James Bowie (1796 - 1836)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Family 1.2 Louisiana 1.3 Slave Trader 1.4 Texas 1.5 Will 1.6 The Alamo 1.7 Donations, Bounties 2 Sources

Biography

Died for Texas

Col. Jim Bowie is legendary due to his family and his exploits, as well as his contributions to Texas and the Alamo history.^[1]

Family

James "Jim" Bowie was born April 10, 1796 to Rezin Bowie and Elvira Catesby Jones.^{[2][3][4][5] [6]} The Bowie family lived in Franklin, Kentucky near Terrapin Creek and on Bowie's Mill Road (later Turnertown Road). Later, they lived in Missouri, and finally settled in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, where he grew up.^[6][7][8][5]

Bowie house

James was described as 6 ft. tall, 180 lbs., with light hair, grey eyes, and a temper.^[9] In 1827, he was in a brawl in Mississippi which resulted in his being wounded and several men killed.^{[10][5] [6]}

James was engaged to Cecilia Wells, who died September 29, 1829 before they could be married, in Alexandria, Louisiana.^[5][11]

Louisiana

James floated lumber down the rivers to be marketed in Avoyelles and Rapides parishes. He also invested in property on the Bayou Boeuf. There he hunted, fished, rode wild horses, and rode alligators.^[12][5]

He and brother joined the War of 1812. In 1815 he was on the way to serve in Louisiana, but the war had ended.^{[13] [14]}

Slave Trader

James owned and traded slaves just as his father had done, even after the importation of slaves was prohibited in the U.S. in 1808.^[15] After Lafitte captured slaves from ships in his pirating activities out in the Gulf of Mexico, the Bowies bought them at times from Lafitte. When he delivered them to Bowie's Island in Vermilion Bay. Then the Bowies sold them in St. Landry Parish.^[6]

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.^[16][6]

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." ^[17]

With sufficient money saved, he sold the plantation and slaves, with no further interest in owning either again.^[18][5][19] https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Bowie In 1829, Jim joined the Masonic Order in Opelousas, Louisiana. After Jim’s death at the Alamo, the masonic apron was found with his possessions.^[4]

a Bowie knife

Rezin Pleasant, Jr, Jim's brother, wrote that he had the first Bowie knife made at Avoyelles, Louisiana, created for his brother James to defend himself, and that James used the Bowie knife in the Sandbar Duel. After recovering from the wounds he received there, Jim moved to Texas. This article says the Phil Collins donation to the State of Texas of the Bowie knife is authentic.^{[6][20][5][21]}

Texas

James "Jim" Bowie

Bowie and friend Isaac Donoho entered the Mexican Texas Colony, near Nacogdoches in east Texas. They also stopped at Jared E. Groce's farm on the Brazos River, in what would later became Grimes County, and in San Felipe.^[22][5] There Bowie presented a letter of introduction to impresario Stephen F. Austin.^[5] Next, James and his brother Rezin went on an expedition to find the Lost San Saba Mine but were unable to locate it. They proceeded to Saltillo, located in NW Mexico (160 miles west of the now Texas border).^[7][6]

By February 20, 1830 James was in San Antonio de Bexar to present more letters of introduction to a wealthy settler, Juan MartÌn de Veramendi.^[23][18] James married Veramendi's daughter, Maria Ursula de Veramendi, age 19, April 25, 1831 in San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio de Bexar, Texas Colony. By this time, Juan was his business partner. James signed a dowry contract for 15,000 pesos, presenting himself as age 30.^{[11][5][24] [6]}

On March 8, 1831, James authorized his brother Rezin Pleasant, Jr to be the seller of his property in Louisiana, Arkansas, and elsewhere.^[4] At the time of his marriage, James listed more assets than he may have owned; however, he at least had an interest in the Acadia Plantation in Louisiana, which sold later for $90,000. It was still less than what James promised in the marriage contract. James and Maria settled in San Antonio.^[18] From the marriage notice: "D[on] Santiago Buy con D[oñ]a Ursula de Veramendi."^[5]

They had two children,^[11] Marie Elve Bowie, born March 20, 1832 and James Veramendi Bowie, born July 18, 1833. Unfortunately, their union didn't last long, as Maria, her parents, and both children died of cholera in September 1833.^[11][6]

James' next endeavor was in land speculation.^[25] In Spanish Texas the Bowies learned Mexico was selling 11 league land grants to Mexican citizens. When the citizens purchased the grants, James bought the leagues from them. ^{[18] [6]} This Land Speculation irritated Stephen F Austin, but finally allowed James to settle there and accepted the tracts of land as part of the colony.

Will

Upon becoming very ill in Natchez, Mississippi October 31, 1833, James wrote his will. In it he left property to brother Rezin Pleasant, Jr and to his brother-in-law, Alexander Sterett, married to his sister Martha. Both men were also the executors.^[4]

The Alamo

James fought in the Battle of Concepcion, November 26, 1835 and the Siege of Bexar, October through December 14, 1835, near San Antonio, including the Grass Fight.^{[18][5] [6]}

Gen. Sam Houston, in a letter dated December 17, suggested a different assignment for Bowie. About December 17, Smith told Houston to begin planning for an expedition to Matamoros, Mexico. Houston delegated the task to James Bowie but Bowie did not receive the orders for several weeks. Unknown to Smith, on December 15 the Council had asked Edward Burleson to replace Austin and oversee the expedition. Bowie and later Burleson abandoned the project. This left Fannin who was intending to go with Johnson.^[26]

In January 1836, Jim was in charge of the group of volunteers at the garrison of the Alamo.^[7][6] Former leader, Col. Neill, needed to leave for home to care for family, and requested Lt. Col. William Travis to command the Texas Alamo military. Travis arrived in February, accompanied by a group of army troops to bolster the numbers defending the Alamo. There was conflict between the two leaders and their troops in the tiny Alamo.^[7] Tension was only exacerbated by the fact that there was no heat in the Alamo, due to it being a mission.

James worked with William B Travis in their effort to stand up for the Texans' rights. Although they still had conflicts between themselves. The volunteers defending the Alamo, led by Bowie, and William B Travis' troops finally resolved to co-share the defense.^[7] Soon Jim became ill with either pneumonia or tuberculosis, mentioned in reports, but it isn't clear which. Jim was soon confined to a cot.^[18]

Bowie's Fight to the Death

The Mexican Army arrived February 23, 1836, led by General Santa Anna and began the attack on the Alamo, which lasted from February until March 6, 1836. All of the defenders were killed the final day, including James Bowie. ^[6]

Cenotaph at Alamo Plaza

A memorial to defenders is in San Fernando Cathedral.^[27] 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,^[4] 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. It was erected by the Grand Lodge.

Bowie County, Texas is also named in his honor.^[28]

Donations, Bounties

Many donations and bounties were awarded to James' heirs. A few of them are listed below:

Bexar Don., 640A

Travis Bty 1920 A, GLO.

640 Acres Bexar Donation

Fannin Bounty 1920 Acres

One Labor

Donation List of Warrants Received

Sources

1. ↑ Biography of Jim Bowie, latinamericanhistory.com
2. ↑ Rezin Bowie Family
3. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/106412-the-alamo-heroes-and-their-revolutionary-ancestors-bicentennial-project-alamo-dar-chapter-o-shavano-dar-chapter-san-antonio-de-bexar-dar-chapter?offset=4
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Virginia Lobdell Jennings, "The Rezin Bowie Family of Louisiana: Documents Supporting Corrections and Additions Concerning the Rezin Bowie Family of Louisiana and Suggestions for Further Research," (Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, 1997) pp. 124-8 (copied page)
5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11} James Bowie Biography at Tamu.edu
6. ↑ ^{6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12} https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/bowie-james
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4} https://www.thealamo.org/remember/james-bowie
8. ↑ First Settlers of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana: 1808-1839]
9. ↑ Hathi Trust Google Book
10. ↑ "Bowie"
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} James Bowie
12. ↑ First Settlers of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana: 1808-1839
13. ↑ https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-jim-bowie-2136241
14. ↑ https://www.lonestartreasure.com/lost-san-saba-silver-mine/
15. ↑ An Act of March 2, 1807, 9th Congress, 2nd Session, 2 STAT 426, to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves; 3/2/1807; Folder 9, Leaf 87, Public Law, 9th Cong., 2nd Sess.: An Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves into Any Port or Place Within the Jurisdiction of the U.S. From and After Jan. 1, 1808, March 2, 1807; Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789 - 2011; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/act-prohibit-importation-slaves, July 23, 2022]
16. ↑ Edward Sylvester Ellis, The Life of Colonel David Crockett: Comprising His Adventures As Backwoodsman And Hunter, (Philadelphia, PA: Porter & Coates, 1884) p. 222.
17. ↑ THE BOWIES by John Jones Bowie, De Bow's Review of the Southern and Western States, vol.13, 1852: Jul-Dec. Page 380-381
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5} TexasOnline.org article on James Bowie
19. ↑ LSJunction.com article on James Bowie
20. ↑ Bowie knife and Phil Collins
21. ↑ Bowie
22. ↑ https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/groces-retreat
23. ↑ LINTON & BIRD Chronicles, Volume VI, Issue 2, Summer © 2011, ISSN 1941-3521
24. ↑ book on HathiTrust.org Google Book
25. ↑ Mexican Land Title
26. ↑ https://officialalamo.medium.com/fatal-distraction-the-origins-of-the-matamoros-expedition-3722b374ad64
27. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #2310
28. ↑ Texas Counties and Who They're Named After. on genealogytrails.com

• https://www.lonestartreasure.com/lost-san-saba-silver-mine/

See also:

• Rezin Bowie Family
• Hopewell, Clifford (1994), James Bowie Texas Fighting Man: A Biography, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 0-89015-881-9
• Defenders in the Battle of the Alamo
• https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89063005888;view=1up;seq=425
• [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89063005888&view=1up&seq=426 Page 380-381