The start was announced by a general Indian yell.  The more rough the road—­the more full of logs, stumps, rocks, precipitous hills, and steep glens, the better.  This afforded a better opportunity for the display of intrepidity and horsemanship.  It was a veritable steeple-chase.  The victor announced his success by one of those shrill, savage yells, which would almost split the ears of the listener.  Grasping the bottle, he returned in triumph.  On approaching the party, he again gave forth the Indian war-whoop.

The bottle or jug was first presented to the bridegroom.  He applied the mouth of the bottle to his lips, and took a dram of raw whiskey.  He then handed it to his next of kin, and so the bottle passed through the whole company.  It is to be supposed that the young women did not burn their throats with very copious drafts of the poisonous fire-water.

When they arrived at the house, the brief ceremony of marriage immediately took place, and then came the marriage feast.  It was a very substantial repast of pork, poultry, wild turkeys, venison, and bear’s meat.  There was usually the accompaniment of corn-bread, potatoes, and other vegetables.  Great hilarity prevailed on these occasions, with wonderful freedom of manners, coarse jokes, and shouts of laughter.

The table was often a large slab of timber, hewn out with a broad-axe, and supported by four stakes driven into auger-holes.  The table furniture consisted of a few pewter dishes, with wooden plates and bowls.  There were generally a few pewter spoons, much battered about the edges, but most of the spoons were of horn, homemade.  Crockery, so easily broken, was almost unknown.  Table knives were seldom seen.  The deficiency was made up by the hunting-knives which all the men carried in sheaths attached to their hunting-shirts.

After dinner the dancing began.  There was invariably some musical genius present who could play the fiddle.  The dances were what were called three or four handed reels, or square sets and jigs.  With all sorts of grotesque attitudes, pantomime and athletic displays, the revelry continued until late into the night, and often until the dawn of the morning.  As there could be no sleeping accommodations for so large a company in the cabin of but one room, the guests made up for sleep in merriment.

The bridal party stole away in the midst of the uproar, one after another, up a ladder into the loft or garret above, which was floored with loose boards made often of split timber.  This furnished a very rude sleeping apartment.  As the revelry below continued, seats being scarce, every young man offered his lap as a seat for the girls; and the offer was always promptly accepted; Always, toward morning, some one was sent up into the loft with a bottle of whiskey, to offer the bridegroom and his bride a drink.  The familiar name of the bottle was “Black Betty.”  One of the witticisms ever prominent on the occasion was, “Where is Black Betty?  I want to kiss her sweet lips.”  At some splendid weddings, where the larder was abundantly stored with game, this feasting and dancing was continued for several days.