Talk:James Bowie

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[edit] 2005 comments

I have tried to clean this article up but it needs some help. I don't know enough about Jim Bowie to make any major changes. It was in the present tense and I changed it to the past tense. If you can help, please do. maltmomma June 30, 2005 02:51 (UTC)

  • I took a look at the article and added a few tid-bits. Hope they're ok.

Tlincoln 8 July 2005 06:12 (UTC)tlincoln

Hall, email me at and let me know where to list the sources for the "line in the dust" story which I posted tonight, and which you deleted. I have sources, and don't mind listing them at all. It is a legitimate story, heavily documented in texas folklore. I can understand your needing to be sure that people are not simply putting what they want on articles -- but I am careful to only put in legitimate information. This is a real story, a documented and good one, and should be in the article! Thanks! OldWindybear

Hall -- I cited some of the sources the line in the dust story can be found in. It is a widely known and well cited story. Most historians discount the truth of it, but the fact it is so heavily carried, even today, shows the reputation that Bowie had for courage, and the effect that it had on others. old windy bear

For some reason, some folks don't want to accept Texas folklore as part of the legitimate Bowie history. It is sad, this encyclopedia is supposed to be about facts -- we cited facts, and sources, for the line in the dust story, and the story that Bowie, though dying in bed, fought for his life, and all of it was edited out. The age of political correctness hits the free encyclopedia! I give up, and won't contribute anymore. Sooner or later, you will drive all the better writers off...OLDWINDYBEAR

  • I am as well getting frustrated from meddling amateurs who are picking apart this well written and informative article. If you have a background in Texas history then I can accept your historical changes. If not, then I would have to question any changes. Ex:Why were the list of books changed? Our readers might want to order those books and read/research them for themselves. As for the 'folk-lore' about Bowie, I have no problem so long as it is cited as that, 'folk-lore'. There is room for all versions and debates, that is what makes history so fun, it's not exact. I echo what Oldwindybear stated, I too hate seeing a fine web-source like Wikipedia degenerate into the hands of censor/editing dilettantes. TLincoln
    • I thank TLincoln for waying in on the meddling amauters. The article which was picked apart was solid historically, and the "line in the dust" story was cited source wise as texas folklore -- and one of my degrees is in history from a texas college, and it is certainly taught there in Texas history, which is mandatory in school there! With a figure like Bowie, who has become "bigger than life" in this country, folklore is important to explain WHY his reputation grew so! As long as it is properly cited! I don't mind the editing in articles such as the recent one on Aetius where good history was cited, and a resolution was reached which cited varying viewpoints in such a manner that the purpose of this encyclopedia -- to give valid history from a variety of viewpoints -- is done. We are NOT HERE to sell one viewpoint or another! Or cater to people who change the list of books because they don't approve! Where are their credentials to delete books? If this keeps up, it drives out people who contribute a lot, and leaves those with agendas other than free education via spreading information...OLDWINDYBEAR He had went heaven when he died

[edit] Pronunciation

Hey - would someone like to add a bit on HOW TO CORRECTLY PRONOUNCE Jim Bowie's name? In Texas we pronounce it "Boo-eee" but others pronounce it "Bow-ee" ("bow" like bow and arrow). I'm not up on the history of the pronunciation or how to spell it with the International phonetic alphabet and such - but I think it would be useful. TuckerResearch 19:25, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

The disambiguation page for "Bowie" makes a claim about the pronunciation of Jim Bowie's name, which seems to me an odd place to put it. (It says he was "known to have used the original Scottish pronunciation".) My family's surnamed Bowie, and a number of my relatives vociferously claim he pronounced it like we do (i.e., the "Boo-ee" way), but I don't know of any documentation for the claim. Anyway, I'm going to go remove the (unsourced) pronunciation claim on the disambiguation page, and second the call for a pronunciation guide on the Jim Bowie page, as long as it's properly sourced. DBowie 21:40, 11 August 2006 (UTC)
I'm a Louisiana genealogist and I know several descendants of Jim's brother, Rezin Jr. Everyone in that branch pronounces it "Boo-ee", and they say that's how Rezin pronounced it as well. I believe there's a North Carolina Bowie family not directly connected to this one (not since they arrived from Scotland, anyway) that pronounces it "Boh-ee".--Michael K. Smith 19:24, 29 August 2007 (UTC)
Something official on the page in re: pronunciation might be nice. To further confuse matters, I know a family here on Long Island who pronounces their surname Bowie like that of a ship's bow, or boughs of holly. However, I've always heard people refer to Jim Bowie using the "Boo-ee" pronunciation. I've finished recording the spoken version of this article using the "Boo-ee" pronunciation, so I'm hoping no one soon finds evidence to suggest it was pronounced otherwise. Kevin F. Story (talk) 05:26, 3 January 2008 (UTC)
I've read the authoritative biography of Bowie and lots of other information about him, and nowhere have I seen an explanation of how he pronounced the name. If we can find a source, then we can definitely add an official pronunciation, but right now there isn't one that I have found. Karanacs (talk) 15:03, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Date of Birth

Bowie was born in Kentucky, likely on April 10, 1796.

What's the evidence for this statement? JackofOz 09:16, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Non-Texas Sources Needed

Seems like almost all the sources are Texan, but Bowie spent most of his adult life in Louisiana. I'm preparing a new, corrected edition of The Rezin Bowie Family of Louisiana by Virginia Lobdell Jennings (Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society, 1998), which includes considerable family background -- though not much on James himself. I'll pick out relevant material, including a citation for his birth date & place, and material on his early life, and get that included -- soon as I have the time. --Michael K. Smith 19:38, 29 August 2007 (UTC) (editor, Louisiana Genealogical Register)

[edit] Bowie and the Alamo

Why is there little information on Bowie at the Alamo? This article doesn't say anything except that he died there. There has to bemore information available than that.--LWF 02:46, 12 February 2007 (UTC)


-Because there is very little documentation on Bowie at the Battle of the Alamo once the actual siege started. I've seen little documented beyond that he was very ill either shortly before/after the seige started and was killed.

[edit] Infobox

This article had no infobox, so I have added a very basic one. Please update it to be more inline with the good quality of the rest of the article. Clegs 20:18, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] David Bowie claim

I don't think he took the stage name Bowie (directly) from Jim Bowie. I remember him saying in an interview that it was after the knife (because it "cut both ways"). A Geek Tragedy 17:18, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bowie myths

J.R. Edmondson's 2000 book, The Alamo Story-From History to Current Conflicts, tries to clear up some myths about Bowie. Page 296 debunks the idea that Bowie fell and broke his hip while at the Alamo. Page 120 reveals the location of the Sandbar Fight, which was not on the Vidalia sandbar, as has been reported in other books. From page 120, "Around 1930 the Army Corps of Engineers dredged a new channel, called Giles Cut-off, that straightened the river above Natchez. Ironically, the original site of the sandbar fight now exists on Giles Island on the Louisiana side of the river, just above Vidalia, although the land is still owned by the state of Mississippi." Page 121 deals with the myths of his two Louisiana lovers, Judalon de Bornay and Sybil Cade. Karanacs 17:21, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] GA

GA review (see here for criteria)
  1. It is reasonably well written.
    a (prose): b (MoS):
  2. It is factually accurate and verifiable.
    a (references): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR):
  3. It is broad in its coverage.
    a (major aspects): b (focused):
  4. It follows the neutral point of view policy.
    Fair representation without bias:
  5. It is stable.
    No edit wars etc.:
  6. It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate.
    a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
  7. Overall:
    Pass/Fail:

[edit] Maps?

I'm reviewing this for FA, and I feel there are one or two places where a map would be useful. I don't think this is necessary for FA, though, so I am just posting a comment here, in case the editors think it's a useful idea. The three possible maps that occurred to me are:

  • At the start of the "Land speculator" section: a map showing southern Louisiana, and perhaps southeastern Texas as far west as Galveston Island, would be helpful. This map could show the Mississippi, the borders of Louisiana, and the locations of New Orleans, Galveston Island, Opelousas, Alexandria, Natchez, and possibly the boundaries of Rapides Parish and Lafourche Parish, though that's trickier as it would look odd to outline them without any of the other counties outlined as well. If you do go far west enough to include Galveston Island, Nacogdoches might also be on the map, though it would not really be relevant at that point in the article.
  • A map to show San Antonio/Bexar, San Felipe, Nacogdoches, San Saba, Monclova.
  • Another possible map could show San Antonio and the relative locations of the Alamo and the missions mentioned: San Francisco de la Espada and San José y San Miguel de Aguayo, as well as the Concepcion. That's going to be hard if you can't find an old map of San Antonio.

Just some ideas. Mike Christie (talk) 22:03, 5 January 2008 (UTC)