Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-25
"CHICKS" vs.. BLUFFS"
The Competitive Drill i'm the "Manual OF
Arms between the Two Crack Mill
tary Companies Of Memphis, Yes
terday, at the FAIRGROUNDS.
COntest-It is a Hard WOn Victory,
Alike Creditable to the YictOrs
and Vanquished-Ete.

Yesterday was a gala day at the Changers
| fairgrounds, some four miles out on the
Charleston railroad. The day was announced
as being set apart as a general reunion, to
| citizens generally were cordially invited.
The attendance from the country districts was
| not as large as expected, but the crowd
| from the city was great, about two thousand
| people being present. The grand and adj
joining stands were crowded with ladies and
gentlemen, youths and children, and the
great attraction with them was the military
contest in the manual of arms between the
Chickasaw Guards and Bluff CITY Grays.
The grangers' barbecue in the forenoon,
was most successful, plenty of bar
becued meat being provided for all
1t might not be amiss to state that the barbe
ere and entertainment was not the work of
the grangers as body, but was an enterprise
gotten up by two or three gentlemen, and by
it they made a thousand or more dollars.
When the military companies agreed to drill
at the fairgrounds. they thought that the
admittance to the grounds would be free, but
| it was soon announced that the admittance
| would be seventy five cents, and twenty-five
cents would be charged as railroad fare for
the round trip. The companies managed to
get the admittance to the fairgrounds down
| to fifty cents. 1t ought to have been twenty
five cents. Indeed, the drill ought to have
been free to everybody. The companies be-
long to the city, and everybody was interest
ed in the contest. Thousands of citizens were
disappointed in notseeing the drill, the mat
ter of seventy-fve cents being an obstacle in
the way of many. The great majority of
people present went to see the drill, and it
was too costly an affair, but in future drills
it will be better managed.
THE DRILL.
At quarter-past four o'clock the Chicka-
saw Guards took the field in front of the
grand stand, and commenced work. The
judges were as follows: For the Chickasaw
Guards Avery Lamb, ex-ieatenant of
the company; for the Bluff City Grays-Mr.
Pres Smith, ex-member of the Chickasaw
Guards. The third judge was Lieutenant
Holmes, of the Thirteenth infantry, stationed
at Little Rock, Arkansas. The ''Chicks"
went through the manual of arms" and the
other movements laid down 10 Upton's tao
ticts under that head, in brilliant style. Many
OF their movements were excellent, while
others were imperfect. It was remarked by
the knowing ones that the "Chicks" did not
drill as well as they did at Huntsville. There
were quite number of individual errors
committed, but no company errors were
charged up to them by the judges. A COM
pany error counted tweoty-eight, the num-
her of men In line participating IN tine con-
test. The "Chicks" drilled for three-ouar-
tiers of an hour, and then marched off the
grounds amid the applause of the spectators.
The Bluff City Grays then took the field
and went through the manual and the move
nlents as laid down in the tactics. They per-
formed greater number OF movements than
did the ''Chicks," a greater variety, but all
of them were In the book. The Bluffs
committed number of individual errors and
one company error, which latter counted as
twenty eight against them. The company
error, was in the sergeant's salute, In max
ing the movement the company threw their
arms out obliquely from the body instead of
horizontally, and this was an error of mag
nitude on the count. When they closed their
drill they were greeted with vociferous ap-
plause. Indeed, if the judgment as to the
contest had been left to the spectators the
Chicks" would have lost, and the bluffs
would have won.
The "Chicks " were recalled and were put
through the manual for ten minutes by Lieu
tenant Holmes, United States army. They
went through the sergeant's salute, which
they negeStea f and r did emd
were drilled for ten minutes by Lieutenant
Holmes. This closed the event, and the
judges retired to consider verdict. 1t was
generally believed that the Bluffs " had
won, and even many of the Chicks gave
up the contest. But the judges had kept the
score of errors, and these little dots of the
Many who had bet on the "Chicks COM
menced g hedging in order to get even,
and but few bets could be secured except in
odds in favor of the "Bluffs. ~
ANNOUNCING THE RESULT.
The judges, who had retired, now appeared
and mounted the grand stand. There was
hush of public expectancy and solemn 81
lence as Lieutenant Holmes announced the
result from the stand. He stated briefly that
in behalf of the judges he was authorized to
decide the contest in favor of the Chickasaw
Guards. He was of the conviction that it was
the closest contest he had ever seen. Mem
phis ought to be proud of her military COM
panies or organizations. They were the arti
fcers of their own fortunes, and had sue
ceeded. He believed that the echoes from
st. Louis in the great military contest this fall
would be favorable to Memphis, etc. His re-
marks were loudly applauded, In which APP
pIause the Bluff City Grays joined heartily.
THE CLOSING SCENE.
At the close of the announcement, Captain
Cameron, of the Bluffs, made short
speech, in recognition of the reception of nu-
merous bouquets presented to his company
by the ladies who occupied the grand stand. |
Captain Carnes, of the Chickasaw Guards,
also made brief speech, and wound up by
stating that the contest was close; that the
''Bluffs" did remarkably well, and that he
did not believe any company in the State, ex-
cept the Chickasaw Guards, could defeat |
the Bluff City Grays. This closed the |
entertainment, and the lowering and threat
ening clouds began to sprinkle rain amid |
thunder and lightning. The crowds of peo-
pie hurried to the station to await the excur- |
SION train. They remained there until the |
incoming regular train passed and reached |
Memphis, when the excursion train came out |
and took on board the entire crowd and con-
veyed them safely to the city, where they ar
rived at eight o'clock.
THE SCORE NOT PUBLISHED.
Our reporter endeavored last evening to get |
the score of points from the judges, bat these |
gentlemen lad not made up the score-book. |
the closest and best score, and he in
formed our reporter that the judges |
were unanimously of opinion that the Chick
asaw Guards had won-Jhat they made fewer
individual errors than did the Bluff City |
Grays, and made no company error; but that |
the Bluffs made one company error, which |
was counted against them. 1t would be well,
and probably more satisfactory. if the Judges |