Musings of a History Buff

Famous Texans: James Bowie, Part 3

James and his brother being successful business men made many powerful friends and made several powerful enemies. Some of these men were jealous of their success and considered them upstarts in Louisiana. One was Norris Wright, the Rapides Parish sheri and a local banker, loan officer, and business stock holder. Wright refused to make a loan to the Bowies that caused them near ruin. The enmity between Wright and James grew as the Bowies’ sided with a faction of planters led by the Wells family of Alexandria, against the faction led by Wright. In 1826, Wright and Bowie met unexpectedly, in Alexandria, and tempers flared, harsh words were exchanged. e smaller Wright pulled a gun and red at Bowie. e bullet was de ected by something in Bowie’s breast pocket. Although wounded, the larger more powerful Bowie grabbed Wright and disarmed him. Witnesses claimed if the by-standers had not intervened, Bowie would have killed Wright that day with his bare hands.

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