Narrative

1

September 19, 1827

VIDALIA, LOUISIANA

For six long days I had ridden my old mule, Josh, from Bayou Chicot to Vidalia, Louisiana. We were to cross the Mississippi River there on a barge and then head on to Bethel Baptist Church in Woodville, Mississippi. I was really lookin’ forward to seeing my old friends at the church and meetin’ new ones. We arrived Wednesday mornin’ and went directly down to the river’s edge to catch a barge. When I got there, the dock was empty. There was one plump old man sittin’ on a crate with a fishin’ pole, surrounded by some hungry, brown pelicans.

Where’s all the barges? I asked. I need to cross to Natchez today, ‘cause I have a church meetin’ a little later this week.

The barge tender laid down his pole, got up slowly, and walked in my direction. He was a rough one and spoke with gruffness in his voice. "Well, you can wait ‘til they come back tonight and leave in the mornin’, or … you can swim it, mister. Ain’t no barges to be had today. Nope, no barges! Some crazy men from Alexandria took all the barges this mornin’. Yup, they’s crossin’ the river."

I know, you already told me that they went across to the other side.

I could tell he was irritated, ’cause his face got real red. No, they’s gonna fight it out. Ya know, a duel, an affair of honor.

I told ‘im, Oh, I heard some talk about a possible fight a couple weeks ago. Didn’t know it would come to this.

Yup, some men stayin’ at the Alexander House named Wells, Cuny, Bowie, and McWhorter, or somethin’ like ‘at. They’s headed for the sandbar in the oxbow of the river, just north of Natchez on the other side, to fight it out with a guy named Maddox. Yup, they’re crossin’ the river today.

There was only one name that I recognized. My heart began to pound. Bowie … Jim Bowie?

Yup, you know ‘em?

Sweat broke out on my forehead, and I had a real sick feelin’. "I’ve got to get there this mornin’."

Well, you ain’t gonna git there, ‘less you plan on swimmin’ it on that old mule of yours, and that’s just plain impossible. He pointed to the mighty, rollin’ river. I hear’d it’s only been done once, and that was by some crazy young preacher, but that was before my time here at the dock.

I couldn’t believe that anyone was still talkin’ about that swim I took with my old mule, Josh. Lookin’ up with a grin, I told ‘im, I was crazy then, and I’m just crazy enough to do it again. He looked at me as if he’d just heard a dog talk. I stopped and sized up Josh. Reality struck me hard when I saw ‘im. Josh had done me well, but he really was too old now, and I knew he couldn’t swim it again. Wasn’t sure I could, either.

Collectin’ my thoughts wasn’t easy. I just knew I had to get there. Where can I buy a mule colt? A molly will work, too. Quickly, tell me! Please.

"Go down that street a stretch, and you’ll find a horse trader. You can git a good mule there, but be careful. If you got any horse sense, use it well. Ya know what I mean?"

Sure do, I muttered as I walked away, all too well … some of ‘em are like some preachers I hear tell of.

I found the place without any trouble and went up to the trader. Mornin’. Do you have any mules for sale? I gotta get ‘cross that river today! He looked at me with curiosity and seemed to study me as he walked to the stall. After fumblin’ with the gate, he led out the only mule in the stable.

This here’s a good molly mule. She’s a good’un’, and she’ll give ya some good years. She’s as fit as a fiddle.

Reluctantly, I continued to explain my travels and preachin’ and how I needed a broke mule, not just a green-broke mule, ‘cause I had no time for trainin’. I never had used my bein’ a preacher to get someone’s favor, although others did, but this time I just had to, for it was a matter of my friend’s life. I’d have to ask God for forgiveness later. He just kinda smiled, nodded his head the whole time I was talkin’, and finally said, Yup, here’s the one for you. I will sell her to you for a good price, ‘cause of you bein’ a preach’r man.

His smile brought me little comfort. He acted as though he had not heard a single word I’d said. I took the mule from ‘im and snubbed her to a nearby tree. After prying her jaws apart and lookin’ at the lines on her teeth, I figured her to be ‘bout three years old. I walked ‘round and touched her and even tried to spook her. She didn’t respond except to look at me with her big, brown eyes as if to say, What’s your problem? When I climbed on her back, she did not flinch—too much.

He tried to sell her for the price of a broke mule that had just won a horse race, but I made a deal with ‘im and paid a reasonable price, for a green-broke mule, that is. It didn’t take me long to settle on a name. She kinda looked like a Sally. She looked older than her years ‘cause of her flea-bitten, gray-hair coat, so I named her Ole Sally. I asked ‘im to keep Josh there ‘til I got back the next week. I told ‘im, I’ll pay ya, and he don’t eat much.

The trader looked at Josh and grinned. He’s too old to even be a good steal. Josh backed his ears and brayed as if he had understood. We both chuckled.

My trip back to the waterfront was easy. The river between Vidalia and Natchez was narrower, but it was still a far piece to swim. Ole Sally was cooperative as we eyed the water near the barge dock. I took a deep seat, a faraway look, and kept my mind on that opposite shore. I remembered Rachel once tellin’ me, Joseph, no river is too wide if you want what’s on the other side. I wanted my friend to live, but obviously Rachel had not seen the Mississippi. But, my friend’s life was enough reason to try and swim the river ‘gain.

After securing everythin’ tightly on Ole Sally’s saddle and cinchin’ her saddle up real tight, we waded into the warm, muddy water. At first it was sandy, but then we could feel the mud and plants almost as thick as a swamp. We walked until Ole Sally could no longer touch the bottom. Bein’ free of that thick, weighty mud was a welcomed relief. She swam for a short distance, and then the current began to take over.

We had not gone far when Ole Sally’s eyes widened, and she began to lunge frantically in the river. I tried my best to calm her down and couldn’t see anything to bring her that much fear. My eyes skimmed the top of the water, and not far from us was a pair of water moccasins. I did not know their destination, but I knew that two of ‘em meant extreme trouble for us, ‘cause I could not keep my eyes on both of ‘em as they circled while Ole Sally almost drowned us both.

Ole Sally was desperately fightin’ to escape, and we started bobbin’ and goin’ under. She pulled me with her. I had to struggle to keep her movin’ away from those snakes. As she came up, she snorted and made some horrible noise. I prayed. Please, Lord, save us. Help us not to drown.

Under we went, into the murky water again. This time, I somehow got tangled in my rope when the piggin’ string broke … the one that tied it to my saddle horn. I had to cut myself free with a little gift that Jim had given me months before. The swift current seemed to push at us from all directions. I could see the surface but could not seem to break to the top. Suddenly, I remembered why I was doin’ this and found what little strength was left in me.

The fresh air in my lungs smelled mighty good. Not far away, Ole Sally came up, too. Her wide eyes said it all. I grabbed her tail and held tightly as she treaded water and moved forward. I think fear drove her to keep goin’. Thankfully, the moccasins were nowhere in sight. We both relaxed a lil’ and kept movin’ southward with the strong current. The only problem was that we needed to be goin’ east, to the other side. It was almost by instinct that Ole Sally kept us goin’ toward the far banks of the river. Eventually we came to the shallows on the other side and walked out—both of us exhausted.

There were quite a few onlookers as we came ashore. A weather-aged man rowed up in his li’l fishin’ boat. Hey, glad to see you made it. I thought you and that mule were goners. Sure looked like you both were gonna drown.

Bent over with my hands on my knees, all I could do was glance up at ‘im and shake my head. Not hardly—at least not today!

A puzzled thirteen-year-old face looked at Joseph intently. But, Great-Grandpa, I don’t understand why you would risk your life for someone who was gonna kill someone else?

Dan, ya gotta dance with the one who brung ya. Dan looked confused, and Joseph snickered and continued to explain. I was loyal to my friend, Jim, and I wanted to stop this duel from happenin’. I believed that if I could get to ‘im, I might be able to save his life, maybe others, too. Dan, if you want to have a friend, you got to be a friend. Oh, where was I? Let me tell you what happened next….

By that time, it was mid-mornin’. I had to find the sandbar. The river’s current had brought us further south than I had eyed earlier, so we needed to head back north to Natchez. It did not take us long to find a worn trail to the road, where I inquired about the remainin’ distance. You got to go a mile or so due north.

I no longer felt confident we’d make it by noon. Maybe I should have just gone up the river’s edge, but it was not an easy journey with the rocks and trees. Ole Sally was able to keep a pretty good pace throughout the mornin’, even though I knew she was worn out. So was I.

The September sun dried us quickly, and the thick, woodsy foliage kept us from bakin’. We passed many slaves on the road. Some were chained at the ankles, some at the neck, and some had wrist chains. There were several bare-backed men with hideous scars from the whip. There was a mixture of old scars and fresh, new ones. I could not help but wonder what they had done to receive the wrath of their masters.

As I passed ‘em, I remembered my own days as a slave, but it was nothin’ like this. My heart ached for ‘em, and I quietly prayed for each man’s well-bein’. Strangely, I only saw one woman on the road that day, and she was tied to the back of a carriage and bein’ forced to run behind it—or be dragged. I especially prayed for her as I remembered my mother who had been a Cherokee slave.

My heart felt heavy when we finally reached Natchez. The town was crazy with talk about the fight. It was after 1:00, and I had missed it. No one was able to tell me any details, but I had that sick feelin’ ‘gain. We made our way through the town and headed toward the banks of the river. Three young men came runnin’ toward me.

Do you have news of the duel? Can you tell me if I’m on the right road?

Mister, the fight’s over … two dead, and four bloodied terribly!

My heart stopped. Boys, do you know who died? Who was killed? I climbed off Ole Sally and led her to the top of a grassy knoll. From there I could see the deserted sandbar and some barges halfway back ‘cross the river. I got the impression from hearin’ those young’uns talk that they had been hidin’ in the woods and seen the whole thing happen.

I ask ‘em, What happened? Was Jim Bowie there? They all seemed to talk at once. After listenin’ carefully, I put some of the pieces together. There were two dead men, and one was Wright. I remember now that Jim had talked about ‘im in very unchristian terms just a couple weeks before. A while back, Jim had asked Wright’s bank for a loan, and they had denied ‘im. Was it possible that Jim had killed Wright?

I sat on the grass and put my head down. Oh, how I had tried to stop that fight from happenin’! The boys continued talkin’ amongst themselves about how the first two men had fired at each other and missed. They reloaded, shot again, and missed. They were ready to call it quits and even shook hands, but a man from one side came out and started yellin’ at the other, sayin’ somethin’ like, We’re goin’ to end our differences today.

Their story got a little cloudy in the tellin’ about all the shootin’ and stabbin’, but the jist of what they’d seen was that the two secondaries had shot at each other and missed, and one hit Jim instead. He fell, they shot at each other ‘gain, and one was shot in the chest and killed.

One boy said, You should have seen this Bowie guy. He pulled out this big ole’ knife! Didn’t even have a gun. Came to a duel with no gun. He was fightin’ mad and raised up to strike like a mean ole’ rattlesnake. Even though he had a bullet in ‘im, he went after the guy that shot and killed the other man. They were fightin’ by hand, and he hit Bowie in the head with his gun so hard that the gun broke into pieces. Bowie used his knife on ‘im.

It’s a wonder that Jim was alive when they put ‘im on the barge. He was shot to pieces and stabbed at least six or seven times. I had told Jim weeks before that if this happened it would not end well.

Dan patted Joseph’s shoulder gently. "But, Great-Grandpa, how’d you know there might be a fight?

Joseph sat for a few moments, gazing at a flock of migrating Sandhill Cranes. In his own mind, he had relived this encounter as if it were yesterday.

Son, I was at Ezra Bennett’s store a few weeks before—you know, the one at Eldred’s Bend on Bayou Boeuf. I remember every single detail from that day. How could I ever forget?

2

September 6, 1827

EZRA BENNETT’S STORE

ELDRED’S BEND ON BAYOU BOEUF

The sweat seemed to pour off my head, and even my hat could not sop it up fast enough. It was a hot, humid day like most every other day that summer. Certainly was glad to see Bennett’s store just up ahead. I could sure use some water for me and my mule, Josh, along with a new bridle he would need for our trip over to Mississippi.

We were headed to Bethel Baptist Church for a revival meetin’. It was the first time I had been back since I was ordained, and I was really lookin’ forward to preachin’ there. It held a special place in my heart, being the first church I ever helped organize. I did not have long to think back on my early days as we broke through the clearin’.

The little store was right up ahead. Mind you, it was not a big store like you’d find in Alexandria, but I never cared for those big stores in Alex. My dear wife Hannah would always buy things we didn’t need there. I was always amazed at how much he had in that little place, though. Some of the plantation owners and their families got their mail there.

I could always count on Bennett to fill my ears with the latest news ‘round the area. A one-horse buggy was hitched to the rail outside. Openin’ the door, I was hit with a musty coolness, for the building sat under some shade trees, but there was also the mixed aroma of cookin’ herbs, leather, fresh bread, and maybe even a little sweet perfume. Bennett was helping a couple when I walked in.

I’m helpin’ Bowie here now, but I’ll be with you in just a moment.

The customer with dirty-blond hair wiped his hand on his buckskins as he turned to look at me. His face lit up as he gave me a hearty handshake.

Pastor Willis, what ’n the world ya doin’ here? Oh, I want you to meet my fiancée, Cecelia Wells. He grabbed her by the hand and almost took her off balance as he dragged her ‘cross the floor. He’s the one I was tellin’ ya all about. He’s the Baptist preacher man who gets churches started. Lookin’ again at me with his big, grey eyes, he said, We’re gettin’ married but haven’t set a date yet. We’ll let you know when it’s gonna be. I would love to have you there and would be honored if you’d get us hitched.

Slow down, Jim. I was in a full laugh by now. I’ve not even had the honor of sayin’ ‘hello’ to your bride-to-be. I removed my sweaty hat and turned to this unusually attractive young woman. I bowed and said, Nice to meet you, Miss Wells. Sure hope you like huntin’ and fishin’, ‘cause that’s ‘bout all he knows. Better yet, I hope you know how to cook all his catches. I could just tell they were a happy couple but couldn’t resist givin’ Jim a little jab. Well, Jim, even an ole blind hog finds an acorn every now and then. Looks to me like you’re marryin’ up.

Everyone laughed, including Mr. Bennett.

I think I can hold my own in that department, Miss Wells responded. She touched her ringlets to make sure none had moved too far from her tidy little bow. She held her ribboned bonnet by her side. Her stylish bonnet even