In June of 1819, during one of his trips to Jean LaFittes headquarters at Campeachy, on Galveston Island; Jim Bowie joined the Long Expedition into Texas. Dr. James Long, a Mississippian doctor had served with Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812. It was on one of his trips to Jean LaFittes headquarters at Campeachy, on Galveston Island that in his book, “James Bowie; Texas Fighting Man,” (Eakin Press) Clifford Hopewell writes of a story that appeared in the Galveston Daily News of March 31, 1890. Miss Annie Bowie, granddaughter of John Bowie, (John was a brother to Bowie’s own father) gives her version of the knife issue. She based her account upon “material obtained from annals of my branch of the family.”
Her story tells how Bowie had the famous knife made by blacksmith Lovel H. Snowden. Bowie was going to use the knife against certain planters who were about to defraud a widow out of some land that had been part of a Spanish land grant.

J. Frank Dobie tells of a time Bowie was preparing for a duel at a spot known as “The Sandbar” some 60-70 miles northeast of Alexandria Louisiana.  Bowie supposedly took a 14-inch file to a knifemaker in New Orleans known only as “Pedro.” The fires of the forges burned late into the night as Pedro and his assistant skillfully worked the bellows, heating the metal until it was red hot. At this heat, the impurities are driven from the steel and the knife can be beaten out with a big sledge.

Pausing only to cool the fine steel in a water filled horse trough, Pedro would have reheated and hammered the blade repeatedly until perfection was achieved. The finished product measured about 14 inches long by almost two inches at its widest point. A walnut hilt was added so Bowie would not cut himself in the event his hand slipped down the blade during heavy use. He reportedly had suffered a severe cut while wielding an earlier knife designed by his brother Rezin (pronounced Reason).

In his book, “Bowie Knife,” Raymond Thorpe writes of the time three men had been hired to assassinate Bowie. The trio sprang their trap shortly after Bowie had returned to Texas. It was deadly close-in fighting; but Bowie had learned the art of self defense at an early age. Raised on the frontier, Bowie and his brothers learned the value of a straight shooting rifle, a steady eye and hand when using a pistol or knife, and most importantly, the ability to stand firm and prevail in the presence of an enemy. The trio of city bred thugs was no match for a man who had been field dressing deer and bear since he was old enough to walk. It was this incident that gave rise to the legend of the Bowie Knife.

In his book, Hopewell relates several versions of the recovery of Bowie’s knife after the fall of the Alamo. One knife was supposed to have been smuggled out of the old mission by an Indian woman who had been nursing Bowie during the siege by Santa Anna and his troops. Later, the woman had given the knife to Jim’s brother Rezin (pronounced Reason) Bowie.

Somewhere around 1840, Rezin presented the knife to an old family friend by the name of Fowler. Years later, after Fowlers death, the knife was purchased at auction by Gen. Washington Bowie Jr. of Baltimore. In 1951, the famous fighting knife was presented to the daughters of the Republic of Texas by Lt. Colonel Richard Bowie, son of the now deceased General. It is proudly displayed at the Alamo Museum in San Antonio.

Another knife, with a blade measuring close to nine inches long and approximately an inch and a half wide with the name “J. Bowie” inscribed on the front, its hardwood handle, worn and colored with the patina of age; was found by a Mexican soldier searching through the rubble in the aftermath of the fall of the Alamo. Evidently the knife was used as a working tool by the man who rode the Texas cattle range for years. Not realizing the potential value of such an artifact, the man sold the knife to settle a $5.00 debt to James Moore in 1890. Grandson Bart Moore carried the knife while serving with the Air Force Security in Europe during the later part of the 1940s. This knife, it’s said; is currently hidden away in a bank vault. The value of such a piece of Texas history? Incalculable.

Steve Hathcock serves as chairmen of the South Padre Island Historical Preservation Committee, is a member of the Cameron County Historical Commission and is one of the founders of the South Padre Island Historical Foundation. Steve Hathcock and his partner Kay Lay own and operate Beachcomber’s Museum of Local and Natural History at 104 West Pompano street South Padre Island (Open noon to 5 daily closed Monday). E-mail at stevehathcock@islandtraders.biz. Website at padreislandtraders.com.