Emily Wharton Sinkler recalls the Pineville Lancing Tournament
Edited by Warner M.Warner@TheColumMboinatSgtoarm.coemry

Emily Wharton (1842- 1865), daughter of a prominent Philadelphia lawyer, married Charles Sinkler of Eutawville and moved south to begin a new life. Her great- great- granddaughter, Anne Sinkler Whaley LeClercq, collected

her letters in the book Between North

and South,the Letters of Emily Wharton

Sinkler, 1842- 1865. The following excerpt describes Emily's visit to the Pineville Lancing Tournament of 1851:

Easter Sunday was the most splendid day I ever saw…We left (Stateburg) Monday morning and arrived at Eutaw in very good time the same day. We found the house quite full of company who came down from Columbia, en route for the Tournament…

The next day, after dinner, Anna and William, Charles and I with our respective children, set off, as Pineville is 18 miles from Eutaw, and the tilt was to begin at 10:30…

Accordingly, we went to Bluford, the residence of Mr. William DuBose, who has been a widower for 25 years, and his large house has taken care of itself without a lady ever since. You never saw such an antiquated air as everything wore, old servants, old furniture, old everything! …

Wednesday was as bright and beautiful a day as could be desired. Anna baneadu I- , paecrceompanied by Charles and the , Lizzie, Wharton, and Henry repaired to the ground and took our places in the ladies stand.

As we arrived early, we got excellent places and had time to inspect the premises before the show began. There were about 200 ladies present. Some were in carriages, but mostly in the stand and from various parts of the country from Charleston and Columbia. There were also strangers.

The Judges' stands were decorated with flags, etc., and directly in front of the ladies stand was the Ring suspended from something looking like a Gallows.

At last, along the winding road "The Knights" were seen at full speed approaching, the trumpets sounding, aYanndk aese tDheoyo ddlreew near the Band struck up , of all things for this anti- Yankee state. At last, they came before the stage, 30 in all, lances glittering and flags flying and after some maneuvering the steeds were drawn up, lances lowered and the ladies saluted.

Mr. Mazyck Porcher, (of Mexico Plantation) who is now quite well, was the King at Arms, very handsomely dressed in the Sir Walter Raleigh style. He directed the whole affair and deserves great credit. He was attended by a Moor in full costume whose business it was to pick up the ring when it dropped, which he did with great solemnity.

William Sinkler was Herald; his dress was very handsome, blue velvet trimmed with silver, hat and plumes, gauntlets, etc., his horse was beautifully caparisoned.

After the saluting was over, the Tilting began. The object was to carry off the Ring on the lance, a very difficult matter, and each Knight came full speed pointing his lance directly at the Ring, many throwing it off on the ground and many failing entirely. At each attempt the trumpet would sound, and the Herald and the Master of the Horse would announce the title of the Knight.

When each of the 27 had a trial, they defiled past to the place of starting. There were six trials and when it was all concluded the judges pronounced the Knight of Carolina, a young man Morton Waring, had carried off the Ring the greatest number of times. He was therefore directed to choose a Queen, which the poor youth did with much trepidation. He chose Miss Elizabeth Porcher.

After this, the judges selected the Knight whose costume was the handsomest and ridden the most gracefully. Our friend Julius Porcher, "The Knight of Walworth" was selected for the former and Keating Palmer, "Knight of the Grove" for the latter.

…The victorious Knight crowned the Queen with a wreath of white roses and she in return crowned him with a wreath of laurel. The other two Knights, then kneeling, received from the hands of their maids of honor, the one a scarf for the best costume, and the other a pair of spurs for the best riding.

This over, the Herald in the name of the King of Arms, the Master of Horse and himself invited the Knights and the company to a collation, to which of course all repaired. It was by this time 3 o'clock and the collation being very much like a supper at a ball was very acceptable.

In the evening there was a regular Ball given by the Knights to which Charles, Anna, and I did not go. When the collation was over, it was too late to go back to Eutaw, so Anna and I paid two visits and then went back to Bluford, where we passed the night and were returned to Eutaw the next morning.