I endorse this application, satisfied that Judge Poland is convinced of the wrong done Captain Armes.

FREEMAN CLARKE,

M. C.

I have reason to believe that Major Armes has been hardly dealt with, and join in recommending him to some position.

H. WILSON,

ALEX. RAMSEY,

If you will comply with Captain Armes' request I will consider it a personal favor.

POWELL CLAYTON,

WM. HELMICK,

I concur in the recommendation of Senator Wilson and others, and hope Major Armes may be given some appointment.

JAS. H. PLATT, JR.,

M. C.
FRANK MORREY,
M. C.

Being satisfied nothing could be done with the Secretary of War or the President, I took my summer vacation, meeting many relatives and friends, which proved beneficial to my health and financially, as I carried through several large transactions, and upon my return to Washington consulted my attorneys, introducing a bill for my restoration, which was referred to the Military Committee of the House for investigation and report. I continued to receive a great many letters enclosing descriptions of property to be placed in my hands for sale, and among my customers was Moses Kelly, a large real-estate owner and banker, with whom I had made a great many large transactions of financial benefit to both of us.

Saratoga Springs, N. Y., July 29, 1872.

After breakfast, between II and 12 o'clock, Commodore Vanderbilt, Gov. John T. Hoffman, Hon. Smith Ely, Mayor of New York; Gen. G. S. Batcheller of Saratoga, N. Y., and Gen. H. H.

Wells, ex-Governor of Virginia, and Governor T. G. Alvord of Syracuse were all sitting on the veranda discussing horsemanship, when Governor Hoffman remarked that the Northern men

made better cavalrymen than the Southerners. I took exceptions to this at once, and after a short discussion, in which all seemed to take great interest, I suggested that he invite fifty young men from New York or any other Northern State he wished, and I would invite fifty young men from Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia and have a tournament, and pledged myself to crown the Queen of Love and Beauty and more maids of honor with my fifty young men than he with his fifty, or I would pay all expenses. Commodore Vanderbilt jumped up from his chair at this challenge, offering to furnish passes for all the knights to and from Saratoga. The proposition was immediately taken up, and we organized the following-named temporary committees:

COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION.

I. Gen. G. S. Batcheller, Saratoga, N. Y.
Dr. W. J. Lewis, New Orleans, La.

2.

3. Col. Francis Copcutt, New York..

4. Col. D. F. Ritchie, Saratoga.

5. Capt. D. F. Judson, Saratoga.

6. Col. Geo. A. Armes, Washington, D. C.

I.

COMMITTEE ON DECORATION.

Mitchell Bros., Saratoga.

2. Col. C. J. Van Horn, Philadelphia.

3. Messrs. Bennett & McCaffrey, Saratoga.

4. Mr. E. Reynolds, Connecticut.

THE TOURNAMENT.

"Grand Field Day at Glen Mitchell-Large Attendance-Lots of Sport-Saratoga, Her Beauty and Her Chivalry-A High Old Time.

"The elements conspired against the chivalry' of New York, Canada, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, but they conspired in vain. Sir George Armes said there should be no postponement on account of a little rain, and all the knights said, 'So mote it be,' and so it was. At 4 o'clock the knights assembled at the Grand Central Hotel, armed to the teeth and in full armor clad. Their gallant steeds, borrowed mostly from Saratoga agriculturists. pranced and neighed until the young ladies on the piazzas of the

hotels went wild with excitement. Carriages were ordered out immediately, and forthwith Broadway was lined with equipages en route to the Glen. On account of the lateness of the hour, the cavalcade was postponed, the knights, with Marshal Armes and his aides, galloping briskly to Glen Mitchell, where Hon. James W. Huested, the orator of the day, in a few appropriate sentences, spoken from the judge's stand, welcomed the Knights of the South to a friendly trial of skill with the Knights of the North.

"The honors were as follows:

“R. C. Gwynn, Knight of Washington City, 9; E. M. Jackson, Knight of Fairfax, 8; T. E. Allen, Knight of Ontario, Canada, 9; R. Wallace, Knight of Marlborough, 7: J. F. McGregor, Knight of 'My Maryland,' 7; E. P. Gwynn, Knight of Baltimore, 6; W. H. Johnson, Knight of Troy, 9.

"The column of figures indicates the number of rings taken by each knight three tilts. It is but justice to state that some of the best riders were unfortunately afflicted with most awkward equines. And yet the general effect was quite inspiriting. The attendance of distinguished people was very large. The grounds were thronged with splendid turnouts. Among the carriages was that of Commodore Vanderbilt, occupied by the Commodore and his wife, and we noticed on the judge's stand Mr. Frank Leslie, Hon. James W. Husted, 'Eli Perkins,' E. O. Perrin and others, and large numbers of the elite occupied the elegant equipages and the grand stand. Considering the untoward circumstances and the powerful (?) opposition of some jealous churls in Saratoga, it was a very notable success, and we think that next year the Saratoga tournament will be still more of an event. It is due Col. Geo. A. Armes, who started the enterprise, to say that he labored manfully, but almost single-handed, in getting it up.

"The assemblage in the evening was one of the finest that Saratoga has seen this season. The attendance was large and brilliant, and the ceremony of crowning the Queen of Love and Beauty and her maids of honor was a fine spectacle. Each knight was introduced in turn by Mr. E. O. Perrin, who pronounced the title, in the order given above, the first crowning the Queen, and so on through the list. The chosen Queen of Love and Beauty was Miss Lillie Washington of Washington, who is, we believe, one of the nearest descendants living of the family of Gen. George Washington. Miss Washington was elegantly dressed in light-blue silk, court train, white Swiss overdress trimmed with the same, hair in chatelaine braids and curls. The maids of honor were Miss Jennie Miller of Brooklyn, Mrs. E. P. Smith of Saratoga, Miss Annie Morgan of New York, Mrs. E. J. Lewis of New Orleans, Miss Mary Donnington of New York, Mrs. Hicks (Sophie Sparkle) of New York.