Notes on James Bowie
James Bowie, a son of Rezin Bowie, was born in
Burke county, Georgia. Of his parents, it is said they were from Maryland.
The father was a man of strong mind and sound judgment. The mother was
a pious and excellent lady, and from her it was thought that the children
inherited their remarkable energy of character. They had five children,
viz: David, James, Rezin P., John J., and Stephen, who were all large,
muscular men. In 1802, the family removed to Chatahoula Parish, Louisiana.
On the 19th of September, 1827, James Bowie was engaged, on a bar of the
Mississippi, in a duel with Norris Wright and others, one of the bloodiest
rencontres of this class on record, in which he was wounded, and two men
were killed. Shortly after this he came
to Texas, as did also his brother Rezin P. Bowie. The above facts are collected
from "De Bow's Review." In the same periodical may be found a
complete sketch of James, by his brother John J. James Bowie was about
six feet high, of fair complexion, with small blue eyes, not fleshy, but
well proportioned; he stood quite erect, and had a rather fierce look;
was not quarrelsome, but mild and quiet, even at the moment of action.
He was quite sociable, and somewhat disposed to intemperance, but never
drunk. He had a wonderful art in winning people to him, and was extremely
prodigal of his money. His muscular power was as great as his daring: his
brother says he had been known to rope and ride alligators! His great speculation
was in purchasing negroes from Lafitte, and smuggling them into Louisiana.
This is the most unpleasant feature in his history.
Source: THE TEXAS ALMANAC FOR 1857, WITH STATISTICS, Historical
and Biographical Sketches, (Galveston, Texas: Richardson and Co., 1856),
p. 137. A 1986 Facsimile Reproduction by Glen's Sporting Goods, Inc., Irving,
Texas with the express consent of The Dallas Morning News; printed by Sweet
Printing Co., Austin.
* * *
Some romanticists, in modern newspaper articles, have accredited James
Bowie and Ursula Veramendi with being the parents of either one or two
children, but in this biography I have avoided reference to any children
because there is not definite proof that they existed.
Although the records of San Fernando Church in San Antonio show the baptism and marriage of Bowie, the church books covering the period fail to show the baptism or christening of any Bowie children. A search through the church records in Monclova, Mexico, where Ursula died in 1833, likewise fails to reveal the death of Bowie children, although the demise of Mrs. Bowie and her parents is recorded.
Furthermore, there is no evidence in that respect to be found in the
transcript of a court action taken in 1878 by Marco Veramendi against J.H.
Hutchins, et al, for recovery of one_half league of land granted to Bowie
during his wife's lifetime. The Texas Supreme Court Reports plainly state
that Ursula died "leaving no children," and her heir is designated
as the Señora Josefa Ruiz Navarro, her grandmother.
C.L. Douglas
Source: Page 214, James Bowie, The Life of a Bravo,
by C.L. Douglas, Dallas,
Banks Upshaw and Company, copyright 1944.