Jim Bowie and his pocketknife

[hammerdownnow]

Here is a story I found about Jim Bowie and his pocketknife. I think this story tells how Bowie was a great fighter, a strong man, and maybe the reason he always carried a fixed blade, if nothing else it's a good story. I hope you like it.

No brass band was waiting to greet Jim Bowie on that warm summer day in 1826 when he returned home to Rapides Parish, Louisiana after a long trip up North. Instead, much bad news awaited; in his long absence, slanderous rumors had been spread about him by Major Norris Wright, a rich outsider from Maryland who had worked his way into becoming the local sheriff and a bank president. Bowie already disliked Wright and immediately went to find him. Without even stopping to get a gun, he went to Bailey?s Hotel, where Wright was playing cards, and confronted him. Wanting to take no chances with Bowie, Wright drew a pistol and Bowie grabbed for a chair. Wright fired, but only grazed Bowie (a later account says the bullet hit a silver dollar - or a Masonic medallion ? that was in Bowie?s vest pocket). Bowie knocked him to the floor, where he pinned Wright with his knees and went for the only weapon he had ? a folding pocketknife.

This was the point where things really went sour for Jim (as if being shot wasn?t bad enough). Though he was able to get his knife out, in the struggle he was unable to get it open. He bit at the blade with his teeth, trying in desperation to open it while grappling with Wright. In frustration, he was forced to throw the knife away and just pummel Wright as people tried to pull them apart. He bit onto Wright?s hand so hard he lost a tooth in the process before they were separated by friends of both parties. Onlookers reported that if it hadn?t been broken up, Bowie would have certainly killed Wright with his bare hands. It was as a result of this fight that Bowie would take up wearing a fixed blade knife at all times - and it was with this new knife that he would kill Wright only a year later at the Sandbar fight, after first being shot and stabbed by Wright several times!

How history might have changed if Bowie had been able to open his knife with one hand, the first time around!

[Robert Mayo]

Great story thanks for sharing it with us.
Bob