Photo: rehtwogunraconteur.com

Bowie gathered 10 men, and along with his brother Rezin, headed for the mine. Tres Manos fired up two-hundred warriors and attacked Bowie. This happened on November 21, 1831 near Calf Creek. A historical marker marks the spot today. Bowie’s outfit quickly built a breastwork of rocks and fought fiercely. Tres Manos set fire to the brush around Bowie twice, trying to flush out the men. Fortune and the wind favored Bowie, blowing the fires around and away from them. Bowie lost one man with several injured, and eighty Indians were killed by Bowie’s crew. Bowie returned to San Antonio to care for his wounded men. Jim Bowie’s wife and children contracted cholera and he took them to Mexico where they died.

Bowie took to drinking and never returned to the mine. Many have searched for the mine, but no one has found it yet. To this day, somewhere near Menard is – in today’s value – a billion dollars’ worth of silver. There are many variations of this legend and each variation carries contradictions of the other legends, perhaps the reason for the rich silver mine remaining lost.

Many a rancher and deer hunter has no doubt walked right over the lost mine. But it’s still out there, waiting for the lucky person that discovers it again, somewhere near Menard, somewhere in the Texas Hill Country.