Plus Give Away
by Martha Rogers
James “Jim” Bowie was a hero of the
Alamo in the battle for Texas’ freedom from Mexico. Jim, a 19th-century
pioneer, played a prominent role in Texas Revolution and gave his life for the
cause at the Alamo. Tales about his heroism and exploits in the battle and as a
man of the frontier have made him a legendary figure and folk hero in Texas
history. Some of the stories are true, but some are from the imagination of
people who knew him or about him and expanded on his heroics.
Born in Kentucky in 1796, Bowie
spent most of his life in Louisiana until he moved to Texas. Some of his
exploits in Louisiana involved land speculation and the purchase of a
plantation in Alexandria where he and his brother established the first steam
mill for grinding sugar cane. They sold that in 1831.
Many of Bowie’s exploits involved defending
himself with a large knife which led to stories of his prowess with the knife.
This in turn led to the widespread popularity of the knife which became known
as the Bowie knife. One of those battles was known as the “Sandbar Fight” and
furthered the popularity of his knife. It became so popular that British
manufacturers produced the knives and shipped them to the United States. The
design evolved over the years, but
generally remained like the one Bowie used
and is pictured here.
While recuperating from his wounds
in the Sandbar Fight, Bowie moved to Texas and became a Mexican citizen and
married Maria Ursala Veramendi, the daughter of the Mexican vice-governor of
the province. In 1830, Texas then became his permanent residence. He and Maria
had two children, but unfortunately, Maria and the children died of cholera in
1833.
He became well-known in Mexican
politics for his land speculation, his expeditions for the Mexican government,
and Indian battles. Bowie never boasted of his exploits despite his growing
reputation and fame. He was described as a humble man who never used profanity
or vulgarities.
In 1835, the president of Mexico
ordered the arrests of all Texans doing business in the area of Monclova. This
forced Bowie to flee the province and return to the Anglo areas of Texas.
Bowie then joined the Texas Militia
when Stephen F. Austin formed the “Texian Army.” Before the Alamo, Bowie was
involved in other battles along with William B. Travis and James Fannin. When
Sam Houston became chief of the Texas army, he offered Bowie a commission as an
officer on his staff, but Bowie declined. He said he’d rather be in the midst
of the fighting.
After several battles with the
Mexicans in which they were defeated, the Texans believed the war was over and
many returned to their families. Bowie didn’t and instead went to San Felipe to
ask the Texas council to allow him to recruit his own regiment but was denied.
When Sam Houston learned that Santa
Anna was leading a large force to attack San Antonio, Bowie offered to lead the
volunteers to defend the Alamo Mission from attack. He arrived in late January,
1836, with thirty men and found one hundred and four men there to defend it.
In February, Davy Crockett arrived
with thirty Tennesseans. Then Bowie commanded the volunteers and Travis
commanded the regular army and the volunteer cavalry.
On
February 24, 1836, the siege of the Alamo began. Although Bowie was too
ill to join in much of the active battle, he gave a valiant effort. One story
goes that when it became evident the Mexican army would prevail, Travis drew a
line in the sand and asked those willing to die for Texas to cross the line. At
Bowie’s request, Crockett and several others carried Bowie’s cot across the
line. There were no survivors to authenticate the account, and it believed to
have been known to embellish his articles. Even so, it became a famous scene in
the John Wayne movie about the Alamo.
Accounts of his death are as varied
as the reputation of the man himself. Some say he died fighting on his cot with
his guns blazing and wielding his knife. Others say his tongue was cut out
while he was alive because he cursed a Mexican soldier. Other stories claim
Bowie shot himself or was killed by Mexican soldiers because he was too weak to
defend himself. Texans like their heroes and believe the first story of his
going out with a fight to be the most accurate one.
Bowie’s body, along with Travis and
Crockett’s were burned. One year after the battle, Juan Seguin returned to the
Alamo, retrieved the remaining ashes from the pyre and placed them in a coffin.
The coffin with the ashes was interred at the Cathedral of San Fernando. This is a replica of the Bowie knife and is on display at the Alamo today.
Bowie has been immortalized in both movies and TV shows. For two years, Bowie was the subject of a series, The Adventures of Jim Bowie.
All movies about the Alamo include the heroics of Jim Bowie. A county in Texas is named for him as are many elementary schools in the state. To Texans, he is hero right along with the likes of Davy Crockett and Sam Houston. The Bowie Knife remains as another part of his legacy.
Because there were not enough posts to have a good drawing, I've extended it to include this month. So, leave a comment below and tell me who is a great or legend in your state. You will have a choice of the gift of an e-book version or a hard copy of Bride on the Run or the paperback copy of Christmas at Stony Creek.
Kelly Morgan looks
forward to her marriage to Darrell, but something isn't right and her childhood
friend, Tyler, sees it. When a domineering soon to be mother-in-law takes over,
changes honeymoon plans and dashes all hopes of Kelly decorating her own home,
she falls apart and runs away from the ceremony. Who will be there to pick up
the pieces of her shattered life and bring her home?
News reporter Tom
Whiteman befriends a homeless man, Joe, and brings him home to Stoney Creek.
Tom’s journalistic instincts suggest there’s more to the old man than
appearances tell. A carpenter by trade, Joe works at odd jobs around town and
makes many new friends including Faith Delmont, a girl who grew up with Tom.
Contradictions in the man’s manners and way of speaking whet Tom’s nose for
news and raises even more questions. As he and Faith seek the truth, they learn
that God’s love can turn tragedy and loss to triumph and true love comes to
those who seek it.
Martha Rogers is a multi-published
author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live
in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church.
They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and
great-grandparents to four. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years
teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at
the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Houston Christian Writers
Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS
chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers
Alive.
Find
Martha at: www.marthawrogers.com
