Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-03-26
BLUE AND THE GRAY
BRAVE MEN WHO MET ON THE
FIELD OF BATTLE.
Thrilling Stories of the Rebellion
Old Soldiers and Sailors Relate Remi.
n%iscences of Life in Camp and on
the Ficld-1ucidcnts of the War.
Confederate Theaters.

ments at a time when the people were
wrought up to the highest pitch of *
citement, and all reputable actors
found no difficulty in securing eNemp-
tions after the passage of the conscript
law. Among the stars on the COnfcd-
crate stage in those days were w. II.
Crisp. the father of the late Speaker
Crisp: Il. II. Dalton. Theodore Elalnil-
ton. and Sam Hubbard. Among the Ia
dies were Mrs. Crisp. Miss Jessie
Crisp. Miss Eloise Bridges, and the
Waldron sisters. These favorites of
the public appeared before the foot
lights in various cities. but. as a rule.
they a%ltcrnateu between Richmond and
Atlanta.
What We're the plays on the South
ern wartime stage? Perhaps the most
popular were "camille,'' "The Marble
Heart" The Romance of a Poor Young
Man." "Rolla," LA Tour de Nesle."
London Assurance" THE Serious
Family" NAVAL Engagements" BOX
and Cox" "Corsican Brothers." 'Lucre-
tia Borgia," "Black-Eyed SUSAN" and
others familiar to the theater-goers be-
fore the var Comedy seemed to have
the preference. The people had so
many serious things to worry over that
they did not a L for tragedy. So
Shakespeare became n back number,
and there was no demand for his a
terpieces. Yet some Of the Confeder-
ate theaters would have been equal
to the task of rendering Shakespeare.
Mr.. Crisp was an actor Of renown, and
Dalton and Hamilton were fair TRACE
dians. Mrs. Crisp and her daughter
possessed rare talent, and a half dozen
others might be mentioned who would
be players of note on the stage Of to-
day.
The last year of the war found the
theaters in a bad fix. The property
men and managers were in despair.
To dress these stage ladies and gentle
men in a fashion suited to their differ
ent roles was an imp%ossibility. So Ca
mile Went through her struggle with
of delighted audiences attired in a cos
tune which would have been more be-
coming to her grandmother, and Rolla
looked not only like the last of the
Peruvians," but like a bewildered gen.
tleman who had come to his last shirt
and WAS wondering where he could get
another. Still. the theaters drew bet
to-: than ever. People had money to
throw away, and they tried to get rid
of it.
Sometimes it was very inconvenient
to attend these places of amusement.
| Soldiers with muskets and bayonets
were stationed there to preserve or
der. and when the audiences filed out
officers were on hand to force every
man to show his papers. Frequently,
a young ma with his best girl would
find that he had forgotten his docu-
ments. and a squad of soldiers would
then escort the two to the lady's house.
and then carry the gentleman before
the provost marshal for an explana-
ton.
Generally. whenever a play was pre-
sented, the prettiest actress in the COM
pany would come IL between the acts
and recite MY Maryland" or some
other var poem, and wave Confeder-
ate banner. This feature of the pro-
gram always drove the soldiers wild
with enthusiasm. A few original plays
were placed on the stage in those STIR
ring days. Marin Jourlan Westmore-
land, of Atlanta, wrote THE Soldiers
Return and John Davis, an actor,
produced THE Roll of the Drum"
These dramas had more or less merit,
but were not destined to live.
In Atlanta the theater became a trou-
blesome problem shortly before the
siege. The city was filled with SOL
diers and refugees, and with them the
play was emphatically the thing. 1t
was their only amusement, and the
roughs crowded the theater in such
numbers that the better classes remain
ed at home. About this time the city
gas works had to shut down because
Sherman had cut off the supply of
coal. The theater, therefore, used tai
low candles, kerosene being unknown
in that region. This was a picnic for
the soldiers. Every private in the gal
lery fastened his eyes upon the candle
Immediately under him, and contiscated
it when the guards were lot looking.
More candles had to be lighted. but
sometimes the house would be in dark.
ness, except for the footlights. Scan.
dalous things were done during these
periods of artificial twilight. Good PEG
pie protested, but the city was becom.
ing q camp, and there seemed no rem.
edy.
Just when affairs were coming to
their worst, however. Mayor James NJ
Calhoun did what no mayor ever DID
before in the history of the world. He
issued an order closing the theater, and
pledged himself to use all the force a
his command to keep it closed. There
was a tremendous uproar. But til.
mayor was firm. He admitted that Ii.
was outside the law, but he claimed
that it was Il case of necessity-that the
theater must be closed or the cit,
would become a whirlpool of vice ant
crime.
mr., host ooo,,ln ,,,holj %J,o ..