The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-30
GOLDEN WEDDING TODAY
1T WILL BE CELEBRATED BY MIR.
AND MRS. DANIEL HARCOURT.
Two Hundred Relatives VIII Assemble
mt Broad Ripple-Dr. II. j.
"Reminiscences.

$50 SOH1 1900
and Mrs. Daniel Harcourt will be cele-
brated at Broad Ripple to-day and there
will be over two hundred relatives of the
couple present. Mr.. and Mrs. Harcourt
have been residents OF Marion county near
ly all their lives. For a number of years
they resided near New Augusta and now
they are residents of Broad Ripple. The
day will be a love feast, and in the after
noon the relatives will take a ride I'D the
river on one of the steamboats,. which Will
be chartered for the occasion. Many Of
the relatives reside in Ohio. Illinois and
Kansas, and most of them will be here.
One of the prominent members of the
Harcourt family is DR.. T. ]. Harcourt, Of
Cincinnati. He is a cousin OF Daniel Har-
court. DIR. Harcourt is a prominent men,
Der of the G. a. r. and the Loyal Legion.
DR.. Harcourt spent several winter sea-
sons I'm Indianapolis over forty years ago
and is we'll acquainted with the early his
tory of Indianapolis and the Incidents
that occurred before the war.
AN A~NTE-BELLUM ACTOR.
Prior to the war | was an actor and
| played at the Metropolitan Theater in this
| city, said DIR. Harcourt yesterday. Il was
a member of a stock company in those
udyS, anu III the COMPANY NtiN StN ANNh
ings and his daughter, +. G. White. j. b.
Roberts. Bernard Macauley, brother of
ex-Mayor Daniel Macauley, and others
who achieved fame on the stage. Richings
afterward started the Caroline Richings
| opera company and made a great success
with his daughter as the star. Rlchings
always played attractions In which he
could give his daughter an opportunity to
sing. She possessed a wonderfully sweet
soprano voice. Richings was an actor of
the old English school.
1--WE were playing a season at the Metro
politan just before the war opened. and
most of us lived at the old Ohio Hotel.
The Legislature was in session that year
and the Democrats and members of the
Legislature from southern counties tried
to pass a law preventing the Governor
from holding the state militia intact: After
the Legislature adjourned the financial con-
dition of the militia was cramped. but
when the time came Governor Morton
clothed and provided for the troops.
During those stormy days of unrest
and attempts made to cause a division
among the patriotic people of indianapolis
that indianapolis. people were wavering
in politics and their patriotism. and he
decided to take the members of the stock
Ompany to the steps OF the Capitol build
ing to sing patriotic songs and try and
enthuse the people. His laughter and all
the members of the company entered into
the scheme with a zeal that was very COM
mendable. Richings secured permission
from the state authorities to sing on the
Statehouse steps, and from 1870 to O'Clock
and from $50 TO Z each day We SANG all
the patriotic songs, including Hail Co
lumbia, America and the French Mar
seillaise.' with dramatic scenes. At first we
had an audience Of about $50 to hear us
sing. but later there were between 1900
and 1900 people in the Statehouse yard
each day, waiting to hear us. and they
would join in the chorus with patriotic
spirit.
LEW WALLACE A FRIEND.
81 believe. as 1 look at the matter re-
respectively, that our songs brought about
a true spirit of unionism in this city. Lew
Wallace was a great friend of the actors
at that time and he secured a sutlership
m Camp Morton for White and myself.
There was talk then of rebel sympathizers
placing poison in the Union army's food
and all the pies that came into camp were
cOnfiScated.
Most of the members of our theatrical
company were Kentuckians, but they were
friendly to the North. Our season closed in
May. 81, and on July IL of that year | en-
listed with a regiment that was entirely
strange 10 me and went to the front in
the quartermaster's department.
Most of my service was around Baton
Rouge. 1t was at that time that l learned
TO admire Edwin Stanton and Gen. b. f.
Butler. who, l think, were two of the
greatest men this country ever produced.
Butler made New Orleans what il is to-
day. While encamped near Baton Rouge
/ picked up a musket one day and went
after some reDelS VINO were near by. They
cried out that they would surrender and
when l placed the gun down they escaped
on all tours over the top of a hill. During
one of the battles L was called by a Com
federate. who was lying on the ground in
the last agonies of death. He said he
wanted a drink of water and as | moved to
place my canteen to his lips a bullet grazed
my hand. / believe that l would have been
killed had | not gone TO the assistance of
the dying rebel.
"A short time after that during the bat
tie / noticed the rear of the Confederate
army winding slowly around a hill. L
rushed down the hill and met the Seventh
Vermont Regiment. | went up to the lieu
tenant colonel of the regiment and told
him that he could capture the rear of the
Confederate army by deploying to their
rear and making a charge. He said he did
not know but that L was a rebel spy and
would not take any suggestions from me.
| then asked him for twenty-five men to
make the attempt with me-. Immediately a
number of his regiment stepped forward, Of
fering TO go with me. but the lieutenant
colonel ordered them back and took them
from the scene. He was later discharged
from the service for cowardice."
DR.. Harcourt says that If he had not been
disabled i'm the army he would have fol-
lowed stage life again and he still has a
longing TO get behind the footlights.
"