All the children learned to read and write, but James and his older brother Rezin also learned to read, write, and speak Spanish and French fluently. The article focused primarily on the exploits of Jim Bowie. The battle ended with the Mexicans withdrawing from their positions in San Antonio. Dr. R. Bruce Winders, Former Alamo Director of History and Curator. Edmondson (2000), p.107. Wikimedia. In the antebellum South, two commodities could lead to wealth and respectability land and slaves. The Veramendi household was particularly hard-hit. In 2016, 20-year-old Morgan Angerbauer died. His military career cut short, Bowie established himself in the lumber business in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Bowie and Fannin and some 90 men dug in on the grounds of Concepcin Mission just outside the city, and General Cos, spotting them there, attacked. Nonetheless, Colonel Bowie, as a result of the 1831 battle and his efforts in 1832, gained the reputation as an intrepid Indian fighter. He was the ninth of ten children born to veteran of the American Revolution Rezin Bowie, and his wife, Elve. According to the reporter's version of Rose's account, when Travis realized that the Mexican army would likely prevail, he drew a line in the sand and asked those willing to die for the cause to cross the line. British Rock'n'Roller Wee Willie Harris, 'Wild Man Of Rock,' Dies At 90 These activities irritated Stephen F. Austin, but he eventually allowed the tracts. His business dealings were questionable at best, and outright fraud at their worst. The Battle of Concepcin and the Capture of San Antonio. By then, the United States had outlawed the importation of slaves from Africa. . Two years later, he married Maria Ursula de Veramendi, the daughter of one of his business partners. Austin and Bowie each owned slaves. Mexican losses included 14 killed and 39 wounded, some of whom died later. Raised on the frontier, the Bowie children worked hard, clearing land, planting crops, fishing, hunting, and running a farm and plantation. [29] On August 2, 1832, he joined a group of other Texans and marched into Nacogdoches to "present their demands" to Piedras. Before long, Laffite was delivering slaves to Bowies Island in Vermilion Bay. He went there and found plenty to keep him busy, including another land speculation scheme and the charms of Ursula Veramendi, the well-connected daughter of the mayor of San Antonio. Bowies speculation allowed him to sell large tracts of land to incoming settlers in Texas, as well as gave him control over valuable water rights. [12][19] He supported himself by sawing planks and lumber, and floating them down the bayou for sale. Conflicting claims abounded in the parishes. James Bowie speculated in both. (future wife of James Bowie). Bowies party drove off the Indians after an all-day fight in an oak grove, though one of the men was killed and several others wounded. [29] Bowie later served as a delegate to the Convention of 1833, which formally requested that Texas become its own state within the Mexican federation. He played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. Demand for the Bowie Knife grew as others wanted to own such a formidable weapon. Library of Congress. He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. In the early 1830s Texans belived the views of Santa Anna were aligned with theirs. With two bullets in him, a chest wound, and an undoubtedly aching head, Bowie was helped from the scene. [71], In July 1832, after hearing that the Mexican army commander in Nacogdoches, Jos de las Piedras, had demanded that all residents in his area surrender their arms, Bowie cut short a visit to Natchez to return to Texas. Lithograph of San Antonio de Bexar. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Easy Travel Organization Tips You Will Love, Bidwell-Bartleson Party Blazing the California Trail.
