12. James Bowie gained fame as an Indian fighter in 1832
In January 1832, James Bowie led a larger party to the west, seeking out hostile Indians along the Colorado River, before he planned to resume the search for the lost silver mine. As Colonel of the militia, Bowie organized and led a party of 26 men west into the Indian country, departing from Gonzales on January 23, 1832. For the next ten weeks, they scoured the country in search of hostile Indians, though the war parties, if there were any, successfully eluded them. Nonetheless, Colonel Bowie, as a result of the 1831 battle and his efforts in 1832, gained the reputation as an intrepid Indian fighter.
When Bowie returned, he went to Natchez to attend to his business affairs. He learned that the Mexican commander of the garrison at Nacogdoches had demanded that the citizens of Texas under his jurisdiction surrender their firearms. The commander, Jose de las Piedras, was concerned over the increasing tension between the mostly American citizens of several towns and the Mexican authorities. The Texas militia organized an army of 300 men to besiege Nacogdoches. Bowie raced to join them. On August 2, 1832, the commander of the Texans demanded Piedras rescind the order to surrender their firearms. He refused. The situation then descended into the Battle of Nacogdoches, often called the first shot of the Texas Revolution.