St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-12-01

stealing a team from Henry Wilson of
Barnet in October, 1880, and Alice
Stokes for selling a team at Montpelier
this fall
The War Drama Chamberlin
Post Fights Over Its Battles.
The presentation Tuesday evening at
Music Hall of the war drama "Union
Sergeant, or the Battle of Gettysburg
was an event of considerable interest
in this community because performed
wholly by local actors, and because of
the interest which has not yet died out,
and which we hope never will die out,
in regard to all the events connected
with the nations struggle for life in
those dark days between 1864.
This play starts with a family scene.
The plot of the play embraces two fam
lies Westons, a staunch Union
family down in Massachusetts, and the
St. Glars of Richmond, the father a
Confederate officer, but the wife loyal
to the Union cause. The first scene, an
evening with Squire Weston's family,
the quiet of which is broken by the
sudden appearance of two young men
from the neighbOrhOOd with the news
of the firing on Sumter and the call
for troops, the giving of the trusty old
musket to one of them with a parting
blessing were scenes III the
opening of the play which were inter
esting and pleasing.
The second scene in the drama was
even more interesting and was capital
ly performed, introducing good but
deaf Deacon Brown, his fussy and i'm
patient wife and their up-to-snuff
daughter Hubby. These parts were all
well filled by A. T. Beane as deacon,
Mrs. d. d. Patterson and Miss Abbie
Brown as mother and daughter.
AS the play goes on Squire Weston's
boys enlist and depart for the war with
the blessings of both parents. They
are followed to the war, one dying in
the prison pen of Belle Isle and the
other surviving the fortunes of war.
The first call to arms is wildly por-
trayed the march through Baltimore
where the first blood was shed, the biv-
ouac at the capital, the battle of Get
tysburg and the field of battle at mid
night, picket life, the prison pen, Rich
mond, Appomattox, and Lees surren-
der.
All who took part in this play were
novices, yet most did their parts so
naturally and admirably that the audi
ence could scarcely believe that they
had never been on the stage before.
Sim Scudder, rOllicking, wide-awake,
patriotic young man, full of ginger and
patriotism, was persOnated very finely
by VIM. Wetherbee. 1t was highly APP
prOpriate that "Sim" should marry
Deacon Browns daughter at the close
of the war and live in the ''little brown
house down in the medder." "Sim'
was Il faVOrite with the audience and
played his part well, though it was not
as difficult part rs some of the 9th
ers.
Frank Weston, the Union sergeant,
was one of the principal characters Ill
the play and difficult place to fill
Pearl F. BlOdgett took this role and
did it well. He has much ability i'll
this line and shows natural adapta-
ton to dramatic work. The other
most prominent characters in the play
were the rebel Col. st. Clair and his
patriotic wife, the latter sent through
the lines to the Union army just il
season to find her husband MORALLY
wounded on the field of Gettysburg
and to receive his dying curse. These
| George X. Crosby and Miss Julia X
Whipple. But we cannot particularizt
where there are so many performers
and where all did so uniformly well
The battle scenes were fully exciting
enough and the prison pen experiences
were narrowing because every one d
sufficient age present knew they were
only family pictured, as the reality cal
never be described.
OF the performers we have no crit
cism to offer; the little defects of in
distinctness and unfamiliarity with the
place and their parts, which som'
showed, will be less noticeable hereaf
ter. OF the play itself there could b'
much said if one was inclined, but w
shall only hint here that it is TIVE
hours too long. The audience wer
very patient, but there was too mucl
delay between scenes and too mucl
sitting about small tables reading let
tiers and waiting for something max
ing set speeches and reading genera
orders. The first and last hours of til
drama were good, the other two hour
were tedious.
Other unpleasant things, not so east
ly remedied, might he mentioned, sue
as firing of guns and the burning q
material to make the red light for tn
tableaux-bOth exceedingly unpleas
ant in a crowded room. However
Chamberlin Post can congratulate
{ themselves on the great success of the