RSS Feed
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Pineville, a historic refuge
The events of that day were reported in Charleston newspapers. Herbert Ravenel Sass reproduced the accounts in his Adventures in Green Places in 1920. He wrote this plantation pageantry "in the gay little capital of St. Stephen and St. John's" brought back "with extraordinary vividness the glamour of the great days." The following report has been paraphrased. Crowds came from Charleston and surrounding plantations to the Pineville Race Track on River Road. They parked their wagons and carriages behind the white, canvas- covered Grand Pavilion. The pavilion's entrance was supported by four Doric columns decorated with red, white, and blue drapes. Inside were stands for spectators. Banners with the colors and mottos of gallant knights waved in the spring breeze.
On either side of the pavilion were smaller stands similarly decorated. The lists (competition areas) were marked off in front of the pavilion. In the center of the lists was the post for the ring, the target of the knight's lance. Across the lists, in front of the pavilion's entrance, was the judges' stand, which was adorned with all the knights' banners and a larger banner with a quotation from John C. Calhoun: The beautiful young women, "Carolina's fairest flowers," filed into the pavilion modestly waving decorative handkerchiefs. Bugles sounded. Everyone stood in anticipation. From the far woods, a magnificent procession appeared. Buglers first, then heralds (William H. Sinkler and Dr. Christopher FitzSimons) bearing staffs topped with ceremonial banners. The King- at- Arms (William Mazyk Porcher) and the Master- of- Horse (Col. Edwin DuBose) rode side- by- side with Moors (black servants) holding their stirrups. The knights, four by four, marched across the field to polite ovation. As they approached the pavilion, their medieval cavalry formed a single line. The ladies smiled behind fluttering fans as their gentlemen passed once, twice, then halted, and faced the King- at- Arms. At command, the horsemen simultaneously lowered their lances, a gentlemen's salute. The King- at- Arms, astride his proud bay draped in azure horsecloth ornamented with silver stars and crescents, raised his gilded baton, "Look to the pavilion, honorable knights, at its beautiful occupants. Their eyes are on you. You must brave danger, but you also must fear shame. Your ladies will reward prowess or punish cowardice." Then he wheeled away to his place opposite the pavilion. The Master- of- Horse led the knights down the lists to great applause. At the end they formed a line and waited as the buglers and heralds informed the King- at- Arms they were ready to tilt. The King- at- Arms nodded to the Moor dressed in costume finery. The elegant black man strode on the field and made the final adjustments to the glittering ring atop the cypress post. The tilting began. One by one, the heralds announced a knight's name, the bugle sounded, and the knight charged up the lists at full speed. As he approached the post, he lowered his lance and attempted to remove the ring. Once past the post, the knight continued to the other end of the lists and reined up his steed. The bugler called the second knight, the third, and on to the last. Each charged the ring. After all knights completed the course, they returned and did it again. At the conclusion of six courses, the King- at- Arms dispatched a herald to the knights with a message to appear before the judges to hear the decisions. The knights marched slowly down the lists as the audience waited with breathless anticipation. The first prize, announced by the chief judge, went to the Knight of South Carolina (Morton Waring) for taking the most rings. Handsome young Waring, blushing with pride, reined up his steed before the judges, and bowed humbly. Then, he pranced his horse across to the pavilion and lowered the point of his lance at the feet of Miss Elizabeth Porcher saying, "I proclaim you Queen of Love and Beauty." The second prize, for best device (technique), went to the Knight of Walmorth (Julius Porcher). After being praised by the judges, he lowered his lance at the feet of Miss Inglesby of Charleston, saying, "I choose thee first Maid of Honor." The third prize, for the most graceful coursing, went to the Knight of the Grove (Keating Palmer). He chose Miss Bailey as second Maid of Honor. The King- at- Arms and the heralds ushered the prize- winners into the pavilion. At an imposing ceremony, the first prize winner crowned his queen with a wreath of white roses. She, in turn, placed a wreath of gilded laurels upon her knight's head. The second prize winner received a rich azure scarf, and the third prize winner a pair of silver- plated spurs. The king, heralds, and knights mounted their steeds, passed down the lists, and rode across River Road into Pineville where a Banquet Hall had been constructed. They formed two lines and raised their banners and lances. The queen and her maids of honor led a procession toward the Banquet Hall. As she passed each knight, he lowered his lance in salute.
After all the ladies had entered the hall, the gentlemen dismounted and repaired for the evening's dining and dancing. In addition to the winning knights, those who had participated in the tournament and attended the ball were (The following drawings came from the Alexandria, Virginia Gazette of August 28, 1841, in a story of the lancing tournament held in Fauquier White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, now part of West Virginia.) (Next week: J.K. Gourdin School) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
)