The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-09-01
Al RIehmcnd Reportersfn New York.
Correspondence rf The Rietnnond DispatchJ
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irary merit IN the piece. understand, but II
| is put upon the stage in manner That ex-
cites general admiration. The author has
intended to be very fnir to the South. but
has made caricature Of StoDewall JACKSON,
and has introduced some very ridiculous in
eidents and freely exhibited his ignorance OF
military affairs. The hero is Colonel Blign,
Of the Federal army. The heroine Is Belle
Lamar, Virginia girl. married to Colonel
Bligh, whom she tries to imhue with south.
ern sentiments but failing, deserts MN and
| dies to Virginia, to find shortly afterwards
her father killed By Yankee marauders OF or
near his home in the Shenandoah Valley. a
| Federal captain in the army of the Shenan-
doab falls in love with Belle. and she pro-
misses to marry him. They meet on the Sne'
nandoah river, in the woods between tue
picket-lines, and there exchange vows. The
officer, after incautously revealing some
army secrets. begs her to leave Jackson's lines
and 20 to his mother in the North
and to enable her to do so fur
nishes her with pass for herself
and companion. Upon this pass hinges the
whole story. 1t gets whole raft OF people
into trouble. Belle uses it to intercept q
Yankee courier, and to obtain from him an
important dispatch, which she sends safely
to Jackson, but Is captured inside the lines,
in company with daring Confederate Major
Patrick Henry Steurt. This major is re-
presented as fine looking, soldierly fellow,
while bis captors appear 10 be Irish recruits
of the worst sort. Steurt and the Federal
officer are condemned to death as spies.
The court-martial, learning Bellies relations
with Bligb, refuse to pronounce any verdict
upon her case. Stonewall Jackson hearing
how things stand, goes to the Union camp
under flag of truce. He is personated by a
very tame individual, looking like peddler
Of quack medicine, and who is dressed 10
such a uniform as the Confederate army re-
gulations no doubt prescribed, but not Sltcn
as Jackson was accustomed to wear. Bllgh,
70 whom be is introduced, speaks 10 him In
highly complimentary terms, ana they forth
with proceed to confer together. jackson
offers in exchange for the release Of Belle ana
Major Steurt the intercepted dispatch. which
he has not opened, and Dligh agrees to let
his eX-wife 90. but holds on 70 Stcurt. jack
son leaves the Federal camp, but Belle, hay
ing again fallen in love With H!lgE,
notwithstanding his opposition to the
South, determines to remain behind,
and secretly and adroitiy secures the liberty
of Steurt and her woud-be Yankee lover.
Shortly afterwards Stonewa!l Jackson again
appears before the Federal line under iSS
of truce, and having been carried into Bligh's
presence advises him to s!lrrenGer-tellins
him that the CouieGcratos baYe him sur
rounded that the armies marching to his as
sistance cannot possibly reach him in time,
and if he Yields at once he and his command
NAV march forth with the honors of war.
Bliyh peremptorilv declines. Jackson Ia
ments his stnbborneSs, and warns him that
within half m hour he vii! open fire. BY
this time Belle Lamar and her husband have
become pretty wei! reconciled and the past
il forgotten and forgiven. The Conede-
rates attack, but Gligh holds his ground
until re ibiorcemcnts arrive, headed by the
misguided young captain, WHO met Belle
on the banks Of the river. The play . con-
Guided by grand tabieau, showing che ar
rival of the reintorcemenSs, the ecstasy CT the
beleaguered TROOPS. and the complete recon-
citation of husband and wife, the lying OF
flags, beating Of drums, and ali that sort OF
thing.
During the piece "Diyie" and other Con-
federate airs are played, and confederate
picket concealed in the BUSHES is heard to
warnle plainlivelv, "Maryland, my Mary.
land" Stonewall Jackson every now and
then gets his swcrd in between his legs and
stumbles. The counterfeit prcSentment OF
Jeb Stuart once or twice struts across the
stage, but is made to look more like the late
J. Marshall Hanna than the great Confede-
rate cavalrymau. The COnfcdcraics are 10.
where shown running, for which we ought TO
be grateful, considering the fact that in most
northern battle pictures and stage scenes the
gray coats are seen rapidly disappearing in
tue distance, hotly pursued by tue boys in
blue.
This pIay-which I have bat rudeiy
sketched-is drawing great croWGs every
night. Booths Theatre, where it IS pro-
duced, is the most magnificent one here, anu
the audiences are composed OF the best classes
of people. The scenery gotten up for the
occasion is very fine. Scare the Confederate
uniforms; and therefore they are not like
what they ought 10 be. By an unaccounta-
BILE " slip up" Bligh wears colonel's uni
form made after pattern adopted by the
United States War Department only about
year ago, and quite unlike the coat used du-
ring the war. Some of St0newall JackSon's
utterances are applauded, but very teebly
compared to the great 0utbursts that great
Colonel Bligh's patriotic sentiments.
TIE CoMMIssIoSAIRE COMPANY.
A new institution here is the Commits
sionaire Company. You see about the
streets and in the street-carS considerable
numbers Of men uniformed like old Confede-
rate artillery solders-with grey caps, grey
sack.coats, and grey pants, all trimmed with
red. These are the c0mnissionaires. And
what do they do? / will tell you. They are
organized by an enterprising individual
under the name and style of the /" Griffith
Commissionaire Company" and for small
fixed fees will run errauds, clean cloth.
ing, collect bills, drafts or checks,
find you suitable house if you
want to rent one, or. clearinghouse
if you want to board, secure seats for
you at the opera or theatre, and, if desired,
wait upon the lady as escort, "appearlng in
a fine evening DRESS" carry vaises to and
from the depot, hold your horse, move your
furniture, black your boots, wait upon the
sick, push the baby-carriage, guide you
through the city, &C. The commissionaire
"will also attend your lady when making
calls, shopping, &C., acting as lackey, de!iv-
eripg visiting cards, protecting her by um-
brella from the sun and storm, or falling on
a slippery day; on all such occasions he will
appear in elegant servants livery imported
from Paris and Vienna" Further, he will
act as Interpreter and translator of any mo.
dern language, aud 'sif you want a man to
annoy your bad debtor by repeated calls
three times day. get commissionaire
The central office is at No. German Bank
building, and all COMMISSIONERS are tho.
roughly reliable and careiully.selected men,
for every one Of whom the general office
holds itself responsible for all valuabes to
| +ho orrt Of ffy 1nilarC ontruSfp6 n fhpYn
whether on the street or at headquarters
The experiment is novel one, but promise:
to succeed we'll.