The Great Sandbar Fight February 2, 1836, 15 days after James “Jim” Bowie arrived at the Alamo and surveyed its worthiness, he wrote to Governor Smith asking for help in defending the Alamo: 'The salvation of Texas depends in great measure on keeping Bexar out of the hands of the enemy. It serves as the frontier picquet guard, and if it were in the possession of Santa Anna, there is no stronghold from which to repel him in his march toward the Sabine. Colonel Neill and myself have come to the solemn resolution that we will rather die in these ditches than give it up to the enemy.” Bowie had a number of faults but also strong convections, this is why Sam Houston sent him to the Alamo.
Bowie became famous as a result of a feud with Rapides Parish, La. Sheriff Norris Wright. Bowie had supported Wright's opponent in the race for Sheriff, and Wright, a bank director, had been instrumental in turning down a loan for Bowie. After a confrontation in Alexandria one afternoon, Wright fired a shot at Bowie and missed. Bowie now resolved to carry his hunting knife at all times. The knife blade was 9.25 inches long and 1.5 inches wide.
The following year, 1827, Bowie and Wright attended a duel on a sandbar outside of Natchez Mississippi. Bowie was second for the duelist Samuel Wells, while Wright was second for Wells's opponent, Dr. Maddox. The duelists each fired two shots and missed, after neither man had been injured they resolved their duel with a handshake. Other attendees had various reasons for disliking each other and began fighting. Bowie was shot in the hip, and after regaining his feet, he drew a knife and charged his attacker. The man hit Bowie over the head with his empty pistol, breaking the pistol and knocking Bowie to the ground. Sheriff Wright shot at and missed the prone Bowie, who returned fire. Wright drew his sword cane and impaled Bowie. When Wright attempted to retrieve his blade by placing his foot on Bowie's chest and tugging, Bowie pulled him down and disemboweled Wright with his large knife. Wright died instantly. Bowie, with Wright's sword still protruding from his chest, was shot again and stabbed by another member of the group. Doctors who had been present for the duel removed the bullets and patched Bowie's wounds.
Newspapers picked up the story and named it the Sandbar Fight, describing in detail Bowie's fighting prowess and his unusual knife. Witnesses all agreed that Bowie did not attack first, and the other combatants had focused their attack on Bowie because 'they considered him the most dangerous man among their opposition.' Bowie's reputation as a superb knife fighter was set in history along with his “Bowie Knife”.
February 3, 1836: William B. Travis arrives at the Alamo.