Last Friday morning broke beautiful and clear as a “mid summer’s dream,” and was hailed as an omen of the long anticipated pleasures of the grandest gala day ever witnessed in the good old county of Hardeman. Long before sunup the roads leading into Bolivar were thronged with countless numbers, all of whom were wending their way to the spot where an offering was to be made to the memory of our hero dead. By ten o’clock one of the largest assembles ever congregated in this vicinity had been admitted to the enclosure around the ring, and it was truly gratifying to note that the audience was composed of the beautiful and true – of lovely women and brave and gallant men – all drawn together for the purpose of witnessing the Knightly exercises and enjoying the excitement of the occasion of the first grand tournament ever held in this vicinity.
At half past eleven o’clock Rev. E. H. OSBORNE, the acknowledged scholar and pulpit Orator of the Western District, appeared upon the stand and delivered one of the most beautiful orations to which it has ever been our good fortune to listen. His remarks often elicited the applause of the vast “sea of heads,” and were hailed as appropriate and matchless. As soon as the gifted gentleman had closed his warm and impassioned address, Col. M. T. POLK, through his Assistant Marshall, Mr. Jas. C. FLEMING, announced the names of the Knights who had entered for the prize – a splendid riding horse, valued at $350 – as follows: Knight of the Old Dominion, A. C. BREWER, of Marshall county, Miss.; Knight of Hope, Jack WILKERSON; Knight of Hatchie, Austin STATLER; Knight of Mazeppa, Jno. C. HUNT; Rebel Knight of Dixie, Alex SWINEBROAD; Knight of Ivanhoe, Joe. PORTER, of Fayette; Rob Roy, Wm TATUM, of Fayette; Knight of the Stricken Heart, Capt. TUCKER, of Memphis; so Called, W. HARDAWAY, of Miss.; Knight of A Day, Ed BLALOCK; Knight of the White Plume, N. B. CROSS, of Hardeman; Knight of One O’Clock, Tommy JOYNER; Black Prince, Ed. M. WALKER, of Miss. – 14 in all.
The first three tilts resulted in a tie between the following knights; Old Dominion and Ivanhoe – both of whom took nine rings each, all the others failing to secure nine rings at three tilts. It was then announced that Ivanhoe and Old Dominion would contend for the prize. Both of the knights seemed to nerve themselves for the struggle, and Old Dominion led off with the following result – 2, 3, 3, – 8: Ivanhoe, at the sound of the bugle, was at his post and “ready for the fray.” The result of his tilts were – 2, 3, 2, – 7, thus losing the prize by one ring. Old Dominion,as the successful knight, wore his honors with becoming dignity and evinced the true spirit of knighthood.
The contest for the horse being ended, next in order came the crowning of the Queen and her maids. Old Dominion crowned Miss Bettie NEELY, of Bolivar, Queen of Love and Beauty; Ivanhoe crowned Miss Narcissa BUTLER first Maid of Honor; and the next four successful knights crowned the following ladies; Miss Mary E. HARKINS of Bolivar; Miss Kate FENTRESS of Bolivar; Miss Anna SHAW, of Fayette. The gallant knights could not have desired a more gifted circle of beauties to chose their favorites from, for really it seemed as though: “The loveliest and the fair, Had congregated there.”
As soon as the Queen and her maids had been escorted back to their seats, it was announced that a prize would be rode for by “the greenhorn squad,” that is, those who never tilted at rings for a prize before. Numerous entries were made, and many ineffectual attempts made to bear off the palm by those who contributed no little to the day’s amusement. The prize was finally won by Mr. MEACHEN, of Tippah county, Miss. This ended the exercises at the grounds on the first day, but before allowing the crowd to disperse the Chief Marshal, in his usual to-the-point way of doing business, informed all present that a grand concert would be given at the Depot building by the yound ladies of Bolivar for the same purpose for which the tournament had been held.
By five o’clock the amphitheater was deserted and preparations were made on all sides for attending the musical treat that was in store. After team we wended our way to the impromptu concert hall and found that the large freight room had been put in excellent order for the occasion and that hundreds of ladies and gentlemen had already procured seats. The young ladies and the gentlemen assisting them, entertained the audience with rich and rare gems from celebrated authors in a style second not to the opera justice and give a perfect pen-portrait of the concert, but acknowledge our lack of the “descriptive in nature and art” to do so, and can only add, that those who failed to attend missed a beautiful scene that will long be a green spot in memory’s waste with those who heard and saw what transpired on that pleasant occasion.
The ladies who took part in the concert were Miss Kate FENTRESS, Miss Irene MCNEAL, Miss Mary E. HARKINS, Miss Ida FENTRESS, Miss Bettie NEELY, Miss Fannie GRAY, Miss Ella JOY, Miss Fannie WOOD, Miss Lucy WILKERSON, Miss Maggie WILKERSON, Miss Emma THOMPSON, of Columbia, Miss, Narcissia BUTLER, of Jackson, Mrs. Jerome HILL, Miss Ophelia WOOD, and Miss Mary JONES; the following named gentlemen were also upon the stage Mr. W. S. BROOKS, J. W. TATE, W. V. ROBERTSON, J. J. DUPREY, and Prof. MELLENS of Fayette county. With the closing of the concert ended all that could be done on the first day.
Early on the morning of Saturday, the roads were again thronged with persons on their way to the tournament grounds – it having been announced the evening before that a find Diamond Ring and a prize Whip would be contested for. By eleven o’clock the amphitheater was again teeming with gentlemen and beautiful women. As soon as was practical the Marshal announced that a trial of horsemanship would take place – prize, a fine gold mounted riding whip, and that a committee of young ladies should be the judges and award the championship to the knight, who, in their judgement, should be deemed the most graceful equestrian. The following ladies were selected as the judges: Miss Irene MCNEAL, Miss Susan BROWN of Jackson, Miss Maggie DORION, Miss Mattie TAYLOR, Miss Fannie SCURLOCK of Jackson, Miss Sallie PYBASS, Miss Mattie HUGHES, Miss Jennie BOWERS.
After a fair and impartial test the prize was bestowed upon Captain TUCKER, of Memphis, who is, undoubtedly, the best horseman in the South. Next in order came the feature of the day – the contest for the diamond ring. For this there were thirteen entries; Knight of the Old Dominion, A. C. BREWER; knight of Douglas, Ed. M. WALKER; knight of Misfortune, Wm. MCKEE; knight of Violet Jones, Capt. TUCKER; knight of the Imprisoned Chief, Wm TATUM; knight of the Southern Cross, Alexander SWINEBROAD; knight of Ivanhoe, Joe PORTER; knight of Billy Bowlegs, W. HARDAWAY; knight of the Red Plume, Austin STATLER; knight of the Grey Jacket, M. S. MEACHEN; knight of the White Plume, N. B. CROSS of Hardeman; knight of the Wild Horse, Ed. BLALOCK; Forrest Knight of the 7th Regiment, N. Emmett HUGHES. We subjoin the following as the result of the contest; Three tilts, Misfortune, 3, 3, 3; Billy Bowlegs 3, 3, 3; White Plume, 3, 3, 3: Old Dominion, 2, 3, 3; Douglas, 3, 3, 2, Ivanhoe, 3, 2, 3. The others doing well. Misfortune, Bowlegs and White Plume tied. Second contect – Misfortune, 3, 3, 3,; Bowlegs, 2, 2; White Plume, 3, 3, 3. Misfortune and White Plume tied. Third contest – Misfortune 3, 2, 3; White Plume, 3, 3, 3 – winning by one ring, and making an unprecedented run of twenty-seven in nine tilts.
Miss Irene MCNEAL, of Bolivar, was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty by the Knight of the White Plume; Miss Sallie BLACK, first maid of honor, by the knight of Misfortune; Miss Florence JOY, second maid of honor, by the Knight of Billy Bowlegs; Miss Mary JONES of Fayette, third maid of honor, by the Knight of Douglas; Miss Mary E. HARKINS, of Bolivar, fourth Maid or Honor, by the Knight of the Old Dominion, be transferring the honor to the Knight of the Red Plume.
The exercises of the day wound up with a grand Masquerade, the prize being awarded “to the man on the mule,” who represented one of Roddy’s ragged brigade. Nothing which we have witnessed excelled the tournament here when taken as a whole. There was not the least objection to anything on the part of the Knights, and the audience was all that could be desired. We cannot close this article, in justice to all concerned, without giving a list of the officers and their valuable assistants;
Judges: Gen’l William H. JACKSON, of Jackson, Tenn., J. J. POLK, of Hardeman; C. H. ANDERSON, Esq., of Hardeman; Dr. Jesse BURFORD, of Fayette; Jno. LAMBERT, of Hardeman; and Jesse BLALOCK, of Hardeman.
Marshals: Col. M. T. POLK; Capt. T. H. HANCOCK; Jas. C. FLEMING; N. Emmett HUGHES; Jno. LAMBERT; Geo M. DUGAN; A. Foster FLEMING; M. R. PARRISH.
Guards: W. W. McCARLEY; Miles SEDBURRY; Jno. R. RUFFIN; New’t CLINTON; Alex. GILCHRIST; Mat. DEATON.
Ring Hangers: Henry POWELL; Bill THOMPSON; and Mr. CASTLEBERRY.
Many distinguished persons from abroad were in attendance. From every side comes the gratifying intelligence that the Bolivar tournament was THE grand affair of the season, and it is really pleasing to our citizens to know that all who attended say that it was a complete success. Soon we will speak of the proceeds and give a faithful account. To our contemporaries we, in behalf of the managers of the tournament, tender a thousand thanks for the kindly notices which they, from time to time, gave it in their respective journals, and shall always hold ourselves in readiness to conform to any request that may be made of us. The various gentlemen who assisted the officers in ways to numerous to mention will please consider that the thanks of the managers of the tournament as due them, and always remember that it is impossible for a journalist to “call names” when he was dealing with a legion of warm hearts and open hands.
The 12th and 13th of October, 1866, will long be remembered by the citizens of this county, and as memory goes “sounding down the corridors of time” no brighter incident in their lives will be revealed than that interwoven with grand tournament at Bolivar.
The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.), 20 Oct. 1866, Page 1. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
