See quot. 1860.
1836. Our sword canes, our dirks, our pocket pistols, our infamous Bowie knives, have made us a reproach to civilization.—Public Ledger (Phila.), Aug. 12.
1836. [Col. Travis introduced Col. Crockett to Col. Bowie, and, writes Crockett:] While we were conversing he had occasion to draw his famous knife to cut a strap, and I wish I may be shot if the bare sight of it wasn’t enough to give a man of a squeamish stomach the colic, specially before breakfast.—‘Col. Crockett in Texas,’ pp. 172–3 (Phila.).
1838. The Louisville Journal chronicles “a challenge to fight with Bowie knives, toe to toe.”—The Jeffersonian, Sept. 8 (Albany, N.Y.).
1838. Mockery of the Law. The trial of John Wilson, who officiated as Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, during the last legislative session of that State, and who walked down from his chair and slew Major T. T. Anthony with a bowie knife on the floor of the house, took place a few days ago. The verdict of the jury was, not guilty of murder, but excusable homicide.—Louisville Journal: cited in J. S. Buckingham’s ‘America,’ ii. 201 (Lond.).
1839. The Virginians still maintained their position by force, and presented pistols, bowie knives, dirks, &c. threatening the lives of all those who would lay hands on them or the prisoner, and all this in open court.—Marion (Ohio) Visitor, cited in N.Y. Observer, Sept. 21: J. S. Buckingham, ‘The Eastern and Western States of America,’ i. 203.
1841. A resident of the city [Washington], who kept a boarding-house, and who entertained a strong feeling of resentment towards Mr. Wise, one of the members for Virginia, went constantly armed with loaded pistols and a long bowie-knife, watching his opportunity to assassinate him.—J. S. Buckingham, ‘America,’ i. 356.
1846. A leathern girdle surrounds the waist, from which are suspended a bowie and a hunter’s knife, and sometimes a brace of pistols.—E. Bryant, ‘What I saw in California,’ p. 366 (N.Y.).
1849. A speech traducing the South,—characterizing its citizens as among the most degraded in the civilized world,—charging them with being semi-barbarians, and knowing only a bowie-knife civilization!—Mr. Brown of Pennsylvania, House of Representatives, Jan. 30: Cong. Globe, p. 404.
1860. Col. Bowie made his elegant article between a hunting-knife and a sword, with a blade ten inches in length.—Oregon Argus, June 9.
1860. The Woodville (Miss.) Republican of this year contains an account of the fight in which about forty men were engaged, Col. Bowie leading one side. It occurred at Natchez in 1828.
1889. The little town of Ashby in Massachusetts, at one of its earliest war-meetings, voted “that each volunteer shall be provided with a revolver, a bowie-knife, and a Bible, and shall also receive ten dollars in money.”—J. D. Billings, ‘Hardtack and Coffee,’ p. 274.
*** As a consequence of a quarrel in the House of Representatives between John F. Potter and Roger A. Pryor, the latter issued a challenge, to which Mr. Potter’s second thus replied, Washington, April 12, 1860: “Sir—I have to state that my principal will fight Hon. Roger A. Pryor with the common bowie knife, at such place, private room or open air, in this District, as we may agree upon:…. distance four feet at commencement of engagement. Two seconds to be present to each principal. Knives of principals of equal weight and length of blade,” &c.—Richmond Enquirer, April 17, 1860, p. 2/7. [Mr. Potter was put under bonds to keep the peace.]
