DUELLING DAYS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 March 1936, Page 3

DUELLING DAYS

MEMORY OF COL. BOWIE

When Miss Civilisation wore pigtails, American gentlemen fought out their differences with knives, pistols, or what not. Nowadays they are more polite and less destructive in the presence of the young wpmap, . The extremes to which fights in the early part of the nineteenth century developed can be no better illustiated than in an account of what followed a duel,on a sand-bar opposite Natchez, Missouri, on September IS, 1827. Not only was it perhaps the most sensational encounter of /its kind ever, but also it involved as prominent men as ever mixed in a to-the-death combat. Among the participants were Colonel Janies Bowie, inventor of the bowie. knife, who met his death at the fierce slaughter at Alamo,-Texas, which gave rise to the Mexican War slogan, “Remember the Alamo. The grandfathers of former Governor Blanchard of Louisiana were among the combatants also. Twelve men w r ere drawn into the melee in all, and two were killed and two wounded. They did not use magazine revolvers or automatics in those days, either. Naturally enough an affair of -this kind as the years went on took on a legendary character, and the casualties grew with the number of repetitions. One account fixed the number of killed at six and the wounded at fifteen. However, the battle grew ou(. of circumstances as strange as are the fictions that have come down regarding the outcome. A duel had been arranged between Dr. Thomas H. Maddox and Samuel Wells, ‘which ended amicably and without damage to either man. This was perhaps unsatisfactory to the, fearless couriers of danger of the times. So they proceeded to colour it red, according to their tastes —with blood.

Here are the true facts of the encounter, says an American writer, in the words of the last survivor, Dr. Maddox. The doctor and the others were at the time- residents of Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Dr Maddox wrote some years later: — “Some difficulty occurring between myself and General Montfort Wells, or from some other cause which I do not recollect at this time,, induced Samuel L. Wells to send me a- very offensive carte blanche which 1 accepted as .a challenge, and it was agreed that we should meet at Natchez and settle the matter, each party leaving Alexandria September 17. 1827.

“Of my party, there were R. A. Crain, my second: Norris Wright, Alfred and Carey Blanchard, and myself, five in number. The opposing party were Samuel L. Wells, McWhorter, his second; James Bowie, Richard Cuney, Jefferson Wells, and Sam Cuney, making six of them in number. Having arrived at Natchez, I called on Dr. Denney to be my surgeon, who made number six of my party.

Having accepted the challenge, I directed Colonel Crain, my second, to call on Mr Wells and state my terms and mode of combat, which were: To stand eight paces -apart, right side to right side, pistols down, to be raised at Tne words ‘Are you ready? One, two, three. Fire!’ The usual way in which gentlemen vindicate their hon'our. OBJECTED TO TERMS. “Mr Wells objected to my terms; assumed that he was the challenged

party and had the right to name the terms. I told Colonel Crain to go back-and get his terms, as I waived my right. They were: To stand left side to left side, pistols down, and at the word ‘Prepare!’ we were to raise our pistols in an opposite direction from each other, and at the word ‘Fire!’ to fire as we chose. “I fired across my breast. How he fired Ido not know. Two rounds were fired without effect and the affair was then settled by S. L. Wells withdrawing all offensive language. We shook hands and were proceeding to my friends on the edge of the woods to take a glass of wine as a cement. "Dr. Denny and myself were a few paces ahead of the rest of the party when General Cuney, James Bowie, and Jeff Wells came running down on us, General Cuney saying to Colonel Crain that this was a. good time to settle their differences, he, Cuney, and BoTi'e drawing their pistols. “Colonel Crain saw at a glance how things stood before he shot the one he conceived to be the major-general ot the party through the breast. This did not kill him. Colonel Crain after shooting at Bowie, who had also shot at him, wheeled around and passed . over a little wash in the sand-bar and he and Cuney fired simultaneously at each other. Cuney fell mortally wounded, then Crain, with an empty pistol in his hand, turned to meet James Bowie, who was rushing upon him with his famous bowie knife in his hand, and when within reach of his arm he, Colonel Crain, struck him over the head with the empty pistol and brought him to his knees.

“As I arose 1 caught hold of him and he threw me off and faced Wright and the two Blanchards, who had arrived on the field from the edge of the woods. 1 at this time had a pistol pointed at me, rut it was not fired, and being totally unarmed myself, I ran to the edge of the woods, a few paces off, to get my sinhgun, and on returning met S. L. Wells, who said to me:

“ ‘Doctor, for God’s sake don’t do any further damage, for it is all over.’ “On my arriving at the seat of war again, to my surprise. 1 found my dear friend, Major Wright, dead, and General Cuney dying from excessive haemorrhage, Bowie badly wounded, and Alfred Blanchard slightly wounded, and this was the end of that mem orable affair, the- sandbar fight. “So there wete two killed and two wounded out of the twelve persons engaged in the conflict, six on each side, and not, as has been erroneously stated, six killed and .fifteen wounded. “Other writers have stated that Bowie killed Colonel as has been represented; the only feeling between them was owing to the adherence of James Bowie to the cause of those opposed to himself and Major Wright. “Subsequently, in New Orleans, James Bowie invited Colonel Crain to his room. Contrary to the advice of his friends he went, and upon entering the room Bowie locked the door and asked Colonel Crain to take a seat, where they had their talk and came out perfectly reconciled to each other.”

That Colonel Crain was far from being killed by Bowie is proved by an interesting letter he wrote following the fight to General Joseph Walker. later Governor of Louisiana. “Bowie. Cuney, and Jeff Wells, at right-angles from where we started under the willows spurted and ran down the hili, and in a quick walk intercepted us, or rather me.- Drs. Denny and Maddox wore some ten or

fifteen steps ahead. Maddox entirely unarmed. Cuney remarked: “ ‘Now is the time to settle our affair, I think, swearing and cursing at me at the same time, and commenced drawing his pistol. Sam Wells caught hold of him, and Dr. Cuney got immediately between him and his brother, so that I could not shoot at him (General Cuney) then; Bowie at the same time was drawing his pistol. 1 drew away at him; he now says I did not touch him, but drew his fire; he lies. 1 shot him through the body. 1 could not miss him, shooting not further than ten feet. His object is to excuse his conduct for killing our poor jfriend. PISTOL THROWN AT BOWIE. “I wheeled and jumped four, six, or eight steps across some little washes in the sand-bar and faced Cuney. We fired at the same moment. His bullet cut the shirt and grazed tne skin of my left arm. He fell. “Jim Bowie was at the same moment within a few feet of me with his big knife raised to lunge. I again wheeled and sprang a few steps,| changed the but of the pistol, and as he rushed upon me I wheeled and threw the pistol at him, which struck him on the left side of the forehead, which circumstance alone saved me from his savage fury and big knife. “At that moment Major Wright and the two Blanchards rushed up. Bowie sheered off to a leaning stump, by which he took a stand. Wright and Bowie exchanged shots at about ten steps, without any chance of Wright hnmig him, he (Bowie) ,behind the log and the other exhausted with running at least one hundred yards; he shot poor Wright through the body, who exclaimed: ‘The damned rascal has killed me,’ and then rushed upon Bowie with his sword-cane, who caught him by the collar and plunged bis lyiiife in his bosom. “At that moment Bowie was shot in the hip and fell; instantly Wright: wheeled, made a lunge, and fell over him dead. Hostilities then ceased."