23 degrees from Alexandre Dumas, 16 degrees from Carrie Fisher, 30 degrees from Whitney Houston, 19 degrees from Hayley Mills, 18 degrees from Liza Minnelli, 15 degrees from Lisa Presley, 21 degrees from Kiefer Sutherland, 18 degrees from Bill Veeck and 22 degrees from Brian Nash on our single family tree. Wright's friends intervened and stopped the attack, after which Bowie resolved to carry his hunting knife at all times. The attempts at parley failed, and Bowie and his group fought for their lives for the next 13hours. Spears (2000), p.184. The family moved to what eventually became Missouri in 1800 before settling in Bushley Bayou in Spanish Louisiana in 1802. In 1802, they moved south to Spanish Louisiana, where they settled on Bushley Bayou in what soon became Rapides Parish. Bowie was forced to flee Monclova and return to the Anglo areas of Texas. Other areas assembled similar volunteer militias. In later years Bowie and Crain became reconciled, and, each having great respect for the other, remained friends until death. James U. Bowie - UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB) UCLA Home DGSOM Life Sciences Home About Home Areas Admissions Faculty Training & Development News & Events Resources James U. Bowie Email: bowie@mbi.ucla.edu Phone: 1 (310) 206-4748 Laboratory Address: Paul Boyer Hall 659 Work Address: Paul Boyer Hall 655 Work Phone Number: For eight days the little band found day and night, often hand to hand with their savage assailants. Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Barret Travis, and a bunch of their friends come to Texas to start new lives, suddenly realize they are being oppressed by the Mexican dictator Santa Anna, and. Later, they lived in Missouri, and finally settled in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, where he grew up. Jim Bowie, fmc - oocities.org Enter a grandparent's name. [4][10], James floated lumber down the rivers to be marketed in Avoyelles and Rapides parishes. Andrew Bowie 1845 - 1912. By then, the United States had outlawed the importation of slaves from Africa. He then could legally transport the slaves and resell them at a greater market value in New Orleans or areas farther up the Mississippi River. Left without evidence, they declined to pursue the lawsuit. Jim Bowie Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous Birthdays By On March 6, 1836, Bowie became an. So much has been said and written of this famous man that it is difficult to separate the false from the true in narrating his eventful career. Bowie was shot in the hip; after regaining his feet he drew a knife, described as a butcher knife, and charged his attacker. [26] After a confrontation in Alexandria one afternoon, Wright fired a shot at Bowie. General Houston had directed Colonel Bowie to raise a company and cooperate with his advance against Santa Anna. Stephen F. Austin formed an army of 500 men to march on the Mexican forces in San Antonio with the cannon that had precipitated the fight. Both Bowie, Texas and Bowie County, Texas are named in honor of Jim Bowie. Ground PvP. Born in Kentucky, Bowie spent most of his life in Louisiana, where he was raised and later worked as a land speculator. Bowie and eighteen companions ambushed the fleeing army and, after Piedras fled, marched the soldiers back to Nacogdoches. Bowie also lied about his age, claiming to be 30 rather than 35. It was erected by the Grand Lodge. 10, 1796 [96] Thirty-five years after the Alamo fell, a reporter identified Louis "Moses" Rose as the only man to have "deserted" the Texian forces at the Alamo. [54], After obtaining permission from the Mexican government to mount an expedition into Indian territory to search for the legendary silver mine, Bowie, his brother Rezin, and nine others set out for San Saba on November 2, 1831. Biography of James 'Jim' Bowie, American Frontiersman - ThoughtCo He also invested in property on the Bayou Boeuf. This build is ideal for players who are very ground heavy. Every man sold his life desperately. PolitiFact: These two Texas heroes had ties to slavery Maddox, of Charles County, Maryland; Maj. Morris Wright, of Baltimore; Col. Robert A. Carin of Fauquier County,Virginia; Alfred and Edward Cary Blanchard, of Norfolk, Virginia (The latter the father of Senator N.C. Blanchard,) And Dr. Denny, composed the leaders of the two parties. San Rafael Hospital team in 2021, and serves as a family medicine physician in our Rural Health Clinic. Fact from Texas Historical Society. He stopped at Nacogdoches, at Jared E. Groce's farm on the Brazos River, and in San Felipe, where he presented a letter of introduction from Thomas F. McKinney, one of the Old Three Hundred colonists, to Stephen F. Austin. "[34] The fight cemented Bowie's reputation across the South as a superb knife-fighter. Wright then drew a sword-cane, and, rushing upon Bowie, exclaimed, "damn you, you have killed me." TOGETHER THEY HAD SEVEN CHILDREN: STEPHEN, JAMES, HEMAN, RUFUS (MY GGG-GRANDFATHER), ALBERT, On March 6, 1976, masons of Texas gathered at the Scottish Rite Temple, in San Antonio, Texas and marched in a cold rain to the Alamo to lay a bronze plaque to honor the masons who died at the Alamo,[3] including James Bonham, James Bowie, David Crockett, Almaron Dickinson, William Barrett Travis, and other unidentified masons who gave their lives in the Battle of the Alamo. His name is also associated with the Bowie knife, a weapon (sometimes called the Arkansas toothpick) invented by either him or his brother Rezin. He was one of thousands of U.S. settlers and adventurers who swelled the non-Mexican population in Texas, and restrictive Mexican legislation to curb the newcomers soon interested him in the Texas revolutionary movement. They chose Bowie, infuriating Travis. [107], Despite his continual pronouncements of wealth, Bowie's estate was found to be very small. James Bowie (1796-1836) - Texas Proud James Bowie: Ottawa lawyer accused of sexual misconduct | CTV News John Bowie 1770 - 1848. I have traced the Bowies back to Scotland. After learning that Santa Anna had 4,500troops and was heading for the city,[88] Bowie wrote several letters to the provisional government asking for help in defending the Alamo, especially "men, money, rifles, and cannon powder". [100], Bowie and Travis began sending out couriers with pleas for provisions and assistance. [58], On April 25, 1831, Bowie married nineteen-year-old Maria Ursula de Veramendi, the daughter of his business partner, who had become the vice governor of the province. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Bowie, Electric Scotland - Biography of James Bowie, Texas State Historical Association - James Bowie, Spartacus Educational - Biography of James Bowie, James Bowie - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), James Bowie - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Although the Superior Court originally confirmed most of those claims, the decisions were reversed in February 1831, after further research showed that the land had never belonged to the Bowies and that the original land grant documentation had been forged. JAMESBOWIE 1796-1836. by William R. Williamson. Maintained by: Find A Grave He was among the Americans who died at the Battle of the Alamo. By February 1830, Bowie was in Texas and took the oath of allegiance to Mexico. Family Search. Before the latter could recover he was seized by Dr. Maddox, who held him down for some moments, but, collecting his strength, he hurled Maddox off just as Major Wright approached and fired at the wounded Bowie, who, steadied himself against a log, half buried in the sand, fired at Wright, the ball passing through the latter's body. David Bowie (1798 - 1816)* James had 4 brothers: Robert Robertson Bowie and 3 other siblings. [101] On February 25, Travis sent Juan Seguin, on Bowie's horse, to recruit reinforcements, and 32 additional men arrived. On February 24 Bowie collapsed and took to his bed. 72,182. He was the grandson of the late Wallace and Mary Lou Bowie of Ware Shoals, SC and . There was conflict between the two leaders and their troops in the tiny Alamo. The war ended on December 24 of that year with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, and the Bowie brothers arrived in New Orleans too late to participate in the fighting. James Bowie (lawyer) - Wikipedia [22], Bowie never talked of his exploits despite his increasing fame. The Arcadia plantation sold for ninety thousand dollars, and in the will he made just before entering the Texan Army, much property was mentioned and handsome bequests were made to the son and daughter of his deceased brother Stephen. [22], The Texas Revolution began on October 2, 1835 with the Battle of Gonzales. Family Time Line. Texas, USA, Folk Figure, Alamo Defender. Yet he was a very wealthy man for that era, and at the time of his marriage, when certain provisions were made for the bride, he stated his property to be worth about two hundred and ten thousand dollars. JAMES BOWIE - Sons of DeWitt Colony [47] Although the Rangers would not be organized officially until 1835, Stephen F. Austin had founded the group by employing thirty men to keep the peace and protect the colonists from attacks by hostile Indians. Jim Bowie Birth Name: James R. Bowie Occupation: Explorer Place Of Birth: Kentucky Date Of Birth: April 10, 1796 Date Of Death: March 6, 1836 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Black Nationality: American Jim Bowie was born on the 10th of April, 1796. Multiple accounts exist of who designed and built the first Bowie knife. [27][28], In 1825, the two brothers joined with their younger brother, Stephen, to buy Acadia Plantation near Thibodaux. "[107], Bowie perished with the rest of the Alamo defenders when the Mexicans attacked on March 6. James Bowie Elementary in Corsicana, Texas was also named in his honor. Bowie and Travis then worked out a compromise which gave Travis command of the regulars, Bowie command of the volunteers. This memorial website was created in memory of James Bowie, 78, born on March 30, 1907 and passed away on November 0, 1985. [115], Despite his continual claims of wealth, Bowie's estate was found to be very small. TSHA | Bowie, James - Handbook of Texas John was affectionate to his son. [14][5], James's brother John wrote: "We continued to follow this business until we made $65,000, when we quit and soon spent all our earnings." James Bowie - Historical records and family trees - MyHeritage After a short time, however, they moved into the Veramendi Palace to live with Ursula's parents, who supplied them with spending money. [15] The children learned to survive on the frontier, learning how to fish, butcher meat, and run a farm and plantation. Wright drew his sword cane and impaled Bowie. Just do what you can. Bowie was shot in the hip, and, after regaining his feet, he drew a knife, described as a butcher knife, and charged his attacker. James Bowie (/bui/ BOO-ee[1][2][3])[a] (c.1796 March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American pioneer, slave smuggler and trader, and soldier who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. James Bowie (abt.1789-1875) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree at age 36. x. Login or Sign-up to show all important data, death records and obituaries absolutely for free! The knife was actually made by his brother John. About 1809 the Bowies moved to Louisiana where they established a plantation on the Vermilion River. 2008 - 2023 INTERESTING.COM, INC. Rezin Pleasant Bowie (1762 - 1819) The following year, the family acquired 200 acres (80ha) along the Red River. About James . [81], Houston offered Bowie a commission as an officer on his staff, but Bowie rejected the opportunity, explaining that he wanted to be in the midst of the fighting. Jim was soon confined to a cot. [94][95] On February 26, David Crockett reported that Bowie, though suffering from his affliction, continued to crawl from his bed around noon every day and presented himself to the Alamo's inhabitants, which much boosted the moral of his comrades. Despite conflicting accounts of his death, the "most popular, and probably the most accurate" accounts maintain that he died in his bed while defending himself against Mexican soldiers.[4]. Within two years they had established the first steam mill in Louisiana to be used for grinding sugar cane. March20, 1832) and James Veramendi Bowie (b. July18, 1833). Shortly before the senior Bowie died, circa 1820, he gave ten slaves and horses and cattle to both James and Rezin. Several days before the ceremony, he signed a dowry contract promising to pay his new bride 15,000pesos (approximately $15,000 then, or $382,000 today[59]) in cash or property within two years of the marriage. [40], Newspapers picked up the story and named it the Sandbar Fight, describing in detail Bowie's fighting prowess and his unusual knife. With their profits, James and Rezin bought a plantation in Arkansas.[20]. One Texian and ten Mexican troops had been killed. James Bowie @JamesDBowie Feb 22 Yesterday the Citizen ran a story about me, for which I was not invited to comment, about a claim I have not seen, which I deny entirely. Bowie's reputation was cemented by his role in the Texas Revolution. [5][6][7][4], James was described as 6 ft. tall, 180 lbs., with light hair, grey eyes, and a temper. [27] The knife he carried had a huge blade that was 9.25 inches (23.5 cm) long and 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) wide. James Bowie (1728-1797) FamilySearch [55] To fulfill his promise, Bowie entered into partnership with Veramendi to build cotton and wool mills in Saltillo. BOWIE (1796-1836), HE HAS SOMETIMES BEEN CONFUSED FOR HIM.