RARE 1836 NEW ORLEANS LETTER CONCERNING “BOWIE KNIFE FIGHT”.

This one of the earliest letters noted describing a “Bowie knife”. Letter was written January 31, 1836, approximately one month before the battle of the Alamo and the writer also states “I have had numerous applications to join the Texians but have universally refused. It is a good field for adventure and many young men of great respectability have joined them”. A portion of the letter reads “You will, as probably all my friends will, be somewhat surprised to hear that I am still in New Orleans – but still I am here – and detained too by the state of Louisiana – as a witness in a case of most aggravated murder as it would be termed in New England – but what is here a daily occurrence. The other young men from New York are also detained with me – I will briefly give you the particulars of it. On the evening on the 7th of January (only two days before I intended to leave the city) I was returning from the theatre in company with my friends Park & Lockwood of New York, we stopped in a moment at the Planter’s Hotel. There we saw some eight or ten gentlemen, planters up the river, and one of them a member of the Legislature, pretty merry – one of them by name Washington Whittaker asked the barkeeper for a glass of wine which he refused him at which he (Whittaker) caught up tumblers & decanters standing on the bar and thew them at the barkeeper. They were at the time three men in the bar – they immediately retreated out – Whittaker caught them coming out of the bar & drew a Bowie Knife as it is called here and which is carried by most persons in this part of the country.it is a knife about fifteen inches in length, four inches broad, double edged, each edge ground down as sharp as a razor and weighs usually about two pounds. it is carried in a leather case down the back attached by a loop to the coat collar. A single blow with this knife will easily cut of(f) a man’s arm – but to go on with my story – two of the barkeepers escaped one of them received a blow in the forehead – the last one Whittaker caught and stabbed him fifteen or twenty times thro the head-breast-neck and back the last blow went thro his right shoulder blade on the back and came out thro the heart. the man fell down dead and never said a word from the commencement of the fight. We were immediately “subpeonad” under bonds of $5000 for our appearance at court.the trial has twice come up and each time postponed.it is now set down for the 8th of Feby and I hope to God it will then come on. The attorney general assures us that it will. In case it does I shall leave for Connt as soon as it is closed. Altho the evidence in this case will be most positive still I very much doubt whether he is punished at all. Why? because he is wealthy and in fact they never hang any body here – there has hardly a day passed since I have been here and I have not heard of some murders or duels-today is Sunday and is the day that duels are usually fought”. CONDITION: Three pages plus address leaf, quarto very good overall, though cracked at several folds. Ink is dark and easily discerned. Soiled on address leaf. About 1/2″ hole where letter seal removed. 4-55302 JS (2,000-5,000) – Lot 1383

Auction: Firearms - March 2015

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	1383	$575.00	RARE 1836 NEW ORLEANS LETTER CONCERNING “BOWIE KNIFE FIGHT”. This one of the earliest letters noted describing a “Bowie knife”. Letter was written January 31, 1836, approximately one month before the battle of the Alamo and the writer also states “I have had numerous applications to join the Texians but have universally refused. It is a good field for adventure and many young men of great respectability have joined them”. A portion of the letter reads “You will, as probably all my friends will, be somewhat surprised to hear that I am still in New Orleans – but still I am here – and detained too by the state of Louisiana – as a witness in a case of most aggravated murder as it would be termed in New England – but what is here a daily occurrence. The other young men from New York are also detained with me – I will briefly give you the particulars of it. On the evening on the 7th of January (only two days before I intended to leave the city) I was returning from the theatre in company with my friends Park & Lockwood of New York, we stopped in a moment at the Planter’s Hotel. There we saw some eight or ten gentlemen, planters up the river, and one of them a member of the Legislature, pretty merry – one of them by name Washington Whittaker asked the barkeeper for a glass of wine which he refused him at which he (Whittaker) caught up tumblers & decanters standing on the bar and thew them at the barkeeper. They were at the time three men in the bar – they immediately retreated out – Whittaker caught them coming out of the bar & drew a Bowie Knife as it is called here and which is carried by most persons in this part of the country.it is a knife about fifteen inches in length, four inches broad, double edged, each edge ground down as sharp as a razor and weighs usually about two pounds. it is carried in a leather case down the back attached by a loop to the coat collar. A single blow with this knife will easily cut of(f) a man’s arm – but to go on with my story – two of the barkeepers escaped one of them received a blow in the forehead – the last one Whittaker caught and stabbed him fifteen or twenty times thro the head-breast-neck and back the last blow went thro his right shoulder blade on the back and came out thro the heart. the man fell down dead and never said a word from the commencement of the fight. We were immediately “subpeonad” under bonds of $5000 for our appearance at court.the trial has twice come up and each time postponed.it is now set down for the 8th of Feby and I hope to God it will then come on. The attorney general assures us that it will. In case it does I shall leave for Connt as soon as it is closed. Altho the evidence in this case will be most positive still I very much doubt whether he is punished at all. Why? because he is wealthy and in fact they never hang any body here – there has hardly a day passed since I have been here and I have not heard of some murders or duels-today is Sunday and is the day that duels are usually fought”. CONDITION: Three pages plus address leaf, quarto very good overall, though cracked at several folds. Ink is dark and easily discerned. Soiled on address leaf. About 1/2″ hole where letter seal removed. 4-55302 JS (2,000-5,000) – Lot 1383 Auction: Firearms - March 2015 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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RARE 1836 NEW ORLEANS LETTER CONCERNING “BOWIE KNIFE FIGHT”.