The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-11
GRoRe1A's CRACK TROOPERS.
Capt King Writes an Interesting Arti-
Gle on Southern Cavalrymen.

The August number of Outing contains
an interesting article by Capt. Charles
King, United States army, on Cavalry
fitting in the South" Capt. King writes
especially Of the Macon tilt in October q
year ago, at which he was one Of the judges.
After the tilt Capt. King came TO Savan-
nah and was here several days. He says:
In 1871, when on duty in Louisiana, 1t was
the good fortune of the writer to
have occasional opportunity of
rcauship and 'tiltingn of the men of
the Creole state, and on one occasion TO act
az judge at a tournament given at the fair
grounds Later in 1879, he was a witness
of daily practice of number Of the con-
testants for the prizes 10 be given
at a forthcoming "tilt" up the Mis-
slssippi, and in this way and with
some incidental rides across country in Mis-
sissiDpi he obtained fair idea OF their skill
In the saddle Then, however, came along
interval of ten years, during which time he
| saw nothing Of the southern states, so that
an invitation to visit Georgia in October,
1889, as one of the judges Of the cavalry tilt
to be held during the fair week at Macon,
came as a pleasant surprise, and was most
| gladly accepted. This visit enabled him to
enjoy closer acquaintance with
these dashing riders and swords
| men and more thorough
study Of their methods than was ever be-
fore a possibility. excepting, perhaps, a
brief period in 1861. when, for reasons
which need not be too minutely stated here,
he did not feel warranted in staying very
| long where they happened to enter the field.
| In those days they wore gray jackets and
plumed felt hats; but last October every
officer and man appeared in blue aud with
| the regulation helmet
! -Four of the finest troops of cavalry in the
| state of Georgia were represented in the
contest, and the spirit of generous rivalry
and chivalric courtesy that prevailed was
something well worth seeing.
The programme had been arranged long
before and was thoroughly understood by
one and ALL There had been previous
contest at the great fair at the capital city,
which had served to intensity the interest,
while it in no wise disturbed the soldierly
harmony and cordiality which were so
noticeable throughout"
Capt King then gives the programme for
| the tilt and explains the exercise of the tilt,
which is familiar to most people who have
wi messed cavalry contests, and then con-
tinues:
The troops entered for the contest COM
prised some of the finest cavalrymen ever
seen in the southern states, or, for that
| matter, in the union. Two of the troops,
the Georgia Hussars of Savannah and the
Liberty independent Troop from Liberty
county, In the southeastern part of the
state. were full century old and had
had long and glorious history. The
| third troop, the Governors Horse Guards
of Atlanta, Ga, was made up of fine
material, and had won great success at
| the tilt" at the state fair at Atlanta
only few days previous. The fourth
troop. the newest III the state, the Macon
| Hussars, was composed of young men
admirably adapted for cavalry service,
mounted on beautiful horses and uniformed
| in becoming and dashing style; the only
objection that could be found to their uni
form, perhaps, beng that they had adopted
| the yellow plume aud cords of the cavalry
of the United States service Already 1t
has been subject of frequent criticism
that that yellow, so gaudy in the first place,
cannot be made to retain its shade and
soon fades out to a very dingy hue,
| and one inspector general of the United
! States army has already recommended that
it should be discarded, and orange, the old
| dragon color, substituted in its stead.
| From an artistic point of view the cavalry
uniform OF the service is hardly attractive.
AS is ways sure to be the case in all
martial or athletic contests in the south the
populace was out in force to watch the
work of the different teams, and as is sell
|
the troopers were stimulated to their best
efforts by the presence of ladies. The
grand stand was always well filed,
especially on the second day of the tilt,
when the local troop, the Macon Hussars,
were to make their maiden effort. The
weather was lovely; the track trifle dusty,
but this was the only drawback to what
proved a most successful affair.
With the exception of Col. Wiley, an &C
| COMM shed SOldiar the ind orac vUara OffinarO
of the regular army and graduates of West
| Point, and all had been Through the milP'
in the old riding hall.
The contesting troops were, first, the
| Governors Horse Guards, of Atlanta sec
ond, the Liberty Independent Troop; third,
the Georgia HuSsars, of Savannah; fourth,
| the Macon Hussars; the Liberty troop. as
has been said, entering two teams. Regret
was expressed that the Mcintosh Light Ora
goons did not enter, as they are swordsmen
of unusual skill
In the drawing for place the Governors
| Horse Guards came first; they were the
swordsmen who had won the highest prize
at the state fair at Atlanta, and much was
expected of their effort on the first day.
Lieut.. Dozier, who commanded the team,
led off, and made a most creditable ex-
hibiticn. He was followed by Trooi er
| Benteen, son of the gallant old cavalry
man of the regular service of that name,
and in turn by the three other members
of the troop. ali of them making a fine
average in their three "runs" 1t was
evident from the start that the horses of
these troopers. as well as those of all, ex-
cept the Macon Hussars, had been long and
carefully trained for this particular work
They ran straight as darts, with very little
vertical motion, so that about all the
trooper had to do was TO let his horse take
care OF himself, and give all his own atten-
ton to the heads aud rings. The horses
never seemed to swerve or to change in
the faintest degrees their smooth, even
stride They ran like deer, but no
effort of Workmanship was required TO
keep them on the track. That had all
been attended to in preliminary practice.
The Georgia Hussars presented a heavier
team in point Of physique than many
of the Others, one trooper riding
fully 240, if not more, but he
rode "as light as boy" aud his saber
work was finer than any seen on the first
| day. 1t was marvellous how the heads aud
rings would fly from his blade, and with
what accuracy the pegs were severed. Still,
it was not Trooper Jennings fortune to
make the highest score. As luck would
have it, this was reserved as surprise for
the second day. OF course, the sympatnies
Of the Maoonites we're very largely with
their own friends and neighbors of the new
troop, the Hussars; and as i'll luck
would have 1t, two of the best men
g